Applications are becoming more and more integral in our daily lives with more customers preferring to communicate via an application instead of phone calls or visiting a website. This is why for any small business venture to succeed in providing products and services, it is now extremely critical for them to utilize applications. These support applications allow small businesses to provide optimal customer service as well as to reduce costs handling service inquiries. If you are a small business owner looking to provide the best customer service support possible, here are 10 very good customer support apps to consider using.  

1. Zendesk Guide

Zendesk Guide is an application that focuses on providing content to consumers. It allows your employees to create mini-articles or guides that they can upload to your organization’s customer service page, web widgets, mobile application, and basically anywhere your customers look for information. Zendesk Guide also provides Answer Bot, a virtual assistant that responds to customers with recommended articles and has the ability to solve customer queries without your employees intervening.

2. Parature Facebook

As most businesses small to large need to have a Facebook page where they communicate their products and services to consumers, Parature is an app that your small business can utilize to provide 24-7 customer support by monitoring and engaging with customers on your company’s Facebook page. This app allows you to create guides and chat with Facebook users to provide information as well as service support.  

3. Freshdesk

This application is an amazing next-generation helpdesk that allows your small business to have an application that deals with customer queries that appear in your organization’s emails, phone calls, website, and social network websites. Freshdesk converts all customer queries into tickets that are directed to your customer service representatives. With this application, your employees are able to manage customer support for multiple products and services that your small business offers.

4. SmarterTrack

For any small business, SmarterTrack is a good customer service application as it is a practical and cost-effective helpdesk solution that bundles business needs. This application provides your employees with easy–to-use solutions such as call logging, time tracking, email, and live chat among others to provide customer service using a tablet, desktop, and smart phone device.

5. Vision Helpdesk

Vision Helpdesk is beneficial to small business owners with multiple businesses as it is an on-line helpdesk solution that you can use to manage multiple companies and multiple products/services at one centralized portal. In this portal, your customer service representatives can solve all queries in the form of email, tickets, and self-help to name a few.

6. Desk.com

Desk.com is an application that allows your business to rapidly grow as your customer service employees are able to engage with your customers wherever they are. With this application, they can collect inquiries from channels such as your website, email, social media, and chat among others. It is easy-to-use and extremely affordable to implement.

7. ClickDesk

ClickDesk is another amazing helpdesk solution for small business ventures. This application is a live chat solution that allows your customers to chat or call you directly from your website to your Skype or gTalk accounts. Best of all, this solution requires no application or download and even provides a free support ticketing software that efficiently tracks and responds to all emails.

8. HappyFox

HappyFox is an ideal application for customer support as it converts incoming support requests into tickets and route them to different departments in your organization.  Your service representatives are even able to respond to identical tickets using the applications extremely useful Mass Reply feature. In addition, your representatives can even create predefined messages that act to answer common queries from your consumers. They are also able to tag notes about specific tickets for later reference.

9. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is a great small business customer service application that allows you to meet the expectations of customers by providing knowledge-based information where they can find solutions to any query. In addition, this program allows consumers to reach your customer service agents directly through tickets. With its easy to use interface, your agents will know which tickets need immediate attention. It also provides CRM data and past interactions that allow customized service unlike any other.

10. Sparkcentral

The final addition in the top 10 best customer support apps for small businesses is Sparkcentral. This secure and speedy in-app messaging software allows your consumers query directly with your service representatives through an easy-to-use chat interface.

Infinit-O is the trusted customer-centric and sustainable leader in Business Process Optimization to Small and Medium businesses in the Financial Services, Healthcare and Technology sectors by delivering continuous improvement through technology, data and people.

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Sources:

1. American Express/ Open Forum/ Apps for Small Businesses- https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/7-cool-customer-service-apps-for-small-business/
2. Business News Daily/ 10 Customer Service Solutions for Small Businesses- http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7575-customer-service-solutions.html
3. Smallbiztrends.com/ 10 Must Have Amazing Customer Service Apps- https://smallbiztrends.com/2013/10/customer-service-apps.html
4. Capterra/ Top Customer Service Software Products- http://www.capterra.com/customer-service-software/
5. Zendesk Guide- https://www.zendesk.com/guide/
6. Software Advice/ Parature Software- http://www.softwareadvice.com/help-desk/parature-profile/
7. Freshdesk.com/ Freshdesk on the Magic Quadrant for CRM Customer engagement Center- https://freshdesk.com/resources/gartner-magic-quadrant-2017
8. Capterra/ Smartertrack- http://www.capterra.com/p/116529/SmarterTrack/
9. Vision Helpdesk- https://www.visionhelpdesk.com
10. Software Advice/ Desk.com Software- http://www.softwareadvice.com/uk/crm/desk-crm-profile/
11. ClickDesk- https://www.clickdesk.com
12. GettApp/ HappyFox Pricing, Features, Reviews, and Alternatives- https://www.getapp.com/customer-service-support-software/a/happyfox/
13. Software Advice/ Zoho Desk Software- http://www.softwareadvice.com/help-desk/zoho-support-profile/  
14. Sparkcentral- https://www.sparkcentral.com/product/