With innovative brands launching every day, the world of ecommerce has never been more alive. Providing a smooth shopping experience is essential for keeping people satisfied and your store top of mind when it’s time to click buy.
Using help desk software can give you an edge in the marketplace, ensuring your customers receive personalized assistance, answers to their questions, and the guidance they need 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
With so many different providers out there, it can be difficult to know where to begin, and how to pinpoint the right solution for your business. We thought we would take a closer look, and break down what we like about some of the best options available to download right now.
If you're short on time, here's a quick overview of our top picks for the best apps for different use cases (we recommend reading the full article to learn how we came to these recommendations):
- 🛒 Best for brands on Shopify - 🥇 Gorgias
- 🏢 Best for enterprise brands -🥇 Gladly
- 🔢 Best for multichannel ecommerce - 🥇 eDesk
What’re the best ecommerce help desk software tools? 🚀
We know how tough it can be to find the perfect help desk software for your growing DTC brand. There are numerous factors to consider, from functionality, to integrations, to customization, and more. That’s why we’ve done the research for you, and compiled our list of the best tools on the market.
1. Gorgias
One of the most popular options on our list, Gorgias offers compatibility with a wide range of ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce. It provides a centralized location for you to investigate any issues that arise – no matter what channel the conversation originated.
Say a customer had a question about delivery status that they sent through an email, or a request to cancel an order that they sent through your website, Gorgias lets you manage all customer interactions directly in one feed. This allows you to better engage with your customers and solve issues in record time.
Gorgias Key Features 🧰
- One central feed that consolidates multi-channel messages (chat, voice, SMS, email, social media, etc.)
- Auto-filled responses that use personalized information
- Live dashboards that track team activity and support metrics
- Self-service menus that instantly answer questions without requiring an agent
Gorgias Pros ✅
- Streamlines repetitive tasks like triaging tickets
- Intuitive and clean interface that lets you view, edit, and create new tickets
- Retains entire customer history information to give you full context before responding
Gorgias Cons ❌
- Monthly support tickets are capped depending on plan tier
- Phone system has potential to kick agents off calls when new calls come in
- Email imports may time out when trying to manually import emails
Gorgias Pricing 💰
Gorgias offers a free trial for users to understand the platform, while monthly subscriptions cost $10/month for the Starter Plan, $60/month for the Basic Plan, $360/month for the Pro Plan, and $900/month for the Advanced Plan.
Sign up for Gorgias here.
2. Zendesk
One of the most recognized names in the industry, Zendesk is perfect for small and medium-sized ecommerce brands. It allows you to interact with and satisfy your customers across multiple channels, wherever they happen to be.
Zendesk Key Features 🧰
- Direct processing of refunds and cancellations
- Embedded live chat features in storefront
- Can make public replies and internal notes for each support ticket
- Displays total order count and amount spent for each customer
- Top results for frequently asked questions automatically appear
- Can route tickets to different agents
- Able to prioritize tickets according to urgency level, and assign specific tags
Zendesk Pros ✅
- Omnichannel support across messaging, phone, chat, email, and social media lets you streamline workflows
- Fantastic customer service, with live help chat and user groups to share advice
- Extensive array of APIs and compatible with over 100 third-party apps
Zendesk Cons ❌
- Has potential to slow load time of storefront
- While affordable, the lower tier price plans do not provide extensive reporting features
- FAQ bot can prove to be glitchy, as it may not always save edits
Zendesk Pricing 💰
Zendesk offers clients a free trial, with paid subscriptions costing $49/month for the Suite Team, $79/month for the Suite Growth, $99/month for the Suite Professional, and $150/month for the Suite Enterprise.
3. Re:amaze
Serving up everything from live chat and automated chatbots to message templates, Re:amaze helps you quickly and accurately respond to your customers. It also provides numerous integration tools, so you can have a centralized control point for your support operations.
