10 Best Email Help Desk Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
Our one-on-one guidance will help you find the perfect fit.
With so many different email help desk software solutions available, finding the right one for your needs is tough. You know you want software to help you track, prioritize, and resolve customer issues effectively, but you need to figure out which system is best. In this article, I'll help you make this choice easier by sharing my insights on the best email help desk software to optimize your customer support workflows.
What is Email Help Desk Software?
Email help desk software are customer support tools that enables businesses to manage and respond to customer inquiries via email. They help organizations manage large volumes of customer inquiries efficiently and provide a structured framework for delivering timely and effective support. They include standard features like ticket management, automated responses, collaboration tools, analytics and reporting, and customizable workflows, which help businesses streamline their email support operations and provide a better customer experience.
Email help desk software aims to streamline customer support operations by centralizing email communications, improving response times and resolution times, and enhancing the overall customer experience.
The Best Email Help Desk Software Summary
Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Best for issue tracking and management | Free trial + free demo available | From $27/user/month | Website | |
2 | Best for centralizing email communications | Free trial available | From $26/seat/month (3 seat minimum) | Website | |
3 | Best for collaborating and sharing information in real time | 15-day free trial | From $7/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
4 | Best for automation and communication management | 7-day free trial | From $19/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
5 | Best for a robust ticket management system | 14-day free trial + free plan available | From $15/user/month (billed annually) | Website | |
6 | Best for creating an omnichannel customer experience | 14-day free trial | From $49/user/month | Website | |
7 | Best for real-time data visualization | Free demo available | From $35/user/month | Website | |
8 | Best for integrating with other ecommerce platforms | Free trial + free demo available | From $10/month | Website | |
9 | Best for connecting customer support, IT operations, and business teams | Freemium version + 7-day free trial available | Plans start at $47/agent/month | Website | |
10 | Best for teams that need a wide range of customization options | 21-day free trial | From $699 (billed annually) | Website |
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CRM Creatio
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.7 -
monday Service
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.6 -
Issuetrak
This is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.1
Overviews of the 10 Best Email Help Desk Software
You can use the simple overviews of each tool below to understand how each tool stands out from other email help desk software.
IssueTrak is an issue-tracking and project management tool that helps software development teams, IT departments, and customer support teams efficiently manage and resolve issues. It provides a centralized platform for collaboration, tracking, and prioritization.
Why I picked IssueTrak: The software automates issue workflows based on customizable rules and criteria. This feature eliminates repetitive tasks and frees up time so your team members can focus on more strategic tasks.
Additionally, IssueTrak offers advanced reporting and analytics capabilities that enable teams to track progress, measure performance, and gain valuable insights. For example, you can track which issues take the longest to resolve, which team members are the most productive, and which projects are falling behind schedule. Armed with this information, you can take corrective actions to improve the performance of agents.
These features make IssueTrack an all-in-one solution for project management, software development, and customer support teams.
IssueTrak Standout Features and Integrations
Features include issue management, branding and appearance, reporting, task management, knowledge management, issue forms, surveys, billing and invoices, identity management, asset management, web forms, and chat.
Integrations include Zapier, Webforms, Google Analytics, Gmail, LDAP, Active Directory Federation Services, Azure AD, OAuth 2.0 / OIDC, Microsoft 365, SendGrid, Salesforce, and Power Bi.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy to use and flexible
- Provides ticket templates
- Offers several customizations
Cons:
- Interface isn't modern
- Issue search feature is slow
monday Service is a comprehensive platform designed for businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises, across various industries such as IT, marketing, sales, and human resources. It's particularly beneficial for project managers, team leads, and department heads who require tools for project management, task automation, and collaboration.
Why I picked monday Service: monday Service's 'Emails & Activities' feature allows users to send and receive emails directly within monday.com, creating a centralized hub for all customer communications. This integration supports the creation of email templates, logging of incoming and outgoing emails, and capturing meeting notes and events, ensuring that all interactions are well-documented and easily accessible.
