As the saying goes, customer satisfaction is passé, customer delight, is what all-successful organizations, should aspire for. As all organizations are vying to strike the right chord to ensure customer delight, help desk software products like UserVoice and Zendesk gain significance in this fiercely customized and competitive market segment. Here, we will objectively analyze two helpdesk software applications that are available in the market, namely UserVoice and Zendesk vis-à-vis, the usage, pricing, features and eventually the pros and cons.
Intended Users
Your core business needn’t always be IT, you might be involved in other technical and non-technical businesses, but your customers’ needs, concerns and feedback need to be addressed. These helpdesk software applications Zendesk and UserVoice, help you concentrate on your core business expertise and make User Interaction of your customers with your organization an easy and delightful experience.
The Zendesk software’s biggest plus point being that it helps integrate your entire customer interaction and conversations across platforms, devices and social media in one place, making it easier for you to respond rather than react. Besides Zendesk also has very exciting customization offers based on the package you opt for.
UserVoice, is more apt for smaller businesses, as it doesn’t have the scalability of Zendesk, but has exciting options of being able to customize your interactions and give them a personal touch and in terms of integrating communication channels is not as seamless as Zendesk.
Pricing Info
The pricing of these helpdesk applications – Zendesk and UserVoice are very similar, with Zendesk offering an additional starter pack to encourage the small business owner to first test it.
Zendesk has monthly and annual packages, starting with the essential package, which is priced at $5 per month on annual billing or $9 per month for monthly billing, then they have the team pack at $19 and $25 per month for annual and individual monthly billing respectively, the professional comes at $49 and $59 per month for annual and individual monthly billing respectively and the top-most enterprise package at $99 and $125 per month for annual and individual monthly billing respectively.
UserVoice is more conservatively priced but does not have the entry level pack that Zendesk offers. UserVoice offers Standard, Enhanced and pro packs. The Standard pack is priced at $15 and $20 for annual and individual monthly billing respectively, the enhanced pack is priced at $45 and $55 for annual and individual monthly billing respectively and the Professional pack is available at $85 and $95 per month annual and individual monthly billing respectively.
Well, with this we understand that price isn’t too much of a factor that will help you decide, you will need to see the features and evaluate the best fit for your organization.
(All prices are per agent per month)
Features
Both Zendesk and UserVoice boast of a host of features as being assessed below objectively for you to take a considered call on which application will suit you best.
Ticketing System
To begin with the Ticketing System, an efficient ticketing system which maintains a distinct customer identity as well as every interaction gets a different ticket, which ensures that when you are responding to the customer the response is not colored by prior experiences however the team understands the history of the customer. UserVoice scores high in this area in terms of customizing with the customer’s name rather than Zendesk’s customer ID number.
Knowledge Base
The Zendesk help desk software has a gamut of information and trouble shooting responses available. The agent handling the call can use Macros to identify the best response and reply almost instantly, without making the customer feel that they have been dealt with inadequately. UserVoice too offers an extensive knowledge base with articles and options for flagging them to use for customers, however as they are not macros enabled it takes a wee bit longer than Zendesk, thus getting the sheen off the instant response mechanism.
One of the best ways of engaging with your customers is also empowering them. So if you would like your customers to completely understand the product and embark on a journey of discovering the product, self-help options would prove to be useful. The Zendesk helpdesk software provides adequate resources to help your customers engage and troubleshoot on issues. Your customers, will become your customer service agents too with this feature!!!
UserVoice too offers Instant Answers™ helps customers find exactly what they are looking for and is proven to reduce ticket volume by as much as 50%
Integration across media
The Zendesk help desk software helps you integrate all interactions with customers under a single window with plugins on social media apps like Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, e-mail, voice and other chat. Moreover all this being easily available to your agents makes them more proactive and better ambassadors of your brand and Zendesk helps in just that.
UserVoice however, has limited options in integration based on the package you choose.
Dashboard and reporting
The UserVoice helpdesk software has complete analytics about the customer’s feedback, customer history and response time to handle customer concern, Furthermore you can conduct online surveys and have a complete understanding of the pulse of your customers which will facilitate in valuable upgrades.
The Zendesk helpdesk software too helps you with an effective dashboard and agent performance reports. It also allows sharing to ensure quicker spread of best practices through the dashboard and also customizing the dashboard to your specific requirement.
Pros
Zendesk
- Seamless integration across all media, devices, platforms and OS
- Impressive list of clientele across all domains
- Impressive and powerful knowledge base search and reply option
- Self-service option for urgent troubleshooting
- Cost-effective with four options in subscription packages and also scalable
User Voice
- Satisfaction surveys that help enhance and qualify responses
- Pricing on par with the rest – may be 10% lower
- Personalized response mechanism through the ticketing window
- Easy to use software with an interactive frontend screen
Cons
Zendesk
- Has too many features even in the basic pack, which Small Business Owners may not need – you are paying for features you don’t need
- Self service module not very interactive
UserVoice
- Seamless integration across all media, still not completely seamless especially across devices.
- Process is not 100% automated
