Delivering excellent customer service is crucial for business success – 80% of consumers will continue patronizing companies that provide great support, even after mistakes. Yet juggling an overload of channels like phone, email, chat, social media, and self-service makes achieving responsive, seamless CX challenging.
In this blog, we explore the best customer service software solutions for aligning people, processes, and information. Compare pros and cons across platforms to determine the best fit for your business needs and budget. With the right customer support platform, teams can collaborate smoothly, resolve issues faster, and create customer experiences that fuel loyalty.
What is Customer Service Software?
Customer service software is a platform used by companies to manage customer relationships and deliver effective support. It allows support teams to track, respond to, and resolve customer inquiries across multiple communication channels in one centralized system.
Customer service platforms centralize all customer data and conversations in one system to give agents a holistic view of each customer. This improves personalization, problem-solving, and relationship-building. Customer service software can also provide insights through reporting and analytics.
Some of the main functions of customer service software tools include ticketing, live chat, knowledge bases, reporting, and integrating with other platforms to give agents a full view of the customer.
How Does Customer Service Software Work?
Customer service software solutions work by providing a centralized platform for businesses to manage and respond to customer inquiries and support requests. Here’s how it typically works in steps:
1. Customer Inquiry Initiation: Customers reach out for support through various channels such as email, chat, phone, or social media.
2. Ticket Creation: The software automatically creates a ticket for each customer inquiry, capturing relevant details like customer information, issue description, and communication history.
3. Ticket Assignment: The system assigns the ticket to an appropriate support agent or team based on predefined rules, such as issue type or agent expertise.
4. Agent Response: The assigned agent reviews the ticket and responds to the customer through the chosen communication channel, providing assistance or solutions.
5. Issue Resolution: The agent works to resolve the issue, updating the ticket with notes, actions taken, and any customer interactions throughout the process.
6. Follow-Up: Once resolved, the agent may follow up with the customer to ensure satisfaction and gather feedback.
7. Reporting and Analytics: The software collects data on ticket volume, response times, and customer communication, allowing businesses to analyze performance and improve service strategies.
8. Knowledge Base Updates: Common issues and solutions are documented in a knowledge base, helping agents and customers find answers more quickly in the future.
Related reads: How to use WhatsApp for Customer Service?
Top 12 Customer Service Software for Businesses
The right customer service software can make communication easier, shorten response times, assist with resolving customer queries quickly, and gather perceptive insights on customers. Here are the top 12 customer service software solutions:
How do we select and analyze these tools?
For the selection of Customer Service Software, the decision comes on the back of a thorough research experiment and scrutiny. The tools are selected based on usability and satisfaction factors- feature sets, ease of use, ratings, and reviews from GetApp, G2, and Capterra. We are committed to assisting organizations in making informed decisions to improve operational efficiency and productive quality.
| Software | Best For | Free Plan | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| ControlHippo | Businesses of all sizes | Yes | From $20/month |
| HelpScout | Small and mid-sized businesses | Yes | From $50/month |
| Zoho Desk | Businesses of all sizes | No | From Rs.420/user/month |
| Jira | IT and support teams | Yes | From $7.53/user/month |
| Freshdesk | Businesses of all sizes | No | From Rs.999/agent/month |
| Zendesk | Enterprises needing omnichannel support | No | From $55/agent/month |
| Intercom | Customer engagement and sales | No | From $39/seat |
| Front | Teams managing multiple communication channels | No | From $19/seat/month |
| LiveAgent | Businesses needing multichannel support | No | From $15/agent/month |
| Tidio | Small businesses and e-commerce | Yes | From $29/month |
| Salesforce | Large enterprises needing CRM integration | No | From $25/month |
| Hiver | Gmail-based customer support | No | From $19/user/month |
1. ControlHippo
ControlHippo is a powerful omnichannel customer service platform designed to manage multi-channel conversations via WhatsApp, SMS, and email. It speeds up response time by providing automation, team collaboration, and analytics. Its AI-powered chatbots with intelligent routing allow customers to get answers quickly and accurately, bringing more efficiency and organization to customer support.
