Helpdesk Applications Reviewed
Efficiently managing a large quantity of email can be a very difficult task for any company. When many of the emails sent have to do with different clients and contain complex technical issues, it makes managing email even more difficult. Luckily, there are plenty of applications on the market today that are designed specifically to manage large quantities of email. With threading, all emails from the same sender with the same subject will show up in a format that’s easy to read and follow. However, using the threading feature of your email program or an email provider like Gmail has three major downsides:
Starting Out:
If you are a new host just starting out and want a decent way to manage your email, consider enabling threading in your standard email program (like Outlook or Thunderbird) or using a free email account with threading like Gmail.
- There are no reference numbers (you can add them, but it’s not automatic) or ticket IDs attached to issues.
- The systems are not designed for use by multiple people; and if multiple people are helping respond to emails, it can get very confusing for everyone (including the client).
- Except through their email program, clients cannot track issues.
A Step Above:
If you are getting a fair amount of emails and have more than one person responding to emails, it may be time to upgrade to a step above Gmail. There are basic “starter†programs out there that can help you manage your email. One such program is Mailroom by a company called Sproutit.com.
Mailroom allows multiple people to login to a centralized system (that is hosted on Sproutit’s servers – you don’t have to get involved with the technical aspects) and respond to emails that come in. All responses are logged and there are some nice features like pre-defined responses, client contact histories, etc.
It’s a good step for companies that are just starting to get a large volume of email and are having multiple people responding to it. It is affordable (the basic package, which allows for 1,000 emails monthly, is $19 per month) and allows for scalability (up to 8,000 at a cost of $199 per month) without having to switch systems or get a custom plan.
Mailroom is not a full-featured helpdesk and, subsequently, lacks a few features:
- There are no reference numbers (you can add them, but it’s not automatic) or ticket IDs attached to issues.
- Except through their email program, clients cannot track issues.
Full-Featured Systems:
If your company is getting too big for Gmail or Mailroom, it’s likely time to upgrade to a more full-featured system.
Here are some of the more popular systems used in the hosting industry:
- Cerberus Helpdesk: Cerberus recently came out with their brand new version (Version 3), which addresses some issues in Version 2 and introduces new features. Version 3 still seems to lack some functionality (notably the ability to easily move tickets from queue to queue), but the developers are working on adding these features. The new version of Cerberus also has a top-notch desktop interface that representatives can use and is very feature-rich. Standard features like issue tracking with ticket IDs (both clients and employees can track issues), threading, multiple users, etc., are included. There are plenty of statistic views and reports and support for service level agreements. Starts at $399 (owned license) for commercial use. Hosted licenses are available.
 - Kayako eSupport: Kayako eSupport is another very popular system that is being used by many web hosts. It comes either by itself or in a package called Kayako SupportSuite, which includes live chat software. Kayako has all the features that Cerberus has, with some unique ones. It easily integrates with a lot of third party software (like ModernBill) and also has plenty of statistic views and reports, support for service level agreements, the ability to have multiple users and more. The owned license of eSupport starts at $299.95. Leased licenses are also available.
 - PerlDesk: Though PerlDesk doesn’t seem to be quite as popular as Cerberus or Kayako eSupport, it is quite powerful and has plenty of features. It has all of the standard features (issue tracking with ticket IDs, threading, etc.) plus some nice add-on features. The system is very user-friendly (for both clients and employees). PerlDesk Small Business starts at $99.95, and leased licenses are also available. PerlDesk Enterprise starts at $399.99, and leased licenses are also available.
Beyond:
Beyond systems like Cerberus Helpdesk, Kayako eSupport and PerlDesk are large, enterprise-level helpdesks made by companies like Siebel Systems. Before making a decision to buy a system of that size (and cost), it’s best to hire someone who is extremely familiar with enterprise-level helpdesks and can work with you to make the right decision.
Best of luck in choosing your helpdesk – it is an important decision, but with some research and thought, it will be an easy decision.
Mentioned Companies & Service:
Microsoft Outlook – microsoft.com/outlook/
Mozilla Thunderbird – mozilla.com/thunderbird/
Gmail – gmail.com
Mailroom by Sproutit.com – sproutit.com/mailroom
Cerberus Helpdesk – cerberusweb.com
Kayako eSupport – kayako.com/esupport.php
PerlDesk – perldesk.com
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