Re:amaze Key Features 🧰
- Unified help desk inbox
- Personalized chat bot that updates customer on order status
- Auto-maps conversations from all sources to the correct order
- Single view for returns, reviews, and revenue data
- Satisfaction surveys for taking the pulse of your customers
- Automated FAQ resources
Re:amaze Pros ✅
- Can take actions (like refunds and cancellations) directly in the dashboard, helping to drastically reduce the time it takes to reach a resolution
- Chat bot seamlessly integrates with your Shopify store, boosting conversion rates at the point of sale
- Very intuitive and quick to set up and customize your Help Site, ensuring your business can rapidly assist customers on a variety of topics
Re:amaze Cons ❌
- Limited text formatting and editing capabilities in email messages
- Uploaded pictures may not save properly
- Servers can go down on unusually high sales volume days like Black Friday
Re:amaze Pricing 💰
Re:amaze offers a free trial, with monthly subscriptions costing $29/month for Basic, $49/month for Pro, and $69/month for Plus. There is also an Enterprise Custom plan that costs $899/month.
4. Kustomer
Kustomer is a customer service and CRM platform designed to manage high-volume support requests and is great for businesses facing rapid growth. It helps you manage customer data at all stages of the shopping journey, and solve common problems with ease.
Kustomer Key Features 🧰
- Consolidated timeline for conversations across channels
- Shortcuts and automations for refunds and cancellations
- Seamless Shopify integration for quick access to data
- Dynamic message customization with unique order information
- Pre-built chatbot templates to provide status updates to customers
- Real-time dashboards for performance analytics
Kustomer Pros ✅
- Can identify and close out duplicate queries and provide a rapid response to your customers, as it tracks every interaction across multiple platforms and data streams
- Integrated knowledge base helps customers assist themselves with frequently asked questions, so you can free up your time to handle other issues
- Focuses on a personal touch, allowing you to treat customers as individuals rather than cold, lifeless tickets
Kustomer Cons ❌
- It comes packed with a lot of different features, which means it can be challenging and time-consuming to learn – especially if you have a large team you need to train
- Reasons for refund within the order page need to be entered manually
- As the platform allows you to have multiple conversations open at once, it can become easy to lose track of threads
Kustomer Pricing 💰
Kustomer is free to install, and costs $89/month for the Enterprise Plan, and $139/month for the Ultimate Plan.
5. Tidio
This chat-focused platform helps combine all aspects of customer service into one simple and intuitive system. The technology underpinning Tidio is designed to help you satisfy shoppers, boost conversions, and ensure your company runs like a well-oiled machine.
Tidio Key Features 🧰
- Live chat that empowers you to solve issues in real-time
- Lyro AI bot that solves the majority of customer questions on auto-pilot
- Can check order history and upsell products within chats
- Built-in email marketing features
- Dashboard for tracking sales over time and monthly conversation volume
Tidio Pros ✅
- Lets your entire team easily monitor all customer interactions, no matter the platform that they came in on
- Live chat allows you to communicate with your customers as they are actively visiting your site, and start conversations with the click of a button
- Can be integrated for use with other leading plugins and applications, fitting seamlessly with your existing workflows
Tidio Cons ❌
- Social platform integration is currently limited – focusing mainly on Instagram and Messenger
- Notification times – particularly for sound notifications – can be delayed, limiting your ability to know exactly when queries come in
- Unassigned chats can quickly pile up if not assigned to operators quickly enough
Tidio Pricing 💰
Tidio offers a free basic package, with more personalized plans costing $25/month for the Communicator Plan, $29/month for the Chatbots Plan, and $394/month for the Tidio+ Plan.
Sign up for Tidio here.
6. Rep
Rep is a concierge service for ecommerce stores that is designed to help convert more traffic and maximize sales. By letting you customize the look and feel of your chatbots, this software is made to fit your brand like a glove.
Rep Key Features 🧰
- Integrates with plugins in your tech stack like email and SMS marketing tools
- Powerful dashboard that tracks conversion rate, average order value, sales volume, and more
- Ability to fine-tune the voice and tone of chatbots – from fun and casual to business formal
- Rescue algorithm focuses on converting site visitors into paying customers
- A/B testing for optimizing conversation flows for higher conversion rates and order values
Rep Pros ✅
- Gives you the ability to offer personalized and contextual conversations, enhancing customer lifetime value and loyalty
- Recommends complementary and similar items based on predetermined rule sets, helping you increase your cart values effectively
- One-click integration with your website means it is very quick and easy to install – you'll be up and running in 10-15 minutes maximum
Rep Cons ❌
- Advanced analytics are not available with the Starter Plan
- Due to the technology involved, it is one of the more costly support desk options on the market
- Is designed for large volume businesses, so is not suitable for stores just getting started with small customer bases
Rep Pricing 💰
Rep offers a free 30-day trial, with subscriptions costing $99/month for the Starter Plan, $199/month for the Basic Plan, $299/month for the Standard Plan, and $500/month for the Standard Plus Plan.
