Helpdesk Ticketing Systems for Small Business

Choosing the right helpdesk can be daunting, especially for small businesses. You need a system that's easy to use, affordable, and scalable. This article explores eight popular helpdesk options, including Jira, and discusses their strengths and weaknesses for small businesses.

What to Look for in a Helpdesk

There are key features to consider when evaluating helpdesk software:

• Intuitive User Interface: The software should be easy for your team to learn and use.
• Smooth Onboarding Process: An efficient onboarding experience helps your team quickly understand the system.
• Third-Party Integrations: Integrations with other business tools are essential for seamless workflow.
• Security and Compliance: Protect sensitive customer information with strong security measures.
• Reporting and Metrics: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess customer support effectiveness.
• Collaboration Features: Effective communication and collaboration are critical for a seamless support experience.

Jira: For IT Support and Bug Tracking

Jira, primarily known for bug tracking and software development, can also be used as a helpdesk for internal IT support.

• Key Features: Jira offers streamlined IT support, agile dashboards for tracking bugs, data extraction for specific tickets, advanced workflows, integrations with other Atlassian software (like Confluence), automation features, and data tracking.
• User Experience: While Jira is powerful, its interface can be overwhelming for those unfamiliar with its technical nature. It requires some time to learn and configure.
• Scalability: Jira scales well for large organizations, but for small businesses focused on customer support, other options might be more suitable.
• Who is it best for: Large organizations, especially if you use or plan to use other Atlassian software. IT departments that want an internal ticketing system. Technical departments focused on bug tracking and product development. SaaS businesses needing to route customer concerns and technical issues to internal departments and track them from one application.

Groove: Simple, Scalable, and Affordable

Groove emphasizes simplicity and ease of use, making it a strong choice for small businesses. It provides a shared inbox for managing emails, live chat, and other communication channels in one place.

• Key Features: Ticket assignment, internal notes, smart folders, conversation tags, open tracking, automation, workflows, instant replies, AI writing assistance, email summaries, sentiment analysis, live chat widget, call logging, iOS and Android apps, customer satisfaction ratings (CSAT), customizable reports, 40+ native integrations, API access.
• User Experience: Groove is designed for a quick and easy setup. Its streamlined interface and intuitive features make it user-friendly for both support teams and customers. Groove also offers AI features for writing assistance and sentiment analysis.
• Scalability: Groove is built for small businesses but scales well as your business grows. It offers multiple pricing tiers to accommodate your evolving needs and includes integrations with Salesforce, Zapier, and Jira.
• Who is it best for: Small online businesses. Businesses currently managing customer emails through Gmail or Outlook and looking for a dedicated tool. Businesses using over-complicated helpdesks that lack user-friendly features. Growth-focused businesses that need a scalable solution.

Zendesk: Powerful Automation and Customer Data Management

Zendesk focuses on automation, aiming to free up your support agents to handle more complex issues. It offers a comprehensive suite of features, including customer data management and CRM capabilities.

• Key Features: AI-powered bots for automated issue resolution across channels, AI tools for agents, automated resolutions, email, social media, web widget, live chat, mobile SDKs, customized data views, workflows, SLA management, advanced ticket routing, macros, triggers, automations, analytics dashboards.
• User Experience: Zendesk's comprehensive feature set can be overwhelming initially. It requires investment in configuration and optimization to best meet your specific needs. Once you're up and running, however, Zendesk is user-friendly and powerful.
• Scalability: Zendesk scales well, offering mid-tier features on its lower-tier plans, including AI agents, social media integrations, and reporting. Advanced AI features come at an additional cost per agent.
• Who is it best for: Large businesses with complex support needs and a sizeable service team. Businesses aiming for automation and freeing up human agents. Businesses seeking a vast feature set and willing to customize and use them extensively.

Hiver: Gmail-Based Helpdesk

Hiver integrates with Gmail, making it a seamless transition for businesses already using the platform. It's favored by startups and small businesses due to its ease of use and low cost.

• Key Features: Automated workflows, two shared inboxes with up to ten users per inbox, team collaboration tools, rule-based automation, native integrations with popular platforms like Asana, Jira, Slack, and Salesforce CRM, round robin assignments, AI for templates and ticket management, iOS and Android apps.
• User Experience: Hiver is simple to use for those familiar with Gmail. However, it has limited native integrations, which can complicate workflows for businesses using multiple tools.
• Scalability: Hiver scales well for businesses focused on email communications, but its lack of advanced reporting features might be a drawback for larger organizations.
• Who is it best for: Businesses focused on email-driven support through Gmail. Small businesses with straightforward communication needs. Businesses that prefer to avoid learning a new platform and want a lightweight, low-cost solution.