Features
- Omnichannel inbox
- AI chat assistant
- Workflow automation
- Chatbot builder
- Analytics report
Pros
- ControlHippo easily connects with various applications, making workflow management smooth and efficient.
- Centralizes customer interactions, optimizing efficiency through thorough oversight and consolidation for improved service.
- This customer service solution provides exceptional customer service to enhance user experience.
Cons
- Certain users might need an adjustment period to familiarize themselves with the platform's advanced functionalities.
- Users experience random disconnections and occasional lags, requiring manual reconnections.
Pricing
- Basic: free
- Bronze: $20 Per user/month billed annually
- Silver: $28 Per user/month billed annually
- Gold: custom pricing
2. HelpScout
HelpScout is a customer service tool that has been built to enable businesses to manage emails and chats from one place in a very simple manner. It organizes customer requests in a manner that they can respond faster. With its features like saved replies, automated workflows, and a shared inbox, HelpScout does customer support smoothly and efficiently while maintaining a personal and friendly touch.
Features
- Shared labels
- Customer portal
- Conversation followers
- Conversation ID
- Shared drafts
Pros
- Users can create workflows and saved replies to automate tasks, saving time and improving efficiency.
- The platform organizes and prioritizes the service tickets.
- Manage support emails with more transparency than Gmail Groups.
Cons
- There is no way to create a support ticket unless it is related to an email already received.
- It lacks a built-in SLA feature that could help businesses track and meet service-level agreements.
Pricing
- Free
- Standard: $50/month
- Plus: $75/month
3. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a customer service platform that helps businesses manage support tickets, automate tasks, and reduce response time. It offers AI-powered assistance, multi-channel support, and detailed analytics. Zoho Desk helps provide speedy and efficient customer service while tracking every customer interaction.
Features
- Support ticket management
- Self-service portal
- Alerts/escalation
- Customer management
- Reporting & customization
Pros
- Users can tailor the platform precisely to meet their unique platform requirements.
- The platform considers customer behavior and interactions, improving our ability to foresee their needs accurately.
- The customer access portal's home page is preconfigured and allows additional customization of content.
Cons
- Customization options are restricted to the lower subscription tiers.
- Users new to the system may find the user interface confusing.
Pricing
- Express: Rs.420 /user/month
- Standard: Rs.800/user/month
- Professional: Rs.1400/user/month
- Enterprise: Rs.2400/user/month
4. Jira
Jira, created by Atlassian, is someone working mainly with IT and support teams within organizations who use the software to track issues and manage customer service tasks. It helps teams organize their work, quickly getting everything done, and keeping track of its progress. With automation and detailed reports, Jira makes customer service more efficient while ensuring that no issue gets overlooked.
Features
- Conversational ticketing
- Scrum and Kanban boards
- Agile reporting
- Deployment status
- Reporting and metrics
Pros
- Field personnel can independently generate tickets without the need to contact the help desk for assistance.
- Sending updates to requesting parties is a streamlined and simple process.
- The ticket ownership can be smoothly transferred to different staff members.
Cons
- The system lacks integration with a knowledge base for seamless information access.
- Customers are unable to access support through various social media channels.
Pricing
- Free
- Standard – $7.53/ user/ month
- Premium $13.53/ user/ month
- Enterprise: contact sales
Deliver Exceptional Support with ControlHippo!
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5. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is cloud-based customer service software that enables businesses to manage support tickets, chats, and calls. The platform empowers businesses with automation, AI chatbots, and collaboration tools to improve their customers’ experience. With Freshdesk, teams can track customer issues, assign tasks, and respond in record time for smooth customer service delivery.
Features
- Omnichannel ticketing
- Custom inbox views
- Omnichannel dashboard & analytics
- Chatbot builder
- Customer self-service knowledge base
Pros
- This customer service management software offers template features for quick and standardized responses, improving efficiency.
