All of us need customer support software program that’s reasonably priced, straightforward, and has each function we’d like. Proper? Simpler stated than finished. You could have tried Zendesk, and whereas it’s a strong buyer relationship administration (CRM) instrument, it has its ups and downs for a lot of startups and scaling companies. Particularly for these new to buyer help instruments, you could want one thing that helps save your small and medium enterprise (SMB) from subpar service. And so, we’re right here to assist.
This information will offer you the top-researched alternate options to Zendesk for a customer support resolution, and the options you’ll have to handle buyer interactions with out a steep studying curve or a excessive price ticket.
What we’ll cowl:
Why small companies want a CRM for service groups
In keeping with the State of the AI Linked Buyer report, 43% of consumers stopped shopping for from a model on account of their poor customer support. And also you don’t need that. CRMs for service groups are designed to make your workload simpler by organizing all of your buyer data and interactions in a single place. Need data? Simply log in and get it.
Listed here are a couple of advantages of getting a service CRM for startups and SMBs:
- Higher buyer administration: CRMs make it straightforward to trace conversations, purchases, preferences, and historical past to make your communication private.
- Elevated workforce collaboration: With entry to the identical up-to-date buyer information, teamwork is simpler. It additionally prevents errors and missed follow-ups.
- Extra automated duties: CRM can automate primary repetitive duties. For instance, it may possibly route tickets on to your platform from totally different sources.
Options to think about when selecting a service CRM for small groups
When deciding on a CRM in your customer support, give attention to qualities that help your distinctive challenges and progress plans. In keeping with the most recent Small and Medium Enterprise Tendencies Report, 55% of SMBs use customer support software program, with their prime precedence being to enhance the client expertise. Listed here are some issues for a customer support CRM:
Small enterprise service at your fingertips
- Price and scalability: Be clear on pricing. Think about subscription prices, person limits, further prices, and no hidden charges. Select a CRM that grows with your corporation, handles new contacts, customers, and help easily with out slowing down.
- Ease of use and adoption: Your CRM must be easy and intuitive, so your workforce can use it rapidly with out confusion. It must also hold all buyer information, emails, calls, and interactions organized in a single place.
- Integration capabilities: A great CRM simply connects with the instruments you already use, like e-mail, accounting, advertising apps, ecommerce software program, and calendars.
- Synthetic intelligence (AI) and chatbots: Search for AI-powered chatbots and automation options like follow-up reminders, categorizing tickets, workflow automation, and auto-responses.
- Multichannel help: For distant or on-the-go groups, your service CRM must be mobile-friendly. It retains your workforce up to date and lets them reply from wherever.
Why think about alternate options to Zendesk?
Whereas Zendesk is a widely-used customer support CRM platform, a number of challenges make SMBs and startups think about alternate options. The truth is, clients who switched from Zendesk to Salesforce noticed a 26% lower in buyer help prices and a 34% improve in customer support return on funding (ROI).
Listed here are a couple of extra causes to search for Zendesk alternate options:
Excessive prices: Zendesk’s pricing will increase from primary to superior plans rapidly, with core functionalities, resembling automation and multichannel help, locked behind tiered plans. Even the essential plans lack important options, requiring expensive add-ons simply to cowl basic wants.
Complicated options: Zendesk’s settings, configurations, workflows, and superior instruments may be complicated and arduous to deal with. It might decelerate onboarding and day by day use.
Efficiency and uptime considerations: Clients have reported a number of platform outages. These outages have disrupted buyer help and pissed off clients.
Restricted integration: Zendesk helps quite a few integrations, nevertheless it typically struggles with specialised or industry-specific software program. Workarounds or third-party companies might change into vital.
Help responsiveness: Zendesk clients generally report slower response instances from Zendesk help itself, particularly on lower-tier plans.
Ten Zendesk alternate options for small and rising companies
Listed here are the highest Zendesk alternate options with a median star score of seven or above on the software program comparability web site G2. We’ve thought-about companies’ future progress and rated every primarily based on scalability in a 1-10 rating.
