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5 Best SaaS Help Desk Software in 2024

Paulina
Content Writer
September 13, 2024

If you're running a SaaS business, whether small-scale or at an enterprise level, you know the drill: keeping your clients happy is everything. But here's the catch—finding the perfect SaaS help desk software that can actually keep up with your client's needs is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

You're not just looking for any tool. You need something more specialized. After all, B2B SaaS customer support comes with complexities, such as intricate issues, ongoing product updates, and a diverse, global customer base.

In this blog, we bring you the 5 best SaaS help desk software solutions that cater to different support needs.

But first, let's break down what makes SaaS support different from the rest and explore the specific challenges that these help desk solutions need to tackle.

Challenges of SaaS customer support

For every business problem, there's not just one but several SaaS solutions, giving customers plenty of options to pick from. The SaaS industry is worth a whopping $195 billion, and there are more than 17,000 SaaS companies in the US alone.

So, how do SaaS companies stand out? It's not just about the product anymore! Top-notch customer service has become a new battleground. Here are the challenges that SaaS companies face when it comes to supporting their customers:

1. A high volume of support tickets

The complexity of SaaS products often translates into a high volume of customer queries. SaaS companies might need to handle hundreds of tickets monthly.

For small teams, this can be overwhelming, leading to delayed responses and escalating customer frustration without an efficient help desk system.

2. Frequent software updates and feature releases

SaaS products are dynamic, with frequent updates and new features. This constant evolution means customer support teams must continuously adapt and update their knowledge.

According to HubSpot, investing in customer success training and keeping support staff informed is essential for retaining customers. Each SaaS product update can bring new questions and issues from users, making it crucial to have a support system that is as agile and informed as the product itself.

3. Maintaining personalization at scale

Personalized support is a cornerstone of customer satisfaction in the SaaS industry. 68% of customers expect all experiences to be personalized. However, as your SaaS company grows, offering the same level of personalized attention becomes increasingly challenging.

Scaling often leads to a more generic approach to customer service, which can alienate customers accustomed to individualized support.

4. Complexity in troubleshooting and problem resolution

SaaS products, being inherently technical, often present complex troubleshooting challenges. This complexity is compounded by the fact that customers might have varying levels of technical expertise.

A study by Freshworks found that 52% of customers want fast resolution of their problems. Help desk solutions that offer efficient problem-solving tools and resources are vital in addressing this challenge.

As you can see, the SaaS industry is highly intricate, meaning that not every ticketing tool can do the job properly. An ideal SaaS help desk software should efficiently manage a high volume of tickets, keep pace with product updates, offer personalized support at scale, and simplify complex problem-solving.

5 best SaaS help desk solutions in 2024

To kickstart your search for the perfect tool, it's useful to have a few options in hand. Here's a roundup of the top SaaS help desk software solutions on the market right now:

  1. Thena
  2. Zendesk for Service
  3. Freshdesk
  4. Salesforce Service Cloud
  5. Intercom

1. Thena

First on our list is Thena, an award-winning B2B SaaS customer management platform that operates within Slack. It's built to provide comprehensive omnichannel support, seamlessly integrating Slack, email, and web-based interactions.

In particular, Thena’s integration with Slack Connect is a significant advantage for SaaS companies that leverage Slack for customer support. This integration brings the power of Thena’s workflow automation directly into the familiar environment of Slack, creating a seamless experience both for support teams and customers.

Thena is designed to streamline the often complex processes associated with SaaS customer support, making it a go-to choice for companies seeking a blend of efficiency and simplicity.

Features:

  • Streamlined communication: Support teams can manage customer interactions directly within Slack. This eliminates the need to switch between multiple platforms, ensuring faster and more efficient communication.
  • Automated workflows within Slack: When a customer raises an issue in a Slack Connect channel, Thena can automatically create and assign tasks to the appropriate team member, ensuring that no customer query goes unaddressed.
  • Enhanced collaboration: Thena facilitates better collaboration among team members within Slack. Teams can discuss, update, and resolve customer issues in real-time, directly in the Slack thread, fostering a more collaborative and transparent support process.
  • Tracking and reporting: Integration with Slack also enables teams to track the progress of customer support tasks and generate reports within Slack. This feature helps in monitoring response times, customer satisfaction, and overall efficiency of the support process, providing valuable insights for continuous improvement.
  • An extensive list of integrations: Thena integrates with popular email ticketing systems such as Zendesk, Intercom, and HubSpot. It also links up with CRM tools, including Salesforce and HubSpot.