Additionally, the software's no-code capabilities enable users to create custom applications and workflows tailored to their operational needs, enhancing productivity and efficiency with features like centralized project planning, deadline tracking, task assignment, and progress monitoring.
monday Service Standout Features and Integrations
Features include customizable dashboards, platform automations, Kaban boards, file management, time tracking, and a mobile app.
Integrations include Slack, Microsoft Teams, GitHub, Outlook, Zendesk, Mailchimp, Typeform, Jira, and Google Drive.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Task automation
- Unique visualization features
- User-friendly interface
Cons:
- Limited mobile functionality
- Potential learning curve
Zoho Desk is AI-enabled help desk software that helps users manage customer conversations over email, phone, chat, and social media.
Why I picked Zoho Desk: It has an intelligent virtual assistant called Zia, which automates several tasks. For example, it can categorize tickets, suggest solutions to queries, and predict customer satisfaction levels.
Zoho Desk also provides features for your support agents, managers, and customers. For example, self-service features such as Knowledge Base and Community help customers find answers themselves, while the reporting and analytics features help managers analyze the performance of the support agents.
Another great aspect of the software is that it natively integrates with other Zoho applications such as Zoho CRM, Zoho SalesIQ, Zoho Analytics, and more. This allows businesses to create a centralized hub for customer data and support and facilitates collaboration between different teams.
Zoho Desk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include ticket management, auto-tag tickets, sentiment analysis, Zia notifications, Zia dashboard, reply assistant, self-service tools, CRM integration, custom functions, SDKs, marketplace and platform, APIs, reports and dashboards, time tracking, multi-brand help center, domain mapping, and user and access management.
Integrations include Twilio, RingCentral, Amazon Connect, Ozonetel, Exotel, Knowlarity, Jive, sipgate, JustCall, ringover, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Clean, intuitive interface that is easy to navigate
- Extensive customization options
- Offers a wide range of features
Cons:
- Learning curve on advanced features
- Limited reporting on lower tier plans
Front is a customer communication platform that offers a valuable set of features including omnichannel inbox management, live chat with AI chatbots, and collaboration tools.
Why I picked Front: I chose Front because of its centralized approach to managing all customer conversations across various channels and its ability to automate message routing. However, its unique selling point truly lies in its ability to offer the familiarity of email, the power of a help desk, and AI. Along with a single inbox feature, Front also provides AI chatbots for real-time customer assistance and collaboration tools for team members to work together on customer responses, making it a comprehensive and efficient solution for modern service teams.
Front Standout Features and Integrations
Features include centralized communication, shared inboxes, integration capabilities, collaboration tools, workflow automation, real-time analytics, multi-channel support, and customizable interfaces.
Integrations include over 110 systems, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Salesforce, Slack, Asana, Zoom, Gmail, Shopify, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Streamlines processes through automation
- Team collaboration
- Centralized communication
Cons:
- Slow processing times for large scale use
- Moderate learning curve
Freshdesk is a helpdesk software that assists businesses of all sizes in creating a smoother customer support experience with the ability to handle omnichannel inquiries.
Why I picked Freshdesk: I picked Freshdesk because of its robust ticket management system, which is specifically designed to handle inquiries across different channels, including email. The platform's ticketing system automatically converts incoming emails into support tickets, ensuring that every customer query is logged and tracked efficiently.
Freshdesk also offers automation capabilities, with features like automated ticket assignment to ensure emails are directed to the most appropriate agent based on their expertise or workload. Additionally, the system offers automated follow-up reminders and status updates, keeping both customers and agents informed about the progress of their tickets.
Freshdesk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include AI-powered reporting and analytics, SLA management, interaction analysis, multi-language support, collaboration capabilities, ticket merging, time tracking, ticket dispatch, a mobile app, community forums, self-service portals, knowledge bases, live chat, satisfaction surveys, and API access.