1. Salesforce Starter Suite
Salesforce Starter Suite is a CRM for startups and rising companies searching for an reasonably priced but highly effective platform targeted on customer support, gross sales, advertising, commerce, and productiveness by Slack.
For service, Starter Suite gives service instruments like case administration, information administration, and e-mail help templates to maintain your workforce productive and clients completely satisfied. It’s good for constructing a strong service basis quick minus the complexities.
Who it’s for: Small companies, entrepreneurs, startups, and people seeking to get began with a CRM for service
What it may possibly do:
- Multichannel help: Handle all of your instances on a single platform. Routinely create instances from internet or cell, ship auto-responses, and route a case to the correct particular person or queue.
- Higher enterprise view: Unified gross sales and customer support provide you with real-time insights by dashboards and studies. This helps you perceive buyer traits and enterprise well being.
- Elevated productiveness: Combine Slack to allow workforce collaboration from throughout the platform.
- Data administration: Create and handle information base articles together with your service groups to assist them resolve buyer queries quicker, and permits clients to seek out solutions on their very own by self-service.
- E-mail help: Seize case particulars from emails, set off automated response to the change the standing, and use e-mail templates to reply persistently.
Supply: Snapology of Lehi units itself up for achievement with Salesforce Starter
The way it advantages SMBs: Starter Suite helps you ship personalised and constant customer support whereas aligning gross sales and advertising efforts to nurture leads and speed up offers. It gives you step-by-step steering, information import, customizable dashboards to trace efficiency and all buyer information in a single place.
The way it scales enterprise: (1-10): 10
What it prices: $25 per person monthly and a free 30-day trial.
Kickstart your SMB with Starter Suite
See outcomes from day one with a CRM designed for SMBs — the all-in-one suite for productiveness. All of it begins with Starter Suite.
2. Salesforce Professional Suite
Salesforce Professional Suite has every part Starter Suite gives and extra. It comes with superior instruments for rising companies and mature startups. For personalisation, it gives customized fields, customized objects, and customized apps so you possibly can tailor your CRM precisely to their distinctive workflows and information wants. Plus, you possibly can automate complicated enterprise guidelines and duties with its superior course of automation with Flows.
Who it’s for: Rising midsize companies, startups competing with massive enterprises, and small companies scaling quick
What it may possibly do:
- Omni-channel routing: Enhance customer support consistency with omni-channel routing that directs instances no matter their origin (e-mail, chat, social media).
- Automate workflows: Free-up your time and automate enterprise workflows and course of approvals with Professional Suite.
- Optimize and customise: Larger customization choices for constructing tailor-made workflows and processes throughout the CRM.
- In-app and internet messaging: Present your clients a personalised expertise of messaging from app or cell on to your CRM.
- Unified communication: Facilitate unified workforce communication and quicker buyer responses by way of Slack integration and macros for frequent replies.
- Self-service heart: Data powered assist facilities and clients portal unlocks the self-service choice for Professional Suite clients.
The way it advantages SMBs: Professional Suite allows you to deal with bigger, extra complicated customer support processes with sensible service automation. Customized e-mail templates, macros, and omni-channel routing ensures that your clients requests get to the correct service consultant, bettering response instances. Should you’re working remotely, you possibly can simply resolve buyer points from the Salesforce Cell App.
The way it scales enterprise: (1-10): 10
What it prices: $100 per person monthly and a free 30-day trial.
Professional Tip: Head to Trailhead, Salesforce’s free on-line studying platform and get hands-on studying or studying modules on varied service-related programs like incident administration, customer support methods, communication expertise, workforce engagement, and extra.
Able to go Professional?
Stage up your CRM with the top-rated Professional Suite — the client platform that scales with you.
3. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a contemporary customer support platform offering easy but highly effective omni-channel engagement. It helps startups ship quick customer support throughout e-mail, chat, voice, and social media from one platform.
Who it’s for: Small companies, and startups searching for customer-service-focused CRM
What it may possibly do:
- Self-service: Branded assist heart the place clients can browse assets, be a part of the neighborhood, discover continuously requested questions (FAQs), and lift tickets on their very own.
