IT teams want to empower internal teams and deliver an amazing experience when employees are having issues with their tools, but they often face limited resources and a large volume of requests.
Service desks have emerged as solutions that can help ease the message clutter and keep IT teams organized. But not just any service desk software will do the trick. In fact, up to 43% of service desks still use inefficient methods like email to track user requests, causing productivity losses as teams manually sort through notes. On the flip side, organizations report up to a 70% decrease in approval times when using automated service management platforms, reducing processes from 4-5 days to just 1-2 days.
There’s a huge opportunity for businesses to provide a better internal service experience by using the right service desk software — right being the key word.
IT teams searching for these solutions often require platforms that go beyond standard ticketing to handle complex workflows and improve internal coordination. This guide aims to help you find the best service desk software to enhance internal efficiency and employee satisfaction.
What is service desk software?
Service desk software empowers organizations to manage and streamline internal service requests from employees. By automating ticket generation, tracking, and resolution processes, it enables IT teams to address issues swiftly and efficiently, boosting overall productivity.
Leading service teams adopt advanced service desk solutions that extend beyond basic ticketing, offering a comprehensive feature set. These systems foster a culture of information sharing and collaboration, elevating team workflows and efficiency.
Top service desk software solutions
Front
Front stands out as a leader in the service desk software space due to its easy-to-use automated routing system. Unlike traditional service desk systems, Front centralizes messages into a single, intuitive interface.
While Front possesses all the capabilities of a traditional service desk, it is so much more. Purpose-built for the next generation of service, Front incorporates advanced automation capabilities like macros and connectors to further improve team efficiency and AI Summarize and Compose to summarize and draft messages faster. More than 8,500 businesses use Front to drive operational efficiency and boost employee satisfaction.
Key Features:
Streamlined Ticket Management: Front’s intuitive interface simplifies ticket creation, tracking, and resolution, ensuring that no request goes unnoticed—without sacrificing a human touch. Its centralized platform reduces response times and streamlines communication between service desk agents and employees, customers, and partners, leading to increased productivity and reduced costs.
Automation and Workflow Customization: Front’s automation tools free up help desk agents to focus on more complex issues by managing easy inquiries automatically. Customizable workflows are tailored to fit specific internal processes, ensuring efficiency and consistency in handling employee requests.
Collaboration: Front helps teams work together seamlessly. Comments, shared drafts, and seamless internal handoffs enable collaboration on tickets with other team members. This means complex issues are resolved efficiently through collective expertise and shared knowledge.
Analytics and Reporting: Front provides detailed analytics and reports on service desk performance, including metrics such as average response time, resolution rate, and customer and employee satisfaction scores. This enables the service desk team to continuously improve their efficiency and performance quarter-on-quarter.
Front G2 rating: 4.7 / 5
Starter: $19/seat/mo
Growth: $59/seat/mo
Scale: $99/seat/mo
Premier: $229/seat/mo
ServiceNow IT Service Management
ServiceNow IT Service Management (ITSM) is a service desk platform designed to streamline and automate IT service delivery and operations. It is primarily used for IT service management and handling complex IT workflows.
It offers features like incident management, problem management, change management, and service request management. ServiceNow ITSM enables organizations to improve service delivery efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the overall experience for both IT teams and end users through a central interface.
Key Features:
Automated Workflows: Streamline IT processes with customizable automation workflows.
Incident and Problem Management: Efficiently manage and resolve incidents and problems.
Service Catalog: Create and manage a service catalog to standardize service delivery.
ServiceNow IT G2 rating: 4.7 / 5
Pricing: Custom
Zendesk
Zendesk is a customer service software platform that helps businesses manage customer interactions across various channels including email, chat, phone, and social media. It provides functionality for ticket management, live chat, and customer self-service through a knowledge base.
Key Features:
Automation Rules: Create complex automation rules to streamline workflows.
Multichannel Support: Manage support requests across various channels, including email, chat, and social media.
Reporting and Analytics: Gain insights into performance with advanced reporting tools.