Integrations include WhatsApp, Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, Mailchimp, Microsoft Teams, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Robust ticket management features
- Customer self-service options
- Automation and workflow management
Cons:
- Multilingual knowledge base only available on higher-tier plans
- Limited in custom reports
Zendesk is help desk software that enables businesses to provide a consistent customer support experience across all channels, such as email, phone, social media, and chat.
Why I picked Zendesk: The best feature of Zendesk is its automated routing and escalation feature. The software automatically routes tickets to the appropriate support agent based on their expertise, which ensures that the right team member handles the query.
Also, the software is scalable and grows with your business. For example, if you currently use email to talk with your customers but want to add more support channels, Zendesk will come in handy. The best part is that your support agents can access all the conversations in one place.
Zendesk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a knowledge base, answer bot, community, performance dashboard, net promoter score (NPS) survey, satisfaction prediction, CSAT rating, triggers, multi-tab interface, multiple language support with dynamic content, skills-based routing, help desk automation, agent collision detection, Zendesk SLA views, and automated ticket sharing.
Integrations include Harvest, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Slack, Haptik, Klaus, Nicereply, Kaizo, Survey, Botmind, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy to set up
- Provides multiple customization options
- Modern and straightforward user interface
Cons:
- Limited customization options for the lower-tier plan
- Analytics dashboard is difficult to navigate
TOPdesk is an IT Service Management (ITSM) and Facilities Management (FM) solution for medium and large-sized organizations.
Why I picked TOPdesk: The software offers change management features that help organizations to plan, implement, and track changes to their IT and facilities infrastructure in a controlled and structured manner. The platform provides a centralized location for all change requests and ensures that all changes are properly planned, documented, approved, and implemented.
It also offers a knowledge management system that enables users to search for and access information about common issues and solutions, reducing the need for support staff. Additionally, TOPdesk automatically categorizes service requests based on the content of the email, making it easier to route tickets to the appropriate support teams.
TOPdesk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include incident management, asset management, self-service portal, dashboard and reporting, knowledge base, and a sandbox environment.
Integrations include Tenjin, Dstny, Novadoc AI, Echo, Testersuite, QR Connect, Evidos, iFinder, Embrace Social, NIVO Identity Management Software, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy to import data
- Customizable reporting features
- Provides a wide range of integrations
Cons:
- Limited mobile app functionality
- Complex implementation
Gorgias is customer support software that helps ecommerce brands serve their customers efficiently and with more information.
Why I picked Gorgias: It integrates with various ecommerce platforms, such as Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce, and automatically pulls order information and customer data. This enables support agents to get a complete view of the customer's purchase history. Also, agents can directly refund or edit orders from Gorgias so they won't have to go to the ecommerce platform.
Additionally, it provides ticket management tools that help users organize, prioritize, and solve support requests. Best of all, it integrates with social media channels and lets users respond to social media comments without leaving the Gorgias dashboard.
Gorgias Standout Features and Integrations
Features include ticket creation, ticket response, automated response, attachments/screencasts, ticket collaboration, customer/contact database, knowledge base, automation, notifications, tickets, and macros.
Integrations include Recharge, Postscript, Instagram, Facebook, Stonly, WhatsApp and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 24/7 customer support
- Simple onboarding
- Allows users to filter social media comments
Cons:
- Plans have ticket limits
- Limited integrations
Best for connecting customer support, IT operations, and business teams
Jira Service Desk is IT service management software that gives customers and employees a self-service portal they can use to get help quickly.
Why I picked Jira Service Desk: A cool feature of Jira is that it uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand the intent of customer requests. Then, it automatically routes the request to the appropriate team or agent. This feature will help you deliver a personalized and efficient customer support experience.
Other notable features include customizable email notifications that organizations can use for customers and support agents, as well as email-based workflows that allow you to assign tickets to specific support agents, set due dates, and track ticket status.