Sign up for Rep here.
7. Gladly
Gladly is a cloud-based ecommerce help desk that focuses on delivering an exceptionally personal touch when it comes to customer service. It is particularly beneficial for enterprise brands looking to scale and expand their presence online – and offer stellar support in the process.
Gladly Key Features 🧰
- Tracks customer history and lifetime order value
- Pulls all conversations into one dashboard
- Provides customer contact information across multiple platforms
- Supports voice messaging for customers to interact
- Custom inbox bucketing by categories like returns, rapid response, and VIP
- Automatic due date reminders on tickets to facilitate timely resolution
- Dashboard for summarizing metrics around conversation trends and current status
Gladly Pros ✅
- Don't have to waste time on channel switching and filling in the gaps in conversation history
- Automated matching of customers to agents based on situation or skill set
- Ability to monitor incoming requests from multiple platforms and organize in terms of priority so you can streamline your operations
Gladly Cons ❌
- Shopify info doesn't always show immediately within a conversation, even if multiple conversations have been merged correctly
- Reporting can be limited, with difficulty generating key reports such as per-hour updates during peak times
- Can only have one dashboard open at a time, otherwise the analytics do not work properly
Gladly Pricing 💰
Gladly has two plans: Hero and Superhero. Hero costs $150/month and Superhero costs $180/month (both billed annually).
8. eDesk
eDesk help desk software allows you to quickly and easily manage your support tasks in one efficient and automated platform. It comes jam-packed with features built to make customers happier, solve their issues faster, and make certain they leave every interaction satisfied.
eDesk Key Features 🧰
- Customer View puts all customer and order data on one screen
- Smart inbox pulls all conversation threads across marketplaces and social platforms
- Customizable templates that make responding to frequently asked questions simpler
- Refunds and cancellations can happen directly within eDesk tickets
- Can segment customers based on categories like new, repeat, VIP, etc.
- To Do list helps prioritize queries that need to be responded to
eDesk Pros ✅
- Saves time and increases customer satisfaction with advanced automations like Customer Sentiment Analysis and Handsfree auto-responders
- Can trigger email events based on rules to improve marketing outreach and build brand loyalty
- Easily offers live chat support on your Shopify storefront, so you can provide customers with a personalized touch precisely where they are most likely to make more purchases
eDesk Cons ❌
- Messages can become reformatted, requiring manual adjustment before sending
- Ticket volume is limited based on plan tier, so you need to be mindful of upgrading and added costs involved as your business scales
- Tickets are not always auto assigned, meaning agents need to take ownership which can lead to confusion if not done properly
eDesk Pricing 💰
eDesk offers a pay-as-you-grown solution. The Performance+ Plan is free to start out, up to 30 tickets/month. It costs $69/month for the Team Plan, and $109/month for the Professional Plan.
What is help desk/customer service software for ecommerce? 🤔
Ecommerce help desk software is essential for any growing store. It allows you to bring all customer interactions into one simple, easy-to-use location.
This helps streamline your workload and give your customers a better overall experience – ensuring they'll continue to come back time and time again.
Benefits of this software for ecommerce? 📈
The right ecommerce help desk can provide your business with an array of benefits. First, it creates a more efficient and accessible strategy for responding to customers. No more losing track of conversations and not having context to be able to handle the issue effectively.
Additionally, it provides a personalized shopping experience that tells your customers you truly care about their concerns. In turn, this helps to reduce negative feelings, increase sales, and elevate loyalty to your brand.
What is the best ecommerce help desk software? 🛒
When it comes to finding the best help desk software for your ecommerce business, there are many factors that you need to consider. A lot of the preferences come down to personal choice, but from the extensive research laid out in this article, our top picks are Gorgias for Shopify brands, Gladly for enterprise brands, and eDesk for businesses who sell products across multiple platforms.
But we encourage you to explore each option for yourself, and if one contains a set of features that solves an immediate pain point you are facing, take the leap and integrate it into your tech stack immediately. Your bottom line – and your customers – will be thanking you.
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