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Top Help Desk Software in South Africa | SME South Africa

Top Help Desk Software in South Africa

Updated on May 21, 2024

Zendesk - Best for omnichannel support

    Ticketing management

    Zen Chat feature

    Apps and themes marketplace

    Reporting and analytics

Read Review Compare Quotes

Freshdesk - Best for ease of use

    Feature-rich ticket management

    Multi-channel support

    Analytics and reporting

    Customisation

Zoho Desk - Best for app integration

    Context-aware system

    Multi-channel Support Ticketing System

    Real-time Insights

    Reporting and Optimisation

Helpdesk - Best for most affordable option

    Ticket management

    Livechat integration

    Workflow automation

    Email personalisation

Introduction

Help desk software allows customer service and IT teams to handle service-related requests from employees and/or customers. The solution serves as a single point of contact for IT support to quickly resolve end users’ problems. In what is an increasingly connected world, customers and employees expect companies to be available 24/7. This is especially relevant since the COVID-19 pandemic which increased demand for online purchasing and forced companies to embrace more remote and hybrid work models.

There are a multiple uses for this technology such as helping to answer technical questions, providing product support and dealing with customer-care-related issues, for example, helping to diagnose service disruptions and failed devices.

Help desk systems come in various forms but the most common type found on the market are built with a SaaS model. These help desks are hosted in the cloud and are entirely web-based. Business owners also have the option of purchasing the software as a standalone app, a module in a CRM bundle or an IT service management system for internal support.

Related: The Top Time And Attendance Software In South Africa

Main Features

Points of contact

Every customer service query needs to start from somewhere, this is known as a support channel. Examples of support channels include; phone, email, chat, social media, self-service, or community.

While most help desk software offer a variety of support channels it’s important to evaluate where your team’s strengths lie. For example if you primarily offer email support, look for a tool with a shared inbox. If you mainly offer live chat, look for software with a live chat tool.

Ticketing management

At its core, help desk software provides a system that records and organises customer queries into tickets and tracks their progress from receipt to resolution. Some of the functionalities you should be looking for are how efficient is the management and tracking of tickets, how easy it is to reassign or escalate tickets, or for multiple team members to collaborate on a ticket. The end goal of ticketing management is to improve workflow and improve customer satisfaction by resolving issues in a timely manner.

Automation

The advantages of business automation are numerous. For customer service departments that feel like they are drowning in a sea of customer queries, the software can help to automate time consuming and repetitive tasks such as answering recurring customer queries that don’t need the help of support team members. This frees them up to handle more complex issues.

Other processes that can be automated using the software include password changes and updates on the status of a query or request. The software can also automatically capture customer feedback such as whether their issue was resolved and the quality of the customer service they received.

Dashboards

A good dashboard is invaluable as it helps agents to see important data such as new or urgent tickets in the queue as well as incoming calls and pending tickets. Dashboard data also helps department managers and supervisors to see how their agents are performing by looking at critical data such as “overall agent performance, resolution rate, and the number of issues resolved per week or month”.

Look out for software with an interface that offers quick visibility and displays data in easy-to-understand modules.

Analytics

When used correctly your helpdesk software should provide your business with market insight and sales opportunities this is because it can provide information such as “top product complaints, customer buying preferences, and market demographics”.

The software should also be able to analyse the quality of your support by measuring key metrics such as your team’s busiest hours, average first response times and resolution times.

SLA Management

A service level agreement (SLA) defines what the IT service provider and the customer should expect when contracting for a service. Smart help desks allow businesses to create and manage multiple service level agreements to maintain the quality and speed of service expected by the end users.

Pricing

Monthly or annual subscriptions

Helpdesk software solutions are sold as annual or monthly subscriptions. Most brands charge per agent on boarded onto the system.

Some of the basic features you can expect with your package are: ticketing management, multi-channel support, workflow automation, reporting, self-service knowledge base, data security, analytics and reports and a customer satisfaction survey.

Free trial

Most software solutions offer a free trial. This can range from seven to 30 days. To access the trial you are required to sign up and provide your credit card details.

Buyer's Guide

Here’s important factors to consider before purchasing a helpdesk software solution.

Scalability – Your business may still be relatively small with minimal customer service requests but do you expect growth in the future? If you are, go with the option that can grow with your business and allows you to add more features, additional agents and support more tickets.

Ease of use – Are technical skills required or can anyone use the software? The easier the software is to use the more your team can benefit. Also consider whether the solution has an user-friendly interface which will determine how easy it is for your team to use.

Budget – Does its initial cost or monthly subscription cost fit your budget? Carefully consider if your subscription has all the features your business requires, or will you need to upgrade to a higher-cost plan to get access to those features?

Integration – Simplify your customer service and save time by integrating other business apps. This enables you to expand the number of features available to your team. Examples of tools you can integrate are a ChatBot and a LiveChat feature or an ecommerce platform like Shopify to manage the entire buying process.

Security – Customer service departments will have access to private customer data so it’s important that the software you choose uses data encryption to protect both company and customer information. Go for a help desk provider with two-factor authentication that will prevent unauthorized access and one that is compliant with both General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

Top benefits of Help desk Software

  • Resolve tickets with more accuracy.
  • Easier to stay in touch with your customers and employees.
  • Boost productivity by automating repetitive and routine tasks
  • Increased customer satisfaction.

Compare our best picks

Zendesk

Pros

One of the few solutions that offer phone support.

Powerful Features

Omnichannel Support

Integrations

Cons

They do not offer a free trial like some of its competitors.

Limited reporting

Not Ideal for Simple Needs

Zendesk is a powerful customer service platform that can be a good fit for businesses of all sizes.

Freshdesk

Pros

User-friendly design

Affordable

Scalable

Cons

Custom Reports are only available at the Pro and Enterprise plans.

Not an all-in-one solution

Limited reporting

Freshdesk offers an all-in-one customer service platform for multiple departments, including customer support, sales, marketing, and call centre.

Zoho Desk

Pros

Lots of package options to choose from.

Omnichannel Support

Automation Features

Customization

Integrations

Cons

Steep learning curve for new team members.

Limited Reporting

Customization Complexity

Potential for Ticket Loss

Zoho Desk is a strong customer service software option, especially for small and medium-sized businesses looking for an affordable and easy-to-use solution.

Helpdesk

Pros

Affordable compared to other options.

Enhanced Problem Solving

Increased Customer/Employee Satisfaction

Cost-Effectiveness

Better Reporting and Analysis

Cons

Emails cannot be customised without knowledge of HTML

Integration Challenges

Knowledge Base Dependence

Limited Functionality

HelpDesk’s mission, according to its website, is to help businesses save money, time, and energy resources for more challenging tasks.

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