Front: Unified Communication and Collaboration

Front excels in optimized customer communication and collaboration. It offers a unified shared inbox for managing multichannel communication, call center management, live chat functionality, comprehensive reporting, AI chatbots, and context-rich email threads.

• Key Features: Integrations with Asana, Trello, Salesforce, etc., unified shared inbox, call center management, live chat function, comprehensive reporting, AI chatbot widget, AI email drafts, templates, and tone correction, ticket categorization with tags, round robin assignment, smart rules, and macros.
• User Experience: Front is praised for its collaboration tools, unified SMS integration, and connectivity with platforms like Pipedrive. Its internal communication capabilities make it a valuable tool for organizing conversations between teams and departments.
• Scalability: Front scales well, offering an impressive enterprise solution for large organizations. However, many advanced features are restricted to more expensive plans, making it less ideal for startups and small businesses with limited budgets.
• Who is it best for: Rapidly-growing businesses with large customer support teams. Businesses looking to set up highly-customized workflows and automations. Businesses needing a helpdesk-style tool for intercompany communication.

HelpDesk: Advanced Workflows and Automation

HelpDesk is geared towards IT departments and B2B applications. It offers advanced workflow features, AI-powered enhancements, and extensive automation capabilities.

• Key Features: AI features including ticket summaries, text enhancements for tone optimization, grammar and spellcheck, custom automation with templates, automation rules, A/B email template testing, branded email templates, macros, ticket assignment, canned responses, tags, custom fields, quantitative data tracking with reports, data-rich ticket details.
• User Experience: HelpDesk's interface is clear and easy to navigate, despite its complexity. The platform's reliance on AI makes it approachable and simplifies complex workflows.
• Scalability: HelpDesk offers scalability with reporting features, data-rich ticket details, API docs, and Zapier integrations. It's ideal for mid-sized and rapidly growing businesses needing advanced customization and data tracking.
• Who is it best for: Businesses and support teams that want to set up very specific workflows. Teams relying heavily on automation, tagging, and routing. Small SaaS businesses with complex use cases.

LiveAgent: Cloud-Based Helpdesk with Integrations

LiveAgent is a cloud-based helpdesk system with a focus on integrations. It offers a wide range of features, including live chat, phone call integration, and a knowledge base portal.

• Key Features: Automation rules, Google Maps API integration, knowledge base, FAQ, forum, contact form creation, live chat support integration, phone call integration through its own call center, ticket prioritization, mass actions, custom tags.
• User Experience: LiveAgent's UI can be counterintuitive, and its navigation requires some learning. While its features are extensive, the user interface could be more user-friendly.
• Scalability: LiveAgent is scalable but restricts many basic features to higher-tier plans. Pricing can be unclear, with additional costs for social media integration. It's best to thoroughly research the pricing and feature availability before choosing LiveAgent.
• Who is it best for: Businesses that primarily rely on live chat. Businesses looking for a helpdesk with advanced features and willing to pay a premium. Businesses wanting their helpdesk to double as an analytics platform with in-depth user information.

Zoho Desk: Easy-to-Use and Feature-Rich

Zoho Desk is designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a user-friendly interface and a comprehensive set of features, including a knowledge base, live chat, and reporting dashboards.

• Key Features: Custom and pre-defined reports, custom analytics dashboards, response, resolution, and FCR dashboards, customizable email templates, macros, workflow rules, time-based rules, ticket management features, customer-based SLAs, auto collision detection, round-robin ticket assignment, email, web form, contact form, live chat, WhatsApp, and social media channels.
• User Experience: Zoho Desk is known for its intuitive navigation and clean user interface. It's easy to set up and use, with a helpful knowledge base portal to guide users through its features.
• Scalability: Zoho Desk scales well but functions best at its Enterprise level. Core features are restricted to lower-tier plans, so it's less ideal for businesses starting small and growing over time.
• Who is it best for: Small businesses that want a cloud-based platform that's easy to navigate and learn. Enterprise users who need a large feature set, or SMB users who only need the basics.

Choosing the Right Helpdesk for Your Small Business

The best helpdesk for your business depends on your specific needs, budget, and future growth plans. Carefully consider your workflows, communication channels, and the features you require. Take advantage of free trials to test out different options and see which one fits your team best.

If you're a growth-focused small business searching for a platform that balances ease of use and feature richness, Groove is an excellent option. Its simple design and affordable pricing make it a strong choice for businesses of all sizes.