- The workflow within the ticketing system is well-structured and user-friendly.
- Reminder emails are integrated, helping with timely follow-ups and notifications.
Cons
- Depending on your plan, you may not have access to some valuable features.
- There's a need for better filtering and assigning functionalities to optimize workflow management.
Pricing
- Growth: Rs. 999/agent/month
- Pro: Rs. 3,599/agent/month
- Pro+AI CoPilot: Rs. 5,998/agent/month
- Enterprise: Rs. 5,699/agent/month
6. Zendesk
Zendesk is one of the most popular tools for helping businesses handle customer queries via e-mail, chat, social media, and telephone. It allows for automation, self-service options, and AI-powered bots, which can improve response times. Thus, Zendesk helps businesses deliver their customer support in a speedy, highly efficient, and organized way.
Features
- Client management
- Customer complaint tracking
- Customer segmentation
- Customer service analytics
- Help desk management
Pros
- Comprehensive social media management features cover all needs.
- Advanced analytics and reporting tools provide valuable insights.
- Supports team collaboration and workflows, improving efficiency.
- Excellent customer support services ensure user satisfaction.
Cons
- Higher costs compared to other tools might be prohibitive.
- Limited functionalities in the basic plan could be restrictive.
Pricing
- Suite Team: $55/agent/month
- Suite Growth: $89/agent/month
- Suite Professional: $115/agent/month
- Suite Enterprise: custom pricing
7. Intercom
Intercom is a sales and customer service software that allows businesses to chat with their customers instantly. It greatly enhances communication by providing automated chatbots, email campaigns, and live messaging. This means that businesses can respond to questions immediately, guide their users, and build strong relationships with their customers.
Features
- Engagement tracking
- Support ticket management
- Customer database
- Multi-channel communication
- Campaign segmentation
Pros
- Intercom saves chat history, including team notes, making communication smooth and organized.
- It offers reliable performance, great support, and regular updates to improve user experience.
- Intercom provides useful training resources to help users understand and use the platform effectively.
Cons
- Some users experienced serious service disruptions and found it hard to contact support.
- Updates may be lost, rejected, or face errors due to server-side issues.
Pricing
- Essential: $39/seat
- Advanced: $99/seat
- Expert: $139/seat
8. Front
Front is a customer service tool that creates one inbox for emails, chats, and social media messages. Teams can collaborate, assign tasks, and communicate faster. The built-in automation and shared inbox functions will ensure that customer service is organized and enable customers to receive accurate and rapid answers.
Features
- Contact database
- Interaction tracking
- Performance metrics
- Customer database
- Customer service analytics
Pros
- Improves communication within the organization and connects different messaging platforms like Facebook Chat.
- The support team is quick and provides helpful information, along with great self-support documentation.
- Offers strong organizational features that help manage inboxes efficiently, improving daily workflow.
Cons
- Frequent outages can be frustrating for users.
- Once a message is sent, there is no way to recall it after the initial 5-second cancellation window.
Pricing
- Starter: $19/seat/month
- Growth: $59/seat/month
- Scale: $99/seat/month
- Premier: custom pricing
9. LiveAgent
LiveAgent allows businesses to provide support through live chat, emails, and calls. It is equipped with automation to speed ticketing and support across multiple channels. With LiveAgent, businesses can provide better services to their customers and satisfy them by resolving issues quickly and efficiently.
Features
- Customer communication
- Customer data management
- Customizable reports
- Customer experience management
- Customer segmentation
Pros
- LiveAgent combines live chat, call recording, email, and social media messaging in a single platform.
- The software offers powerful tools like multichannel support, ticket management, customization options, and reporting.
- Users praise LiveAgent’s prompt technical support and the ability to customize the platform to fit their needs.
Cons
- Some users find LiveAgent’s subscription plans expensive, making them less accessible for smaller companies.
- A few users initially had difficulty setting up certain features, like SIP Trunk.