Jira Service Desk Standout Features and Integrations
Features include request management, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), incident management, problem management, change management, asset management, knowledge management, self-service, reports and metrics, and REST API.
Integrations include Slack, Google Sheets, Salesforce, Trello, Typeform, Google Chat, Survicate, EvaluAgent, Simplesat, Ybug, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Provides detailed reporting and analytics tools
- Natively integrates with other Atlassian products
- Powerful automation
Cons:
- Limited email formatting options
- Steep learning curve
HelpSpot is ticketing software that best serves businesses with complex support needs.
Why I picked HelpSpot: It helps businesses create their own custom fields, workflows, and rules, enabling them to tailor the platform to their specific requirements. For example, it provides email templates that can be tailored to a business's branding and style preferences. It also provides tools for managing customer data, such as custom tags and user fields, which you can use for customer segmentation.
In addition, HelpSpot offers time-tracking tools, which enable users to track time spent on email support. The reporting and analytics features help users track email volume, response times, and other key performance indicators to monitor support team performance and identify areas for improvement.
HelpSpot Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a shared inbox, knowledge base, reporting, a self-service portal, email management, contact forms, advanced search, batch operations, ticket interface, time tracking, merge tickets, volume reports, speed reports, comparison matrix, email reports, SLAs and automation rules, automatic assignment, recurring tickets, portal templates, and hosting.
Integrations include Chatra, Updown.io, AppFollow, SMS by Zapier, Code by Zapier, Jira Software Server, HubSpot, Email Parser by Zapier, Mailparser, Facebook Groups, and other software options.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Self-hosting option available
- Easy reporting
- Easily changes ownership of tickets
Cons:
- Interface is not visually appealing
- Workload reporting needs improvement
Other Options
Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best email helpdesk software list:
- Front
For improving team collaboration and communication
- Rescue
For remote support and access capabilities
- NinjaOne
For help desk asset management
- LiveAgent
For improving agent motivation and performance through gamification
- SysAid
For automating IT operations and service desk tasks
- GreenRope
For cloud-based access with marketing automation
- EngageBay
For an all-in-one marketing platform
- HaloITSM
For asset management, change management, and problem management
- Froged
For knowledge base management or self service features
- Vision Helpdesk
For centralizing customer conversations via email, web portal, Twitter, Facebook, phone, and chat
Email Helpdesk Software Selection Criteria
When selecting the best email helpdesk software to include in this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points like managing high volumes of emails and ensuring timely responses. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:
Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion in this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:
- Manage and organize customer emails
- Track and respond to customer queries
- Automate repetitive tasks
- Provide reporting and analytics
- Enable collaboration among support agents
Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique features, such as:
- AI-driven customer insights
- Customizable dashboards
- Multilingual support capabilities
- Integration with social media channels
- Advanced security features
- Team collaboration tools
Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:
- Intuitive user interface
- Easy navigation
- Minimal learning curve
- Customizable interface options
- Mobile accessibility
Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:
- Availability of training videos
- Interactive product tours
- Access to templates and guides
- Responsive chatbots for guidance
- Webinars for in-depth learning
Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:
- 24/7 customer support availability
- Multiple support channels
- Knowledge base resources
- Response time to queries
- Quality of support interactions
Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:
- Competitive pricing
- Flexible pricing plans
- Features included in basic plans
- Discounts for annual subscriptions
- Overall cost-effectiveness
Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:
- Overall satisfaction ratings
- Commonly mentioned pros and cons
- Frequency of feature requests
- User feedback on support experience
- Testimonials on usability and value
How to Choose Email Helpdesk Software
It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:
Factor | What to Consider |
---|---|
Scalability | Ensure the software can grow with your business, handling increased email volumes and expanding agent teams without compromising performance. |
Integrations | Check if the software integrates with your existing tools like CRM, chat, and social media platforms to create a cohesive support system. |
Customizability | Look for options to tailor workflows, dashboards, and user roles to fit your team's specific needs and processes. |
Ease of Use | Evaluate the user interface and navigation to ensure your team can get up to speed quickly without extensive training. |
Budget | Compare pricing plans and see what features are included at each level. Consider total cost of ownership, including any hidden fees or additional costs. |
Security Safeguards | Verify the software complies with data protection regulations and offers features like encryption and access controls to keep customer data safe. |
Support Options | Consider the availability and quality of customer support, including 24/7 service, multiple contact channels, and self-help resources. |
Reporting Tools | Examine the analytics and reporting capabilities to ensure you can track performance metrics and gain insights into customer interactions. |
Trends in Email Helpdesk Software
In my research, I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs from different email helpdesk software vendors. Here are some of the emerging trends I’m keeping an eye on:
- AI and Machine Learning: AI is becoming integral for predicting customer needs and automating responses. Tools like Zoho Desk use AI to provide insights and automate repetitive tasks, helping your team focus on complex issues.
