If you want your eCommerce to be competitive, it is important that you integrate software to improve customer service. According to numerous studies, 84% of online customers consider customer service an essential purchasing value. Improving and optimizing customer service will help you not only improve conversion rates but also reduce logistics and shipping costs.
However, choosing eCommerce customer service software is complicated. Firstly, because there is a great variety, and secondly, not all of them are truly specialized in this field.
Let's see which customer service software can benefit an online store the most.
Traditional customer service software vs eCommerce specialized: What's the difference?
A truly specialized eCommerce customer service software should ensure seamless communication with carriers.
While many solutions have integration with CMSs like Shopify or WooCommerce, API integrations with carriers are vital for efficiency.
The rise of eCommerce has brought with it a flood of solutions that promise to seamlessly integrate with platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce. The reason is simple: lacking direct integration with shipping companies, they are unable to effectively manage returns and order processing. This makes customer service optimization incomplete and unable to meet the needs of online shoppers.
Some key functionalities of customer service software include the incorporation of tracking or returns portals into workflows and the ability to communicate with carriers whenever there are any issues or delays in deliveries.
Recomended to read
Discover the intricacies of customer service in eCommerce through our comprehensive guide. Uncover industry challenges and strategies to enhance online store retention.
Best eCommerce customer service softwares
1. Outvio Desk
Outvio Desk is the only fully integrated customer service software. The tool synchronizes the order flow with the support channels and the carriers themselves. In this way, it is able to automate and optimize the entire customer service, from the moment a customer enters the website to the transport of the order or the management of returns. All automated in an omnichannel, efficient, and fully customizable way.
Some of the functionalities offered by Outvio Desk include the ticketing system, allocation rules, integrable chat, return and tracking portals, automated notifications on any channel, and AI-driven personalization algorithms.
Outvio ensures efficient management of pre- and post-payment needs on a single platform.
Pricing
- Outvio Desk only: 100 euros/month + 0.05 euros/order
- For Outvio users: 0€/month + 0.05€/order
2. Gorgias
Gorgias is a customer service software with integration with Shopify eCommerce platforms. You will be able to integrate a chat into your store to communicate with customers, import tickets from different social networks, or automate answers to the most common questions. While Gorgias is one of the more robust options, it is not yet capable of integrating carriers into its system.
Pricing
- Starter Plan: $10 for 50 tickets per month
- Basic Plan: $60 for 300 tickets per month
- Pro Plan: $360 for 2000 tickets per month
- Advanced Plan: $900 for 5,000 tickets per month
3. Hiver
Hiver is a customer service solution focused on Gmail. It can be used in eCommerce to optimize this contact channel, share accounts, automate responses, or monitor conversations. It is quite an interesting option if you are only going to use this contact channel, recommended for stores that are just starting out.
Pricing
- Lite: $19 per month per agent
- Pro: $49 per month per agent
- Elite: $49 per month per agent
4. Freshdesk
Freshservice is a cloud-based help desk software developed by the company Freshworks. It offers tools for organizing help services in enterprises and companies, typically in the B2B sector. Its ticketing and automation tools can also be used in the e-commerce environment to reduce response times and improve incident management.
Pricing
- Basic Plan: Starting at $19 per month per agent
- Pro Plan: Starting at $25 per month per agent
- Unlimited Plan: Starting at $620 per month
Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a multichannel customer service platform ideal for eCommerce. It allows you to centralize communication through channels such as email or SMS, making it easier to send messages more efficiently. In addition, it offers your agents the ability to monitor multiple points of contact to provide optimal service. However, it lacks advanced functionalities for order management.
Pricing
- Freemium plan that supports up to three agents
- Standard Plan: £11 (USD 14) per agent per month
- Enterprise Plan: £32 (USD 40) per agent per month
Zendesk
Zendesk is a sales and customer service software with several integrable modules. Although it is not specifically designed for eCommerce, it does have some interesting functionalities, such as chats or ticket automation. Keep in mind that Zendesk is a tool more oriented towards large agencies, and the use of all its suites can be quite expensive.
Pricing for the customer service module
- Suite Plan: starting from $69 per month per agent
- Growth Plan: starting from $115 per agent per month
- Professional Plan: starting from $145 per month per agent
Live Agent
LiveChat is an omnichannel communication platform. If you have an eCommerce business, you can use it to automate messages or centralize conversations in a single interface. It also allows you to create a knowledge base to assist both internal workers and customers themselves. It has integration with Shopify and Prestashop. However, it does not have integration with carriers.
Pricing
- Small - $9 per agent per month
- Medium - $29 per agent per month
- Large - $49 per agent per month
- Enterprise - $69 per agent per month
Important integrations for an eCommerce customer service software
| Outvio | Gorgias | Hiver | Freshdesk | Zendesk | Zoho Desk | LiveAgent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carriers | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| BigCommerce | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Shopify | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| WooCommerce | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Prestashop | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Magento | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Amazon | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Best practices for specialized eCommerce customer service software
1. Integrate chat into tracking and return portals
A large percentage of eCommerce customer questions and issues occur during order or return handling. With software like Outvio, you can include real-time chat and connect customers directly with your support agents. This way, any doubts will be resolved, drastically improving their shopping experience.
2. Synchronize order and purchase information with your support agents
Your agents will have real-time access to all customer order data. They will be able to view the delivery address, the product value, the quantity of items, and the carrier involved. With this information, they will be able to take much more precise actions, such as changing the delivery address or modifying the order.
3. Send proactive notifications
Order notifications keep customers updated about their purchases at all times. These are messages that are automatically sent whenever the order is updated. By keeping the customer informed, they don't have to contact your department to inquire about the status of their purchase, thus reducing the burden on your support department.
4. Create teams of agents and assign incoming tickets
You can divide your team into different agent groups (logistics, customer service, marketing, returns). Then, you can use assignment rules to automatically redirect each query to the most qualified person. For example, if a customer fills out a form asking for a return, the ticket will be assigned to the responsible individual.
5. Automate the resolution of shipping incidents
Using software with transport integrations such as Outvio, in addition to automating customer service, you can monitor carrier performance and resolve shipping incidents automatically. This is essential to ensure that orders arrive on time, thereby reducing returns and logistics costs.
6. Create automatic responses to frequently asked questions in eCommerce
Implement automatic response templates for common inquiries, such as order tracking or delivery address changes. This reduces the workload on agents and increases their productivity.
Conclusion
Choosing the best customer service software for your business will depend on your specific needs and budget. In this article, we have presented you with a selection of the best platforms available in 2024. We recommend that you compare the different options and choose the one that best suits your business. Remember that investing in good customer service is essential to increase your repeat purchase rate and maintain a truly profitable workflow.