Pricing
- Small business: $15/agent/month
- Medium business: $29/agent/month
- Large business: $49/agent/month
- Enterprise: $69/agent/month
10. Tidio
Tidio is a customer service software for live chat, AI chatbots, and email support. It helps businesses provide instant responses and automate answers to common questions. Tidio is able to make offerings 24/7 to improve customer advice to make customer communication quick and easy.
Features
- Helpdesk management
- Interaction tracking
- Query suggestions
- Sales activity management
- Sentiment analysis
Pros
- The chatbot can be added to a Shopify website with simple HTML, making setup quick and hassle-free.
- It efficiently manages customer inquiries, helping businesses respond faster and more effectively.
- Many users have successfully converted website visitors into customers using the chatbot feature.
Cons
- Customers may struggle to get real-time help from a support representative when needed.
- Configuring advanced features can take time, though resources are available to help.
Pricing
- Starter: $29/month
- Growth: $59/month
- Plus: $749/month
- Premium: $2999/month
11. Salesforce
Salesforce is a customer relationship management system built for delivering assistance to customers. This help desk software offers deeper, more intelligent insights, automation features, and multi-channel support owing to artificial intelligence. With Salesforce, the organization can track customer interaction with a quick resolution of problems for better customer satisfaction.
Features
- Lead management
- Ticketing management
- Reporting and analytics
- Email integration
- Call center management
Pros
- This customer service platform offers a range of customizable options to tailor to individual needs.
- Functioning as a comprehensive CRM, sales, and marketing solution, it streamlines various business processes.
- Users benefit from exceptional and responsive customer support, ensuring smooth operations.
Cons
- The software presents a steep learning curve, requiring significant time and effort for users to become proficient.
- The mobile app's functionality is somewhat limited, restricting accessibility and convenience for users on the go.
Pricing
- Custom pricing
12. Hiver
Hiver is an email customer support tool embedded in Gmail. It helps your team organize customer emails. Businesses can assign emails, track replies, and automate steps from within the inbox. Through Hiver, customer support teams can improve workflow efficiency and respond to customer inquiries faster.
Features
- Shared labels
- Customer portal
- Conversation followers
- Conversation ID
- Shared drafts
Pros
- The integration with Gmail and features like templates, email tracking, and canned responses.
- Hiver facilitates collaboration among client-facing teams by providing shared inboxes, internal notes, and status tracking.
- Hiver focuses on email management, which is crucial for businesses, offering a streamlined experience.
Cons
- There is no way to create a support ticket unless related to an email already received.
- Some users report a steep learning curve for new features.
Pricing
- Lite: $19/per user/month
- Growth: $29/per user/month
- Pro: $49/per user/month
- Elite: Contact the sales team
Note: Pricing as of February 2025; subject to change. Always check vendor websites for the latest updates.
Elevate Your Customer Service With ControlHippo
ControlHippo is an omnichannel communication platform designed to simplify customer interactions across popular messaging channels, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and others. By integrating with CRM systems, ControlHippo makes communication easy, enhances customer engagement, and improves support team productivity.
With features like the WhatsApp Business API, AI for customer Service, customizable automated responses, and advanced analytics, businesses can provide efficient, personalized service. ControlHippo offers seamless communication, real-time collaboration, and easy integration. The platform ensures your team can deliver faster responses and improve customer satisfaction.
Wrapping Up
As consumer expectations for quick, contextual support continue to rise, customer service teams need advanced tools to work smarter and more efficiently. Solutions like ControlHippo provide the collaboration tools, productivity boosters, and data integration needed to deliver seamless omnichannel experiences.
Evaluate your organization’s specific support requirements and pain points before selecting customer support software. Aim for unified customer service tools that reduce context switching and manual processes—your agents and customers will thank you.
Updated : March 20, 2025
Hiba Ali is a talented content writer focused on business communication solutions, including omnichannel strategies. With her extensive experience, Hiba produces insightful and easy-to-understand content that aids businesses in refining their communication practices. Her clear writing makes complex topics accessible.
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