- Omnichannel Support: Customers want to connect through various channels. Email helpdesk software is now integrating chat, social media, and voice support, allowing teams to manage all interactions in one place.
- Self-Service Portals: Companies are empowering customers to resolve issues on their own. Software like Freshdesk offers comprehensive self-service options, reducing the burden on support teams and improving response times.
- Personalization Features: Personalizing customer interactions is key. Some tools now offer options to tailor responses based on customer history and preferences, enhancing the overall customer experience.
- Advanced Analytics: Businesses need insights into customer interactions. New analytics features are helping teams track performance metrics and identify trends, making it easier to improve service quality.
What Is Email Helpdesk Software?
Email helpdesk software is a tool designed to manage and organize customer support emails efficiently. Customer service representatives, support teams, and managers typically use these tools to enhance communication and improve response times.
Features like AI-driven insights, omnichannel support, and self-service portals help with automating tasks, managing multiple communication channels, and empowering customers. Overall, these tools provide the value of improving customer satisfaction and streamlining support operations.
Features of Email Helpdesk Software
When selecting email helpdesk software, keep an eye out for the following key features:
- AI-driven insights: Analyze customer data to predict needs and automate responses, helping your team focus on complex issues.
- Omnichannel support: Manage customer interactions across email, chat, and social media from a single platform for efficient communication.
- Self-service portals: Allow customers to resolve their own issues, reducing the load on support teams and improving response times.
- Customization options: Tailor workflows, dashboards, and user roles to fit your team's specific needs and processes.
- Advanced analytics: Track performance metrics and identify trends to improve service quality and customer satisfaction.
- Automation tools: Automate repetitive tasks and processes to save time and increase efficiency.
- Security and compliance safeguards: Ensure data protection with features like encryption and access controls to keep customer information safe.
- Integration capabilities: Connect with existing tools like CRM and social media platforms to create a cohesive support system.
- Personalization features: Customize interactions based on customer history and preferences to enhance the customer experience.
- Mobile accessibility: Access the helpdesk on the go to stay connected and responsive to customer needs anytime, anywhere.
- Team collaboration tools: Features enabling teams to work together, like shared inbox management and private comments.
Benefits of Email Helpdesk Software
Implementing email helpdesk software provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:
- Improved response times: Automating tasks and managing interactions through omnichannel support helps your team respond to customers more quickly.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction: Providing personalized interactions and self-service options leads to a more satisfying customer experience.
- Increased efficiency: Automation tools and AI-driven insights reduce manual work, allowing your team to focus on more complex customer issues.
- Better data management: Advanced analytics and integration capabilities help you track performance and gain insights into customer interactions.
- Scalability: Customization options and mobile accessibility ensure the software can grow with your business and adapt to changing needs.
- Cost savings: Reducing the need for manual processes and improving efficiency can save your business time and money.
- Stronger security: Security safeguards protect customer data, ensuring compliance with regulations and building trust with your users.
