Choosing the right helpdesk can make a world of difference for fast-growing ecommerce brands. As a founder or CX leader, your focus is on delivering exceptional customer experiences that build loyalty and drive repeat purchases. But with so many helpdesk options out there, which one truly fits your needs?

Today, we’re comparing two popular options: Gladly and Helpdesk. We’ll delve into their features, benefits, and unique offerings to help you decide which platform aligns with your brand’s customer support goals. Let’s get started!

Gladly: An Overview

Gladly is a customer service platform that prides itself on putting people at the core of its operations. Unlike traditional ticket-based systems, Gladly offers a conversation-driven approach, designed to enhance personalization and streamline interactions.

One standout feature is its ability to consolidate all customer interactions—phone calls, emails, chats, and social media—into a single conversation thread. This makes it easier for agents to understand the customer’s history and context without jumping through hoops. Think of it as a one-stop-shop for all your communication needs.

Moreover, Gladly integrates seamlessly with other tools you might already be using, such as Shopify, Salesforce, and Slack, making it a versatile choice for DTC brands. Its intuitive interface means your team can quickly adapt, reducing the learning curve and improving efficiency.

With a focus on customer-centricity, Gladly aims to foster long-lasting relationships by prioritizing human connections over transactional interactions. This is particularly important for DTC brands where customer loyalty and brand advocacy are key drivers of growth.

Helpdesk: An Overview

Helpdesk, on the other hand, is a more traditional ticket-based system that offers a variety of features designed to streamline and automate customer support processes. It’s a popular choice for businesses looking to improve operational efficiency while maintaining a structured approach to handling customer inquiries.

Its core features include ticket management, automation rules, and customizable workflows. These tools help ensure that every customer inquiry is addressed promptly and efficiently, reducing response times and improving overall customer satisfaction.

Helpdesk also offers a range of integrations with popular ecommerce and CRM platforms, allowing you to create a cohesive ecosystem for your customer support operations. It’s an excellent choice for brands that prioritize structure and efficiency in their support processes.

While Helpdesk may lack some of the conversational elements found in Gladly, it makes up for it with its robust ticketing and automation capabilities, making it a solid choice for those who prefer a more traditional approach to customer support.

Comparing Features: Gladly vs. Helpdesk

When choosing between Gladly and Helpdesk, it’s crucial to consider the features that matter most to your brand’s unique needs. Let’s break down some of the key features to help you make an informed decision.

Unified Customer View

Gladly’s unified customer view is one of its primary selling points. By consolidating all customer interactions into a single thread, agents can see the complete history of a customer’s interactions with your brand. This allows for more personalized and informed responses, enhancing the overall customer experience.

Helpdesk, while offering a comprehensive ticketing system, doesn’t provide the same level of integration across different communication channels. Agents may need to piece together information from various sources, which can be time-consuming and lead to less personalized interactions.

Automation and Workflow Management

Helpdesk excels in automation and workflow management, offering powerful tools to streamline support processes. Automation rules can be set up to route tickets based on specific criteria, ensuring that inquiries are handled by the most appropriate team members.

Gladly, while offering some automation capabilities, focuses more on enhancing the conversational aspect of customer interactions. If automation and efficiency are your top priorities, Helpdesk’s robust features might be more aligned with your needs.

Pricing and Scalability

Pricing is always a significant factor when choosing a helpdesk platform, especially for fast-growing brands that need to scale efficiently.

Gladly’s pricing model is typically based on a per-agent, per-month fee. This can be beneficial for brands that want a predictable cost structure as they grow. Gladly’s emphasis on conversational support may also lead to higher customer satisfaction, potentially offsetting some of the costs with increased loyalty and repeat purchases.

Helpdesk often offers a more flexible pricing structure, with options for different tiers based on the features and number of agents you require. This can be advantageous for brands that anticipate rapid growth and need a scalable solution that won’t break the bank.

Both platforms offer free trials, allowing you to test their features and determine which aligns with your specific needs and budget.

Integration Capabilities

Integration capabilities are critical when choosing a helpdesk platform, as they determine how well the system will fit into your existing tech stack.

Gladly integrates with a range of popular ecommerce and CRM platforms, including Shopify, Salesforce, and Zendesk. These integrations enable seamless data exchange and enhance the capabilities of your customer support operations.

Helpdesk also offers a wide variety of integrations, allowing you to connect with tools such as Slack, Trello, and HubSpot. This flexibility ensures that you can create a cohesive ecosystem for managing customer interactions and support processes.

Ultimately, the right choice will depend on your current tech stack and the tools you rely on to deliver excellent customer experiences.

Customer Support and Training

Offering excellent customer support is a hallmark of any helpdesk platform worth its salt, and both Gladly and Helpdesk provide robust support options to help you succeed.

Gladly offers a comprehensive support package that includes onboarding, training, and ongoing assistance. This ensures that your team is well-equipped to leverage the platform’s features and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Helpdesk also provides extensive support and training resources, including detailed documentation, webinars, and a dedicated support team. These resources empower your team to make the most of the platform and continuously improve your support processes.

Consider the level of support and training you’ll need when evaluating these platforms, as it can significantly impact your team’s ability to deliver top-notch customer support.

Customization and Personalization

Customization and personalization are crucial for delivering a tailored customer experience that resonates with your audience.

Gladly’s conversation-driven approach allows for a high degree of personalization, enabling agents to deliver responses that are tailored to each customer’s unique needs. This focus on personalization can lead to stronger customer relationships and increased loyalty.

Helpdesk, while offering some customization options, is more focused on delivering efficient and structured support processes. If personalization is a top priority for your brand, Gladly’s approach might be more aligned with your goals.

User Experience and Interface

A user-friendly interface is essential for ensuring that your team can efficiently navigate and utilize the helpdesk platform.

Gladly’s interface is designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind, making it easy for agents to quickly access customer information and deliver personalized support.

Helpdesk also offers an intuitive interface, with a focus on efficiency and streamlined workflows. The platform is designed to minimize the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing agents to focus on delivering quality support.

Both platforms offer free trials, so you can test their interfaces and determine which one best suits your team’s needs.

Security and Compliance

Security and compliance are non-negotiables when it comes to handling customer data, and both Gladly and Helpdesk take these concerns seriously.

Gladly offers robust security features, including data encryption and compliance with industry standards such as GDPR and CCPA. This ensures that your customer data is protected and handled in accordance with legal requirements.

Helpdesk also provides strong security measures, including SSL encryption and regular security audits. These features help safeguard your customer data and provide peace of mind for both your team and your customers.

Consider the security and compliance features of each platform when making your decision, as these elements are critical for maintaining trust with your customers.

Final Thoughts

In the end, the choice between Gladly and Helpdesk will depend on your brand’s unique needs and priorities. Gladly offers a conversation-driven approach that emphasizes personalization and customer-centricity, making it a great fit for brands focused on building strong customer relationships. Helpdesk, with its robust automation and ticketing features, is ideal for those seeking efficiency and structure in their support processes.

For fast-growing Shopify brands looking for a lightweight, affordable helpdesk alternative, Fullcourt is a fantastic option. This easy-to-use ecommerce helpdesk provides essential tools like a shared team inbox, self-service live chat portal, knowledge base, and AI customer support assistant. It’s designed to help you deliver excellent customer experiences without the complexity and cost of more bloated solutions. Give Fullcourt a try and see how it can streamline your customer support operations.