Zendesk G2 rating: 4.3 / 5
Pricing:
Support team: $19/agent/month
Suite team: $55/agent/month
Suite growth: $89/agent/month
Suite professional: $115/agent/month
Read: Front vs. Zendesk. While Zendesk is renowned for its multichannel support and customizable workflows, Front stands out with its collaborative interface and advanced AI capabilities. Front’s focus on preventing departmental silos and enhancing team collaboration offers an advantage over traditional service desk software systems like Zendesk.
Help Scout
Help Scout is a customer support platform that offers shared inboxes for managing customer emails efficiently, a knowledge base for self-service support, and reporting tools to track team performance. Help Scout is designed to help teams deliver customer support while maintaining transparency and team collaboration. It’s suitable for businesses looking for straightforward support solutions.
Key Features:
Customer Profiles: Maintain detailed profiles to personalize support.
Workflows: Automate routine tasks to save time.
Docs: Create a knowledge base for self-service support.
Help Scout G2 Rating: 4.7/5
Pricing:
Standard: $22/user/month
Plus: $42/user/month
Pro: $64/user/month
Jira Service Management
Jira Service Management is an IT service management (ITSM) software by Atlassian that helps teams deliver personalized service experiences. It offers incident, problem, change, and service request management capabilities. Jira Service Management integrates with Jira Software, helping teams collaborate effectively across development and IT operations. It’s designed to streamline IT service delivery, improve operational efficiency, and enhance visibility into service management processes.
Key Features:
Incident and Change Management: Manage incidents and changes efficiently.
SLAs: Track service level agreements to ensure timely resolutions.
Integration with DevOps Tools: Seamlessly integrate with other Atlassian tools like Jira Software and Confluence.
Jira G2 rating: 4.2 / 5
Pricing:
Free: $0 for up to 3 agents
Standard: $17.65/seat/mo
Premium: $44.27/seat/mo
Enterprise: Inquire, billed annually
Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a cloud-based customer support software that provides tools for managing customer service operations. It includes features such as ticket management, multi-channel support (email, social media, chat), and a knowledge base for self-service. Zoho also has a product called ManageEngine that’s geared toward IT professionals and lets users create ITSM workflows. Both products are part of the larger Zoho suite and are ideal for teams already using Zoho products.
Key Features:
AI-Powered Assistance: Use AI to automate ticket responses and routing.
Multichannel Support: Handle tickets from email, chat, phone, and social media.
Customizable Dashboards: Create custom dashboards to monitor performance.
Zoho Desk G2 rating: 4.4 / 5
Pricing:
Standard: $14/seat/mo
Professional: $23/seat/mo
Enterprise: $40/seat/mo
Hiver
Hiver is a customer service solution that integrates with Gmail. It streamlines shared inbox management and helps teams collaborate effectively using features like shared mailbox, email notes, and assignment management functionality. Hiver focuses on simplicity so teams can handle customer inquiries and maintain visibility into team performance. It’s good for small to medium-sized businesses looking to manage support without leaving their Gmail environment.
Key Features:
Email-Based Ticketing: Convert emails into tickets without leaving Gmail.
Collaboration: Collaborate on tickets with team members directly in Gmail.
Automation: Automate repetitive tasks to improve efficiency.
Hiver G2 Rating: 4.7/5
Pricing
Lite: $19/user/month
Pro: $49/user/month
Elite: $99/user/month
Salesforce Service Cloud
Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer service platform built on the Salesforce CRM. It aims to help organizations provide personalized customer support across various channels including email, phone, chat, and social media. Salesforce Service Cloud offers features such as case management, knowledge base, omni-channel routing, and AI-powered service insights. It integrates with Salesforce products, allowing businesses to leverage data from other products to drive insights and improve service delivery.
Key Features:
Case Management: Manage customer cases efficiently with robust tools.
Omnichannel Support: Provide support across multiple channels.
AI-Powered Insights: Use AI to gain insights and automate processes.
Salesforce Service Cloud G2 rating: 4.3 / 5
Pricing:
Starter: $25/seat/mo
Professional: $80/seat/mo
Enterprise: $165/seat/mo
HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub is a customer service software that integrates with the HubSpot CRM and Marketing Hub. It includes tools that can be used for an IT service desk, like ticketing, live chat, email automation, and knowledge base management. It also includes features like conversational bots, customer feedback tools, and reporting dashboards to track service metrics.