- Ticketing system: Categorize, prioritize, and route tickets from emails and social media in a single dashboard, making it straightforward to trace and reply rapidly.
- Studies and Dashboards: Prebuilt primary studies that will help you observe ticket traits and workforce efficiency so you possibly can spot points early and enhance customer support.
The way it advantages SMBs: Freshdesk gives reasonably priced plans that scale with enterprise progress and gives an intuitive, straightforward to make use of interface, decreasing onboarding time however gives restricted integrations exterior its personal ecosystem. Reporting and analytics assist you to observe response instances and ticket traits.
The way it scales enterprise (1-10): 6
What it prices: $18 per person monthly and a free trial.
4. HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub is a CRM platform perfect for combining customer support, deal stage, and advertising instruments, with a give attention to usability and free-tier accessibility. Whereas much less feature-dense for superior customer support automation than Salesforce, it’s approachable to prioritize advertising with help.
Who it’s for: Early-stage SMBs
What it may possibly do:
- Built-in sensible CRM: Unified CRM with gross sales pipeline administration, advertising automation, and customer support tickets.
- Shared inbox: Preserve all buyer emails and messages from varied sources in a single place to forestall missed replies.
- Stay chat: Have interaction clients immediately by real-time chat in your web site or app, offering fast solutions to frequent questions.
The way it advantages SMBs: HubSpot’s free tier gives a strong start line for startups, decreasing upfront prices to allow progress. It additionally entails e-mail reply monitoring, and viewers segmentation so your workforce can discover cross-selling or upselling alternatives wherever attainable. For Starter Hub, it permits you to take away HubSpot branded design for dwell chat and get extra options like easy ticket automation, dialog routing, and 1:1 technical help by e-mail and in-app chat.
The way it scales enterprise (1-10): 7
What it prices: $20 per person monthly and a free 14-day trial.
5. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a customer support assist desk primarily for sales-focused SMBs. It has multichannel help and automated ticket task that helps your groups stability workload. It’s budget-friendly and is greatest for SMBs which are already utilizing Zoho instruments and in search of primary service capabilities.
Who it’s for: Gross sales-focused SMBs and startups
What it may possibly do:
- Contextual help: Give service groups easy accessibility to buyer historical past and dialog threads in a chronological order.
- Multichannel help: Reply to clients throughout e-mail, chat, and social media with out switching instruments.
- Customized area: You possibly can join your help subdomain of your corporation to Zoho Desk.
The way it advantages SMBs: Should you get gross sales from a number of sources, Zoho Desk gives primary options at an reasonably priced worth in addition to at no cost as much as three customers. Your service groups can resolve instances quicker with multi-level escalations and a personal information base. Speaking about your clients, they’ll submit tickets from social media, kinds, or any internet web page, giving them the pliability and ease of getting an answer to their drawback.
The way it scales enterprise (1-10): 6
What it prices: $7 per person monthly and a 15-day free trial.
Construct a loyal buyer base with smarter, quicker service options.
6. Assist Scout
Assist Scout is a straightforward help platform if SMBs need easy, shared inboxes and personalised e-mail help. You get one shared inbox within the free model and two in the usual plan. You possibly can resolve your plan as per your requirement. It’s quick to arrange and gives reasonably priced plans with restricted automation and multichannel help.
Who it’s for: Small companies and startups
What it may possibly do:
- Buyer profile view: Reply quick to your clients with a watch on detailed data in an autopopulated and editable sidebar.
- AI features: Recap lengthy threads in easy-to-read bullet factors, edit and translate replies, and even create a primary draft with one faucet.
- Arrange and prioritize: Arrange automated workflows to arrange, assign, or reply to conversations.
The way it advantages SMBs: It’s straightforward to arrange making it nice for you if you wish to set-up quick and give attention to delivering personalised, pleasant help. With its customary plan, you too can get short-form surveys, web promoter rating (NPS) and buyer satisfaction rating (CSAT) rankings of our clients and consider leads to studies.
The way it scales enterprise (1-10): 5
What it prices: $55 per person monthly and a free trial.