Pricing: Thena offers a free 14-day trial. After that, the cheapest plan will cost you $5

per channel per month.

2. Zendesk for Service

Zendesk stands out in the market for SaaS help desk software solutions with its blend of simplicity and powerful features. It's designed to streamline customer interactions into a cohesive, manageable flow, making it a popular choice among businesses of all sizes.

For SaaS companies, Zendesk is particularly appealing due to its ability to adapt to the fast-paced, update-heavy nature of SaaS products. It offers robust support for handling complex queries related to frequent software updates and new feature rollouts, ensuring that customer issues are resolved efficiently and knowledgeably.

Features:

  • Omnichannel support: Offers a unified interface for managing communications across email, chat, social media, and phone.
  • Advanced analytics and reporting: Provides deep insights into customer interactions and support team performance.
  • AI-powered automation and bots: Enhances efficiency by automating routine tasks and providing immediate responses to common queries.
  • Customizable interface: Allows SaaS businesses to tailor the help desk experience to their specific needs and workflows.

Pricing: Zendesk offers various pricing tiers, starting with a basic package suitable for small teams priced at $69 per agent per month, billed monthly. There is a small discount if the subscription is paid for a year in advance.

3. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is known for its intuitive interface and comprehensive feature set, making it a great choice for businesses seeking a balance between functionality and user-friendliness. It's especially well-suited for SaaS companies looking for an all-in-one customer support solution.

SaaS businesses benefit from Freshdesk's ability to efficiently manage and resolve customer inquiries about software functionalities, updates, and troubleshooting. Its focus on ease of use and efficient problem resolution helps SaaS companies maintain high customer satisfaction, even as they scale.

Features:

  • Multi-channel support: Integrates support across email, chat, phone, and social media.
  • Gamification: Motivates support agents with leaderboards and rewards for top performance.
  • AI-powered chatbots: Offers immediate assistance and query resolution, reducing response time.
  • Ticketing system: Efficiently categorizes and prioritizes customer support tickets.

Pricing: The cheapest plan starts at $18 per agent per month, billed monthly. You can benefit from a small discount if you pay for a year in advance.

4. Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is renowned for its powerful CRM capabilities and extensive customization options. It stands out as a comprehensive solution for SaaS companies that require a robust, scalable customer support system integrated with their CRM.

For SaaS companies, Salesforce Service Cloud is particularly beneficial due to its ability to offer detailed customer insights and manage complex customer interactions. This is crucial in the SaaS space, where understanding customer needs and usage patterns can significantly impact product development and support strategies.

Features:

  • CRM integration: Deeply integrates with Salesforce CRM, providing a 360-degree view of each customer.
  • AI-powered analytics: Delivers advanced analytics for predictive and prescriptive insights.
  • Customizable workflows: Allows SaaS businesses to create custom workflows and automations.
  • Omnichannel support: Manages support across various channels, including social media, phone, and chat.

Pricing: Salesforce Service Cloud's pricing is tier-based. The Starter plan, with a simple CRM suite for service, sales, and marketing, costs $25 per user per month.

5. Intercom

Intercom is a modern customer communication platform known for its conversational approach and user-friendly interface. It's particularly suitable for SaaS businesses focused on building strong customer relationships through personalized, chat-based interactions.

For SaaS companies, Intercom excels in providing real-time support and proactive customer engagement, crucial for addressing the immediate needs and questions of SaaS product users. Its focus on conversational experiences aligns well with the expectations of today's tech-savvy customers.

Features:

  • ​​Live chat and messaging: Offers real-time, personalized customer support and engagement.
  • Targeted messaging: Enables sending of automated messages based on user behavior and segments.
  • Custom bots: Streamlines support with AI-driven bots capable of handling common queries.
  • User event tracking: Monitors customer interactions with the product for targeted support and marketing.

Pricing: Intercom offers various pricing plans, from basic chat solutions for small companies to more comprehensive packages for larger SaaS businesses, ensuring scalability and flexibility. The cheapest plan starts at $39 per seat per month.

Conclusion

The SaaS industry moves fast, and keeping up means having the right tools to support your customers. If you can nail a consistently great customer experience, you're on track to building a base of loyal customers for years.

Step up your game with Thena, our Slack-based B2B SaaS customer support tool. Companies like Mixpanel, WorkRamp, and Incident have already achieved incredible results with Thena. Don’t miss out, and try Thena at no cost now!

Customers first, growth always.
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