Key Features:
Ticketing System: Manage and track customer tickets.
Knowledge Base: Create and maintain a self-service portal.
Customer Feedback: Collect and analyze customer feedback to improve service.
HubSpot G2 rating: 4.4 / 5
Pricing:
Starter: $20/seat/mo
Professional: $100/seat/mo
Enterprise: $130/seat/mo
Benefits of service desk software
Implementing service desk software for your IT team can be a game-changer: it brings everything together in one place, automates the busy work for your IT team, and gives them the insights they need to offer super personalized service. This makes your team and the employees receiving IT service happier and more productive.
Here are the main key benefits to consider:
Boosted efficiency
Service desk software streamlines issue resolution and optimizes workflow by automating routine tasks. This reduces the time spent on manual processes. Front’s automation tools can handle repetitive tasks, improving overall team productivity and freeing up time for teams to focus on more complex issues.
Improved employee satisfaction
By reducing response times and providing consistent support, service desk software improves employee satisfaction. Tracking and managing interactions efficiently ensures that employees receive timely assistance, leading to higher morale.
Scalability and flexibility
Service desk software can adapt to growing business needs and a growing team. As your organization expands, the software can scale with you, ensuring that you continue to provide high-quality internal support. Front’s customizable workflows and automation features are designed to grow with your business, making it a versatile choice for companies of all sizes.
Enhanced reporting and analytics
Analytics and reporting features provide valuable insights into service desk performance, helping you identify areas for improvement. These tools allow you to track key metrics such as response times, resolution rates, and employee satisfaction scores. Front’s advanced reporting capabilities enable you to continuously improve your service desk operations, ensuring you meet and exceed performance goals.
How to choose the right service desk for your company
Choosing the right service helps streamline your operations and improve the quality of employee relationships. Here are the essential steps to guide you through the process:
Assess your needs
Identify your specific business requirements to ensure the service desk software aligns with your goals. Conduct a thorough needs assessment by involving key stakeholders and gathering input on pain points and desired features. Does the service desk you’re considering have the following essential features?
Automated ticket routing
Real-time reporting and analytics
Integration capabilities with existing systems
Customization options
Budget considerations
Understand the cost versus value when choosing service desk software. Explore different pricing models, such as subscription-based or perpetual licensing, and balance budget constraints with feature requirements. Prioritizing investment in the right software can lead to long-term savings and efficiency gains.
Integration capabilities
Ensure the software is compatible with your existing systems. Look for robust API and third-party integrations to seamlessly connect with your CRM, email, and other essential tools. This ensures a cohesive workflow and maximizes the software’s utility.
Ease of use
Choose a service desk with a user-friendly interface that requires minimal training. Consider factors like intuitive design, ease of navigation, and the availability of training resources. A straightforward user experience will boost adoption rates and productivity.
Vendor support and reputation
Select a reliable provider with strong vendor support and a solid reputation. Evaluate criteria such as customer service responsiveness, available support channels, and the provider’s track record. Research customer reviews and testimonials to gauge satisfaction levels. Front, known for its exceptional support and trusted by thousands of businesses, is a prime example of a dependable service desk solution.
Trial and feedback
Conduct a pilot program to test the software in a real-world scenario. Gather and analyze user feedback during the trial period to identify any issues and assess overall satisfaction. This will help you make an informed decision and ensure the chosen software meets your needs.
Boost employee satisfaction today with service desk software
Investing in service desk software is a strategic move that can significantly improve your company’s operations and capabilities. By centralizing all IT support interactions, automating routine tasks, and providing valuable insights through real-time reporting and analytics, service desk software makes work simpler and more efficient for your team.
Making the decision to bring on a service desk software solution is just the first step. Finding a long-term partner like Front, an all-encompassing modern service solution, is the goal. With features like omnichannel support and seamless integration capabilities, Front ensures that your team can provide consistent, high-quality service across all communication channels. The ease of use and comprehensive support offered by reliable service desk solutions like Front means your team can quickly adapt and make the most of the software’s capabilities.
By choosing the right service desk software, your company can achieve significant cost savings, increase productivity, and foster a more collaborative and responsive support environment.
Written by Logan Davis
Originally Published: 4 January 2024