7. Intercom
Intercom is a buyer engagement platform recognized for its AI real-time chat with assist desk options to ship superior customer support for SMB. It has a flexible Messenger for dwell chat throughout web sites and apps, making it straightforward to have interaction clients in real-time.
Who it’s for: Software program as a service (SaaS) startups and rising SMBs
What it may possibly do:
- Assist desk customization: Intercom permits you to model the assistance desk together with your visible identification. You can too publish and categorize assist articles, if wanted.
- Primary chatbots and automation: You need to use chatbots for categorizing conversations, qualifying leads, and gathering buyer data.
- Single self-improving system: Intercom’s AI learns from human conversations, and their human help groups study from AI, which makes their customer support help extra correct and constant.
The way it advantages SMBs: Intercom gives real-time engagement, serving to companies attain clients on the proper second and scale back response instances. To maintain groups knowledgeable and data-driven, it comes with pre-built studies that ship important insights on buyer interactions. You get a consolidated view of customer support, giving visibility into buyer interactions that you need to use to establish traits and enchancment areas.
The way it scales enterprise (1-10): 6
What it prices: $39 per person monthly and a free 14-day trial.
8. BoldDesk
BoldDesk gives a customer support platform tailor-made for early-stage startups with its primary ticketing and multichannel help. It’s a straightforward choice for groups that need robust service instruments with out further issues. It gives single service-level settlement (SLA) administration that will help you ship nice customer support.
Who it’s for: Startups and SMBs
What it may possibly do:
- Data base: It has a centralized repository of data and assets for patrons the place you create and handle search engine marketing (website positioning)-friendly self-service content material.
- Omni-channel help: Unify help channels throughout a number of channels like e-mail, chat, and social media.
- Limitless ticket administration: Flip buyer emails into tickets for organized reply and hold tabs on ticket volumes and response instances to watch workforce effectivity.
The way it advantages SMBs: BoldDesk is nice in the case of present a simple interface that makes it fast to arrange with primary help options like sensible ticket task and a assist desk that you may rebrand as your individual assist desk.
The way it scales enterprise (1-10): 6
What it prices: $18 per person monthly and a free trial.
9. ServiceNow CSM
ServiceNow Buyer Service Administration (CSM) gives customization and connects folks, information, and knowledge collectively in a single ecosystem. It automates customer support duties all through the enterprise to make teamwork smoother and supply fast, personalised help at scale.
Who it’s for: SMBs transitioning to enterprise.
What it may possibly do:
- Accelerated self-service: ServiceNow CSM gives clients on-line entry to FAQs, information articles, and guided journeys to assist clients discover solutions and act independently.
- Digital portfolio administration: With this, you get a unified view of companies, apps, and merchandise that may assist you to make higher selections.
- Stroll-up customer support expertise: It additionally gives in-person assist with reception guides linking on-line and in-store customer support.
The way it advantages SMBs: ServiceNow helps companies ship sensible and proactive service to realize worth quicker. It provides you a holistic view of your clients with a single workspace that may be configured throughout channels.
The way it scales enterprise (1-10): 9
What it prices: Accessible upon request by session.
10. Gorgias
Gorgias is a assist desk platform designed particularly for ecommerce SMBs utilizing Shopify. It gives assist desk and automation tightly built-in with ecommerce workflows. And primary reporting instruments assist you to observe help metrics and your service workforce’s efficiency.
Who it’s for: Ecommerce companies hosted on Shopify or WooCommerce
What it may possibly do:
- Deep Shopify and WooCommerce integration: Edit Shopify and WooCommerce orders, get real-time product data, and run promotions, all whereas retaining order and buyer help tickets in sync, with out leaving the platform.
- Automate with macros for replies: Save time with pre-written responses, intent and sentiment detection, and rule templates for frequent questions and velocity up ticket decision.
- Measurement instruments: You possibly can measure help efficiency statistics, observe dwell statistics, or conduct a satisfaction survey to gauge efficiency and enhance accordingly.
The way it advantages SMBs: Gorgias can scale back your workforce’s workload whereas offering a buyer expertise immediately linked to Shopify exercise. It may be built-in with 100+ different ecommerce instruments, too. You will get Gorgias’ AI agent at a further value, if you have to resolve help tickets in your corporation’ model voice.
