Have you ever wished that you could analyze your customer service processes the same way you analyze marketing campaigns? It turns out there are software systems designed to do just that. These programs allow you to set up customer service processes and run data reports to analyze the effectiveness of your offered help.
Two of the most popular systems are Freshdesk and Zendesk. Though they share many of the same core features, each software also has a number of unique aspects. I've taken a look at the similarities and differences in the programs to give you a better idea of which is best for your operations.
Overview of Freshdesk and Zendesk
Shared Features
Unique Freshdesk Features
Unique Zendesk Features
Unique Features
Freshdesk
Freshdesk is one of the older customer service platforms in the industry. It's gone through multiple updates and changes over the years, including the addition of several major features.
The Arcade system is a gamification resource. You can turn work into a game by setting unique goals and achievement badges. Doing so helps to make work more enjoyable for employees and to motivate them to complete more tasks. By assigning points to different achievements, you can also allow friendly competition.
There's a Proactive Outreach feature that's also unique to the software. Rather than waiting for customers to reach out, this feature allows you to note when customers are having issues and solve them ahead of time. The system detects trouble issues and frustration, which allows support teams to reach out proactively.
Each administrator and employee can use to-do lists. These contain tasks that need doing. It's also possible to create reminders that will give employees timed notifications when it's time to complete a task.
The in-depth helpdesk feature is a neat customization tool for administrators. You can use it to customize your metrics and reporting for help tickets. This allows you to track things like:
Reports are compiled using both past and real-time data.
Zendesk
Though Zendesk is a newer competitor in the industry, the software still comes with a suite of unique features. The main goal of the platform is to deliver scalable solutions for growing businesses.
The automated ticket sharing feature lets employees share tickets between their accounts. This is very helpful in situations where a ticket is complex and requires more than one employee to resolve the problem. Big companies and technology-related companies tend to appreciate this feature most.
Two features that work together are the Interaction History and Essentials Card. These give your employees context regarding their customer interactions. Every agent is given immediate access to information about the customer and their unique case, which saves time and allows for a more personalized level of service.
The Zendesk Explore feature is a new tool that replaces the prior analytics reporting software. It has much more advanced reporting tools and a filtering system you can use to easily customize reports. There are additional customization tools as well.
If your company manages multiple brands with different demographics and customer service processes, you can handle every brand without needing to make multiple accounts. This is hugely helpful for larger enterprises, and it saves a lot of money since you don't need to open a new payment plan for every brand.
Winner: Freshdesk
Both of these systems have unique features that make them very functional and helpful. Freshdesk pulls ahead because of the flexibility of the customization options. It also has better resources to keep work motivating and fun for employees. For growing businesses that need scalability, though, Zendesk has better suited plans.
Dashboard
Freshdesk
The dashboard for this system is simple and easy to navigate. To the right of the screen, you have dozens of different filtering and sorting options for your tickets. All tickets are displayed on the main screen before you filter them, though.
Zendesk
This dashboard allows for more comprehensive ticket management. You can use different tagging and filtering options to create customized ticket lists. By doing this, you create "folders" that allow you to peruse tickets without needing to click a bunch of filter checkboxes.
There's also a People section that allows you to organize users, agents, and administrators. This makes it easier to assign tickets efficiently to the right person.
Winner: Zendesk
The Zendesk software has more robust ticket sorting and management features. It's a lot easier to organize your tickets when you have a high-volume system. For smaller operations with fewer tickets, though, Freshdesk's software offers adequate enough filtering.
Ticket Management
Freshdesk
It's very easy to manage tickets through the software. In addition to individual management, there's also a helpful Discuss feature. This lets you talk to and collaborate with other employees in real time. With the Discuss feature, you can instant message people to do any of the following:
You can also create automated responses for common issues.
Zendesk
While Zendesk does technically allow for real-time messaging and automated responses, it's not as easy. To message people, you have to switch between multiple tabs, which can be frustrating and inefficient. You also have to download an extra app to create automated systems.
Winner: Freshdesk
Freshdesk comes with ticket management features that make the system easier to use than the competition. Since you can instant message people in real time, solving problems is a much faster process. While you can get the same functionality out of Zendesk, it's not as intuitive or streamlined.
See Full Review of - Freshdesk | Zendesk
Pros and Cons of Freshdesk
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Cons
Pros and Cons of Zendesk
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Cons
Final Thoughts: Which is Better?
Both of these systems offer vital tools and features to help customer support teams. The best one for you basically just depends on the kind of tools you need.
For large companies with multiple brands that need managing, Zendesk is a good option. It allows multi-brand support and customization without requiring you to make accounts for every individual brand, which saves both time and effort. The ticket sharing system also allows multiple employees to work on a single complex ticket.
For companies that want more intensive customer service analytics and customization, Freshdesk is your best bet. You can customize your reporting and metrics, including your analytics of help tickets. The outreach tool is helpful in soothing customers before they reach major frustration points, and the gamification lets you motivate employees more easily.
