For a successful business, you must focus on your customers and provide them with the best experience to ensure you build a loyal customer base and establish a great reputation for service and support. However, it can take time to manage customer issues, particularly when your business is starting or managing how to spend a tight budget.
This is where customer service software platforms come in. This article covers the different types of customer service software available to small businesses in the UK and how they can help manage customer interactions more efficiently and effectively.
What is Customer Service Software?
Customer service software work as a business manager aiding customer interactions. It’s also known as customer support software, enabling businesses to handle customer queries and streamline customer communication through various channels, including email, phone, live chat, social media, and messaging apps. Customer service software is handy for small businesses without the budget to manually handle customer support.
Why Small Businesses Should Get Customer Support Software
Enhance Customer Satisfaction
Enhancing customer service is critical for any business looking to build a loyal customer base. Software designed for customer support allows companies to address client concerns swiftly, thereby improving customer interaction and increasing satisfaction rates.
Manage Customer Data Securely
Customer service software is designed for client support to enable organisations to securely handle customer information, safeguarding confidential data and customer connections from unsanctioned access.
Provide Support for Customer Inquiries Across Different Channels
Customer service software enables businesses to manage customer requests across different channels, including email, phone, live chat, social media, and messaging apps. This helps them provide a more personalised and convenient customer experience.
Types of Customer Support Software
Help Desk Software
Help desk software is a client support solution that empowers companies to oversee customer interactions via a unified platform. It allows businesses to track and manage customer support tickets, automate responses to common inquiries, and route tickets to the appropriate customer service team member.
Some key features of help desk software include:
- Ticket management
- CustomizableCustomer history and data
- Multiple channels
- Security
- Ideal Customer Support Software for Small Businesses
Help desk software is an ideal customer support software solution for small businesses looking to manage customer inquiries more efficiently. It enables them to automate responses to common inquiries and route tickets to the appropriate customer service team member.
Examples of Help Desk Software for UK Small Businesses:
- Zendesk
- Freshdesk
- Zoho Desk
- Help Scout
Live Chat Software
Live chat applications, a category of client support tools, allow companies to offer immediate assistance to customers via a messaging interface. It helps businesses to engage with customers proactively and provide personalised support.
Some essential features of live chat software include:
- Live support
- An app with customer support personalised support
- Security
- Ideal Customer Service Software for Small Businesses
As an instant messaging solution, the live chat software meets expectations by enabling organisations to deliver on-the-spot help to clients through a chat-based interface. It helps businesses to engage with customers proactively and provide personalised support.
Examples of Live Chat Software for UK Small Businesses
- Intercom
- Drift
- LiveChat
- Olark
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
CRM software for customer relationship management allows organisations to enhance their client interactions. This software enables companies to monitor client communications and handle customer details, such as contact data, transaction records, and client inclinations. Some key features of CRM software include:
- Customisable
- Customer data management
- Lead management
- Security
- Ideal Customer Service Software for Small Businesses
CRM software is an ideal customer service solution for small businesses looking to manage customer relationships more effectively. It allows them to manage customer data and track interactions, including contact information, purchase history, and customer preferences.
Examples of CRM Software for UK Small Businesses
- HubSpot CRM
- Zoho CRM
- Monday CRM
Messaging Apps
Messaging applications, a category of customer support tools, empower organisations to offer immediate assistance to clients via real-time messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. It allows businesses to engage with customers proactively and provide personalised support.
Some key features of messaging apps include:
- Real-time support
- Personalised support
- Customisable
- Security
- Ideal Customer Support Solutions for Small Businesses
Messaging apps are an ideal customer support solution for small businesses looking to provide real-time support to customers through popular messaging platforms. It enables them to engage with customers proactively and provide personalised support.
Examples of Messaging Apps for UK Small Businesses
- WhatsApp Business
- Facebook Messenger
- Telegram
Knowledge Base
A knowledge base is an essential component of client support tools, allowing companies to establish a comprehensive database of information that assists customers in resolving their inquiries. It includes features like FAQs, tutorials, and user guides. Some key features of a knowledge base include:
- Customer self-service
- Multiple channels
- Customisable
- Security
- Ideal Customer Service Tool for Small Businesses
Small businesses looking to provide customers with a way to find answers to their questions without needing to contact customer service teams would appreciate the knowledge base customer service tool’s efficiency. It enables businesses to reduce the number of inquiries handled by customer service teams, freeing time to focus on more complex questions.
Examples of Knowledge Base customer service Software for UK Small Businesses
- Helpjuice
- Zendesk Guide
- Freshdesk
- Zoho Desk
How to Choose the Best Customer Service Software for Your Small Business
To choose the best customer service software tools for your small business, it’s important to consider platforms that will enable you to offer excellent customer service solutions.
Here are guides to choosing the best customer service software for your small business:
Assess Your Business Needs
Determine what customer service management software your business needs by Identifying the channels through which customers interact with your business, the customer support level needed, and the crucial features of your customer support team.
Research Available Options Research the different customer service platforms available in the market. Consider their features, integrations, scalability, ease of use, pricing, customizability, security, and reporting and analytics capabilities.
Make a Shortlist Narrow down your list of potential customer service software options based on your business needs and research.
Consider the top 3-5 options and ensure the customer service software solutions has support templates you can automate to respond to customer queries and missed phone calls quickly and manage customers’ data securely.
Demo and Trial the Software
A demo or trial of the software to get a feel for its features, usability, and phone support will help you decide whether the software fits your business. Therefore, check for platforms that offer free customer service software demos.
Consider the Cost
Compare the cost of the shortlisted customer support system and choose the one that fits your budget and offers customer service tools that support your business needs.
Test and Evaluate Once you’ve chosen a customer service software, test it out and evaluate its performance over some time. Keep track of metrics such as response time, resolution time, customer satisfaction, and agent productivity.
This enables the recognition of potential areas of improvement and the implementation of required modifications.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is customer service software customisable?
Yes, many customer service software options are customisable to meet the specific needs of your business. Customisability is an essential consideration when choosing customer service software for your small business, as it enables you to tailor the software to your business requirements, including branding, workflow, and reporting.
When evaluating customer service software options, look for those that offer customisation options to ensure that you can get the most out of the customer service software platforms and optimise them to fit your unique business needs.
What types of customer service software are best suited for small businesses?
Help desk software, live chat software, and self-service options are all types of customer service software well-suited for small businesses. These types of customer service software will enable small businesses to handle customer support requests more effectively.
Can customer service software help build customer loyalty?
Yes, customer service software can build customer loyalty by enabling businesses to provide superior customer service, respond to inquiries promptly, and provide personalised support. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction and an efficient customer support system.
How can customer relationship management software help reduce the workload of customer support teams?
Self-help features, including a self-service knowledge repository, FAQs, and instructional guides, can alleviate the burden on customer support agents by allowing clients to discover solutions to their queries independently without contacting the support teams.
This provides the customer service staff with more time to concentrate on addressing intricate inquiries.
Conclusion
The customer support platform helps businesses manage customer conversations and support teams more efficiently and effectively.
Several types of customer service software are available, including help desk, live chat, CRM, messaging apps, ticketing systems, and knowledge base software.
The best customer service software integrates unique features that can help businesses with the ticketing system and support teams, making the customer service reps more efficient.
