Customer service software provides your support team with the tools they need to deliver exceptional customer service. Here is how to choose the right customer support software for your business and learn how to reduce support ticket volume.
Delivering great customer service at scale is not easy, especially as customer expectations continue to rise. Research shows that 82% of service professionals say customers have higher demands than they used to. Choosing the right customer service software with AI is crucial. The right platform helps your team deliver fast, personalized support across every channel. This helps you meet and exceed customer expectations every time, no matter your industry.
Customer service software is a suite of tools designed to help businesses manage and improve their interactions with customers. It includes features like support ticketing systems, live chat, email support, and knowledge bases. These tools help streamline customer inquiries and resolve issues more efficiently. They also provide valuable insights through metrics and reporting, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions to improve the customer experience.
AI plays a vital role in modern customer service software by automating and enhancing many aspects of support. AI-powered agents can handle a wide range of customer inquiries 24/7. This delivers instant responses that reduce wait times and lighten the load on human agents. When more complex issues arise, AI can automatically route them to the most qualified agent, improving first-contact resolution and overall efficiency.
Beyond handling support tickets, AI also helps service representatives stay one step ahead. It can analyze customer data to spot trends, predict potential issues, and trigger proactive service before problems escalate. From automated workflows to intelligent recommendations, AI gives service teams the tools they need to deliver faster, more personalized, and more effective support at scale.
Investing in the right customer service product can deliver many valuable benefits to service teams and companies. These include:
Increased customer satisfaction: Customer service software enables teams to provide accurate, personalized answers to customers faster. This contributes to better experiences and higher customer satisfaction scores.
Higher customer lifetime value: Higher customer satisfaction can lead to repeat business and loyal, long-term customers. This increases your retention rates and referrals.
Improved efficiency: Support software offers features like automation, a searchable knowledge base, and AI agents. These tools can automate a significant portion of support tasks, which helps your team work more efficiently and can reduce support ticket volume.
Access to key insights: With customer service analytics, your team can track valuable insights to identify what is working well and what areas could be improved. This helps you proactively address recurring issues at their source.
Increased ROI: By improving efficiency and customer retention, customer service software can help you increase sales while lowering labor costs, resulting in a boost to your company's bottom line.
Customer service software can include several types of tools that help service teams provide support in different contexts. These include:
Help desk software for managing customer inquiries and support tickets.
Live chat software that enables real-time communication with customers online.
Call center software that provides features for efficiently managing and tracking customer support calls.
Contact center CRM software that stores customer data, tracks interactions, and simplifies communication.
Help center software to give customers the information they need to resolve questions themselves.
AI agents that provide instant support for both common and complex customer issues. They can automatically escalate to human representatives when necessary.
Unified customer service platforms that serve as an all-encompassing solution to boost productivity across every channel, including email, chat, and self-service.
While you can invest in separate products, many businesses prefer a comprehensive platform that covers all these areas in one product.
With so many options on the market, choosing the best customer support software can be challenging. To help, we have compiled a list of well-regarded options, each with unique strengths for different business needs.
14.ai
14.ai is an AI-native customer support platform designed for speed, collaboration, and efficiency. Unlike legacy systems with added AI features, 14.ai builds artificial intelligence into every part of the support workflow. This makes it an option for high-performance teams, startups, and companies with complex technical support needs that want to leverage AI to reduce support ticket volume.
How it helps customer service teams:
Unified AI platform: 14.ai consolidates conversations from email, chat, and Slack into a single shared inbox. This unified interface enables seamless collaboration and workflows.
Advanced automation and AI agents: The platform uses AI to automate a large portion of routine support tasks, freeing up agents to focus on high-value interactions. AI agents provide 24/7 support, offering instant resolutions and deflecting ticket volume.
Actionable insights: Real-time data analysis helps teams identify trends and recurring issues, providing actionable insights that can inform product development and business strategy.
Scalability and pricing: With a modern architecture and usage-based pricing, 14.ai is built to scale with your business, making it a cost-effective solution for growing companies.
Salesforce Service Cloud is a comprehensive customer service platform that excels in any industry and on any channel. It is known for its deep integration with the Salesforce CRM, providing a complete view of the customer.
