What is customer service software?

There are many metrics and key performance indicators a business may use to gauge success, but all of them come down to one simple question: How well is your organization helping your customers achieve their goals?

Customer service software is a term used to describe the tools and platforms businesses use to better manage and improve the customer experience. More specifically, these tools may help manage customer support requests—collecting, analyzing, assisting with, and reporting on cases. Businesses may also use customer service software to manage or integrate with customer communication channels, including chat, text, email, and social media.

Backed by effective customer service software, many businesses are able to better coordinate the efforts of teams of service agents. This results in improved efficiency and shorter customer-support response times.

Is customer service software different from customer support software? No; they’re actually the same thing. Some organizations may make a distinction between the two, but in practice both customer service and customer support software fulfill the same role: to help you manage support and service requests from a single, central location.

Customer service and support tools may take many forms. Customer service case-management systems, online forums, automated call-back systems—each are designed to improve the customer-support experience. That said, most customer service tools fall into at least one of the following categories:

Phone support tools
While the advent of digital communication technologies has given rise to a number of internet-based support channels, the telephone remains one of the most widely used methods for contacting customer support. Phone-support tools, such as call-center software, allow agents to effectively organize and address multiple support cases at once, routing calls to properly skilled agents, automating certain tasks, and still providing knowledgeable, personalized service. Computer telephony integration (CTI) tools are also valuable. CTI makes relevant customer information immediately available to call-support agents, supporting inbound and outbound calls and integrating with existing platforms.

Automated agents
AI and automation have the potential to significantly improve customer support, by resolving customer issues and providing solutions, without having to involve a human agent. Automated agents are able to free up support personnel from basic support requests, leading to improved agent productivity and faster issue remediation.

Customer relationship management
A logical extension of the shared inbox, CRM functions more as a database of customer information. Agents use CRM software to organize and recall data associated with customers and their history, providing a more consistent and informed service.

Case management software
Case management is often integrated with CRM, and shares similar objectives. However, case management focuses more on the cases, or support requests, themselves. Agents are able to create cases and access all relevant information from a single platform.

Workflow software
Taking automation further, workflow software integrates across disparate systems, routes cases and tasks to the right teams, and automates entire, multi-stage business processes. Workflows optimize customer service interactions and help organizations achieve better, more consistent business outcomes.

Self-service software
Rather than wait on hold for customer support agents—or even automated agents—many customers prefer to look for solutions on their own. Self-service portals are designed to provide customers with access to a searchable knowledge base and other resources a customer can use as an alternative to traditional support requests.

Not all customer service software options are the right fit for every business. Finding the best solution means having a clear idea of the kind of support experience you want your customer to have. Identifying customer needs and goals, and aligning those goals with your own objectives will help inform your choice of customer service software.

Here are several suggestions to ensure that you find a customer service software solution that fits your customers and your business.

Different tools offer different capabilities, but all should focus on providing better support for your customers. Make note of where your customers—and your agents—are experiencing bottlenecks in the resolution process. You can then begin developing an idea of what kinds of jobs you want your customer service software to perform.

Your choice of customer service software may depend heavily on your available budget. Likewise, other resources such as the number of agents, availability of your IT department, presence of other tools, etc. may limit your options when it comes time to choose.

Are there any deal-breaker features you should be considering—capabilities that, if absent, will disqualify the customer service software from your list of options? If the system needs to be able to automate intelligent interactions or integrate with an existing set of tools, making note of this before you start your research can help you narrow down your choices more effectively.

Dive into user reviews and recommendations from leaders in your industry. See which organizations are using which solutions, and look for honest insights into their effectiveness. As you uncover promising candidates, make a list of your top favorites. If possible, you may also consider putting in an inquiry with an analyst firm or asking third-party partners for their opinions.

Budget isn’t always completely cut and dry. If you’re considering a CSS solution and you’re not sure whether you can justify the cost, a business value assessment may help you reach a decision. Working with vendors to understand what kinds of problems a CSS can solve and what kind of a return on investment you can expect, you should be able to better quantify your outcomes.

With a handful of top possibilities, it’s time to go to the source. Check out demos, sign up for free trials, and contact service agents to get a more accurate user experience from the customer service software options you’re considering.

At the end of the day, you’re going to have to make a final decision. Fortunately, if you’ve done your research and know your needs and resources, then you should be able locate a customer service software solution that’s right for your business.