Implementation Options for Email Help Desk
When setting up an email help desk, businesses must evaluate key factors such as technical requirements, customization options, and deployment models. Choosing the right implementation method ensures seamless customer support, scalability, and operational efficiency.
Technical Requirements
Before deploying an email help desk, consider:
- Infrastructure Compatibility – Ensure the software integrates with existing email systems (e.g., Outlook, Gmail) and customer relationship management (CRM) tools.
- Automation Capabilities – Look for features like ticket routing, auto-replies, and workflow automation to improve efficiency.
- Security & Compliance – Verify encryption standards, data retention policies, and compliance with regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
Customization Possibilities
- Branding & Personalization – Choose software that allows custom email templates, signatures, and branded responses.
- Workflow Configuration – Ability to tailor ticket categories, escalation rules, and user roles to fit organizational needs.
- Integration Options – Ensure compatibility with third-party tools, such as live chat, knowledge bases, and reporting dashboards.
Deployment Models
Organizations can choose from different deployment methods based on budget, IT resources, and business goals:
a. Cloud-Based Help Desk
- Pros: Quick setup, automatic updates, remote accessibility, and lower upfront costs.
- Cons: Limited customization, dependency on internet connectivity, and ongoing subscription fees.
b. On-Premise Help Desk
- Pros: Greater control over security, data ownership, and customization.
- Cons: Requires dedicated IT resources, higher initial costs, and ongoing maintenance.
c. Hybrid Deployment
- Pros: Combines cloud accessibility with on-premise control, offering flexibility for businesses with compliance needs.
- Cons: More complex setup and potential integration challenges.
By assessing these factors, businesses can select the best implementation strategy for their email help desk, ensuring efficient customer support and seamless operations.
Costs and Pricing of Email Helpdesk Software
Selecting email helpdesk software requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in email helpdesk software solutions:
Plan Comparison Table for Email Helpdesk Software
Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
---|---|---|
Free Plan | $0 | Basic ticket management, email support, and limited reporting. |
Personal Plan | $5-$25/user/month | Email management, basic automation, and customer support integration. |
Business Plan | $30-$50/user/month | Advanced automation, multi-channel support, and detailed analytics. |
Enterprise Plan | $60-$100/user/month | Custom workflows, AI-driven insights, and premium customer support. |
People Also Ask
Do you have general questions about how email help desk software works? These answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) should point you in the right direction:
What security and compliance measures should email help desk software have?
A secure email helpdesk should have strong protection measures and meet regulatory compliance standards to safeguard user data and ensure legal adherence.
Key protection features include SSL encryption to secure data in transit, two-factor authentication (2FA) for added login security, and data encryption at rest to protect stored information. It should also have anti-phishing and spam filters to prevent malicious attacks, role-based access control (RBAC) to restrict unauthorized access, and regular security audits to detect vulnerabilities.
For regulatory compliance, the helpdesk should meet GDPR requirements for handling EU customer data, Privacy Shield certification (if dealing with US-EU data transfers), and HIPAA compliance for managing sensitive healthcare information. Industry-specific compliance, like SOC 2 certification for data security and PCI DSS compliance if handling payment details, is also crucial.
A clear data retention policy, user consent management, and audit logs further ensure compliance with legal and industry standards.
How does an email ticketing system work?
An email ticketing system is a type of customer support software that allows businesses to manage and respond to customer inquiries sent via email. It works by automatically converting each email inquiry into a ticket, which can then be tracked and managed using a range of tools and features.
Automated responses can be set up to acknowledge receipt of the email, and collaboration tools allow team members to work together to resolve customer issues efficiently. Overall, an email ticketing system helps businesses provide prompt and effective customer support, improving the customer experience and enhancing brand loyalty.
For more details, see our breakdown of how help desk software can help your business.
Who uses an email help desk?