Centralized service console: It brings customer details, messages, and data from every channel into a single, unified workspace.
AI and automation: The platform uses AI to enhance workflows, suggest next actions, and provide real-time insights. Omnichannel routing directs issues to the best-suited agent based on skill.
Knowledge base: Its knowledge base serves as an internal resource hub and a self-service solution for customers, powered by AI suggestions to deliver quick answers.
HubSpot's Service Hub is an all-in-one customer service platform that is part of the larger HubSpot ecosystem. It is a strong choice for businesses already using HubSpot for marketing or sales.
Centralized service console: The help desk offers a workspace where agents can manage service tickets while getting a 360-degree view of the customer.
Automation: It can automate functions like ticket prioritization, nurture sequences, and customer follow-ups based on predefined triggers.
AI agents: The platform includes tools for delivering automated, personalized interactions with customers.
When evaluating the best customer support software for your business, look for important features that help you work efficiently and reduce support ticket volume.
Case management: Look for a solution that lets you easily create support tickets, assign them to the right agent, and track their progress. Automated triaging and routing can speed up resolution and reduce backlog.
Omnichannel support: You need to help customers on their preferred channel, whether it is voice, email, or live chat, and provide a consistent experience if they move between channels.
Centralized knowledge base: A comprehensive library of FAQs and help articles is one of the most effective ways to reduce ticket volume. It empowers customers to solve problems on their own.
Automation: Automation features take repetitive tasks off your agents' plates, improving efficiency and giving them more time to focus on complex customer needs.
AI: AI tools are essential for modern support. AI agents and chatbots can interact with customers 24/7 to resolve many issues autonomously, while AI-powered assistance helps human agents find answers and craft responses faster.
Reporting and analytics: Analytics features help you track performance, generate reports, and make data-backed decisions to improve support and proactively address common issues.
Each business has distinct goals and needs. To guide your decision, consider these important factors:
Your customer service strategy: Consider the primary goals of your support team. This includes the number of support agents you have, your typical volume of service requests, and the main channels you want to support.
Necessary integrations: Take stock of the tech products you already use that need to connect with your customer service software. Many solutions offer seamless integrations with existing CRMs and tools.
Scalability: As your business grows, your customer service platform should grow with you. Choose a platform with flexible automation and customizable features so you can stay agile.
Budget and pricing models: Consider your available budget. Whether a per-user or a usage-based model makes the most sense depends on your business goals and ability to scale.
Brand reputation and customer reviews: Go beyond the company's website in your research. Ask colleagues about their experience with support tools and check third-party review websites to see what other customers are saying.
The future of customer service will see a continuation of trends already taking shape, most notably the rise of AI-native platforms.
AI-powered automation: AI will continue to automate common customer service tasks, from finding the right support resource to crafting an initial email draft for an agent.
Customizable AI agents: AI agents built for customer service can handle many inquiries autonomously. This provides a form of self-service that helps customers get information faster without requiring human intervention.
AI agents as teammates: AI agents are not just for customers. They can also support service agents by instantly finding information, creating first drafts for interactions, and even providing role-play scenarios for training.
Organizations are rapidly increasing their AI investment, which suggests that AI technology will continue to develop and streamline customer service operations.
What is the best software for customer service?
The best customer service software depends on your company's strategy, budget, and feature needs. For businesses looking for a modern, efficient solution, an AI-native platform is a strong option. It enables omnichannel support, features powerful AI agents, and includes advanced automation to increase efficiency and reduce ticket volume.
How can I reduce my support ticket volume?
Reducing support ticket volume is key to lowering costs and improving team morale. Proven strategies include building a comprehensive knowledge base for self-service, using AI chatbots to automate answers to repetitive questions, analyzing ticket data to identify and fix root causes, and communicating proactively with customers about product updates or known issues.
Is customer service software for all-size businesses?
Absolutely. Any business that cares about customer service can benefit from software that streamlines inquiries and improves efficiency. Modern platforms, especially those with scalable, usage-based pricing models, are well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to access powerful tools and scale as they grow.
Discover top customer support tools and AI-powered software to boost efficiency, reduce ticket volume, and deliver exceptional service for your business.