The way it scales enterprise (1-10): 6
What it prices: $10 monthly with a 7-day free trial.
Maximize Your CRM Productiveness
Find out how small and rising companies are taking productiveness to new ranges with Salesforce CRM on this free e-book.
Your go-to assets to make higher selections
Looking for the correct CRM instrument for customer support by yourself is tiring. However a number of trusted assets can information you towards the perfect choice.
State of Service Report: If you wish to know what’s occurring in SMB service groups apart from your individual, the State of Service Report is your greatest wager. Get insights from 5,500 service professionals globally, highlighting traits just like the shift from cost-cutting to income era and the rising function of AI in customer support.
5 AI Tricks to Stage Up Your Service for SMBs Information: Need to degree up your service sport? Watch 5 AI Tricks to Stage Up Your Service for SMBs, a brief and sensible video about actionable AI methods for SMBs. It covers subjects like automating repetitive queries, bettering your workforce’s effectivity, utilizing AI-powered insights to anticipate buyer wants, and extra.
CRM Purchaser’s Information: The CRM Purchaser’s Information gives step-by-step recommendation on evaluating CRM platforms primarily based on your corporation dimension, {industry}, and targets. It helps you crack CRM jargon, explains key functionalities in a easy method, and gives sensible ideas for implementation and person adoption.
Information to AI for SMBs: Our Information to AI for SMBs breaks down AI ideas and purposes in easy phrases, exhibiting how SMBs can use AI to run their enterprise with out large investments or technical experience.
Trailblazer Group: Do you imagine you possibly can obtain better heights with a gaggle of individuals? Then be a part of a neighborhood like Salesforce Trailblazers. It connects you with different SMB leaders, consultants, and companions by neighborhood teams like Buyer Success and Serviceblazer Group Group. You will get ideas, greatest practices, real-life recommendation, and assets associated to customer support and CRM.
Wherever you’re — simply get began.
Regardless of the place you’re in your journey as a enterprise proprietor, you may get began with Starter Suite at no cost — the CRM made for progress.
Salesforce — your greatest Zendesk different for small enterprise
Now you’re armed with data to decide about your customer support resolution. Zendesk would be the proper match or you could wish to strive a easy and straightforward to make use of CRM service devoted to SMBs and startups. Salesforce provides you a unified platform to handle your service, gross sales, commerce, and advertising with out switching to another instrument. It has every part from integration to automation, essential to ship excellent buyer companies.
Get began with Starter Suite — the CRM made in your SMB wants. Searching for extra customization? Discover Professional Suite. Already a Salesforce buyer? Activate Foundations and check out Agentforce 360 right now.
AI supported the writers and editors who created this text.
Steadily Requested Questions (FAQs)
You possibly can think about a couple of alternate options for Zendesk. For instance, Salesforce Starter Suite and Professional Suite stand out for SMBs and startups needing an all-in-one scalable CRM that mixes gross sales, advertising, service, and commerce, supplying you with all the required options from case administration and information administration to integrations.
Select a CRM that scales with you and presents a easy, guided onboarding expertise with robust customer support instruments and automation fitted to startups and SMBs. For instance, Starter Suite and Professional Suite are perfect if you happen to’re simply beginning your CRM journey.
Zoho Desk and Zendesk share many frequent options, like multichannel ticketing, and information base capabilities. Nevertheless, Zoho is usually extra budget-friendly and tightly built-in with the Zoho enterprise suite, making it engaging to sales-focused SMBs already utilizing Zoho apps.
The highest two alternate options rely on your corporation wants, however Salesforce Starter Suite and Freshdesk are well known as main selections. Each are good at offering fast progress, scalability, and multichannel help for SMBs and startups.
Starter Suite is best than Zendesk for SMBs because it gives a completely built-in CRM, not like Zendesk’s major give attention to buyer help. It gives higher worth with lower-cost, less complicated onboarding, Slack integration, and real-time customizable dashboards. Starter Suite scales with companies avoiding expensive upgrades for important options typically paywalled by Zendesk.