Email help desk software is used primarily by customer support teams across numerous industries. However, they’re also used by a wide range of organizations and businesses that provide customer support or rely on email as a primary communication channel, such as IT departments, service-based businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
How does email help desk software handle spam and junk emails?
When you are swamped with emails, there is nothing more annoying that having to wade through spam emails as well. Luckily, email help desk software typically includes features to handle spam and junk emails effectively. Here are some common methods used by email help desk software to manage spam and junk:
- Spam Filters: Email help desk software often incorporates robust spam filters that use advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to automatically identify and filter out spam emails. These filters analyze various factors such as email content, sender reputation, and known spam patterns to determine the likelihood of an email being spam.
- Blacklisting and Whitelisting: The software usually allows administrators to create blacklists and whitelists. Blacklists contain known spam email addresses or domains that should be blocked, while whitelists include trusted email addresses or domains that are always allowed through. This helps in preventing legitimate emails from being mistaken as spam and ensures that known spam sources are blocked.
- Bayesian Filtering: Bayesian filtering is a statistical approach used by some email help desk software. It analyzes the content and characteristics of incoming emails to determine the probability of them being spam. This filtering technique adapts and learns from user feedback over time to improve its accuracy in identifying spam emails.
- Manual Review and Flagging: In cases where the software is uncertain about the classification of an email, it can route the email to support agents for manual review. Agents can review the email content and sender details to make a final determination whether it is spam or a legitimate inquiry. They can then flag or mark the email accordingly.
- User Feedback: Some email help desk software allows users to provide feedback on emails, identifying false positives or false negatives. This feedback helps the software’s spam filters improve and become more accurate over time.
It’s important to note that while email help desk software can effectively handle spam and junk emails, no system is perfect, and some spam messages may occasionally slip through. Regular monitoring and periodic adjustments to the spam filters and settings are necessary to maintain optimal performance in handling spam.
What is the difference between a help desk system and ticketing software?
While there can be some overlap between the terms, help desk systems and ticketing software generally refer to different aspects of customer support and issue resolution. Here’s a breakdown of their key differences:
Help Desk Software:
A help desk system is a comprehensive software solution designed to manage and support customer inquiries, requests, and issues. It serves as a centralized hub for customer support teams to handle and resolve various types of inquiries, whether they come through email, phone calls, live chat, or other communication channels.
Help desk systems typically offer a range of features beyond ticketing, such as knowledge base management, community forums, customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, reporting and analytics, team collaboration tools, and more. The primary focus of a help desk system is to provide a holistic support solution that enables efficient and effective customer service across multiple channels.
Ticketing Software:
Ticketing software, on the other hand, is a specific component or feature of a help desk system or can be a standalone tool. It revolves around the management of support tickets, which are individual records or tickets that represent customer inquiries or issues. Ticketing software allows support agents to create, track, prioritize, and resolve these tickets systematically.
These tools typically includes features like ticket assignment, status tracking, ticket escalation, collaboration tools, and customer communication management. Ticketing software focuses specifically on organizing and streamlining the workflow of support tickets, ensuring that they are addressed promptly and efficiently.
Other Help Desk Software Reviews
Are you looking for a different type of help desk software? You may want to check out these other top 10 lists as well:
- Help Desk Software: Reviewed & Compared
- Help Desk Software for Small Businesses
- Help Desk Knowledge Bases for Customer Service
- Online Help Desk Software
- Simple Help Desk Software for Ease of Use
- Internal Help Desk Software
- Enterprise Help Desk Software
- Cloud Help Desk Software
- Best Free Help Desk Software
If you need a little more help refining your selection process, we have several tips to help you choose help desk software as well.
Conclusion
Today’s customer expects more than a good product or service. They also want an excellent support experience, which can be an important factor in deciding whether they will purchase from you or not.
I hope my review of the best email help desk software helped you in your search. If you’d like to read more about how to improve your customer experience, sign up for our newsletter.