Deciding on the right helpdesk software for your ecommerce brand can feel like picking a favorite ice cream flavor—there are so many options, each with its unique pros and cons. Today, we're going to take a closer look at Help Scout, a popular choice among fast-growing ecommerce brands. We'll break down its features, discuss the advantages and disadvantages, and explore how it can fit into your customer experience strategy.

Whether you're a founder or a customer experience leader, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Help Scout can guide you toward providing exceptional service. Let's get started by unpacking what Help Scout offers, from its shared inbox and automation to reporting and integrations.

The Basics of Help Scout

Help Scout positions itself as a helpdesk software that's easy to use and great for businesses that prioritize customer experience. It’s designed to make customer support seamless, without the clutter of overly complex features that might bog down your team. While it’s not the only game in town, Help Scout is known for its user-friendly interface and robust functionality.

At its core, Help Scout offers a shared inbox feature, which allows your team to collaborate on customer inquiries without stepping on each other's toes. This is particularly useful when you're scaling your ecommerce brand and need to keep communication smooth and efficient. The shared inbox also supports tagging and private notes, helping your team provide personalized and informed responses.

Beyond just managing emails, Help Scout includes features like automation, reporting, and integration with other tools such as Shopify and Slack. These are designed to make life easier for your team and ensure your customers are getting timely and accurate information. But is it all sunshine and rainbows? Let's dig deeper into these features to see where Help Scout shines and where it might need a little polish.

Shared Inbox: A Double-Edged Sword?

The shared inbox is often touted as Help Scout’s bread and butter. It allows multiple team members to handle customer interactions without the risk of duplicating efforts—a must-have for any growing ecommerce brand. But as with any tool, it’s not without its quirks.

On the upside, the shared inbox is incredibly intuitive. You can easily assign conversations to specific team members, ensuring accountability and clarity. Plus, with collision detection, you won’t have two people responding to the same customer at the same time—a situation that can lead to confusion and mixed messages.

However, some users find the lack of threaded email conversations a bit frustrating. Unlike Gmail, Help Scout displays emails individually. While this can be great for focusing on specific inquiries, it might be challenging for those who prefer seeing the entire conversation at a glance. It’s a bit like reading a book one page at a time without the ability to flip back easily to previous pages.

Overall, while the shared inbox is powerful, it may take some getting used to, especially if your team is accustomed to a different email setup. Consider conducting a trial run to see how your team adapts to this feature before fully committing.

Automation: Streamlining with Caution

Automation is the name of the game when it comes to scaling your customer support without adding too much overhead. Help Scout offers several automation options, allowing you to create workflows that can automatically assign conversations, tag emails, and even send out auto-replies.

The beauty of automation lies in its ability to free up your team to focus on more complex customer issues that require a human touch. For instance, if a customer sends an inquiry outside business hours, an auto-reply can acknowledge receipt and set expectations for a response time. This simple step can significantly improve customer satisfaction.

However, there’s a fine line between helpful automation and robotic responses. Over-reliance on automation can make your service feel impersonal. Therefore, it’s crucial to strike a balance: automate the routine, but keep the personal touch where it matters. Regularly review your automated responses to ensure they reflect your brand’s voice and values.

Reporting: More Than Just Numbers

Understanding your customer service performance is vital for any business, and Help Scout's reporting feature aims to provide insights into your team's activities. With metrics like response time, resolution time, and customer satisfaction ratings, you can see how well your team is doing and where there's room for improvement.

Help Scout’s reporting is straightforward, offering dashboards that give a clear snapshot of your support operations. For instance, you can track individual team member performance, which can be useful for identifying training needs or celebrating top performers. Additionally, customer satisfaction ratings can be collected through follow-up surveys, giving you direct feedback on how customers feel about their interactions with your brand.

However, some users might find the reporting features a bit basic compared to other more analytics-heavy platforms. If you're looking for deep, customizable reports, you may need to supplement Help Scout's capabilities with additional tools. That said, for many ecommerce brands, the simplicity of Help Scout's reporting might be just what they need to keep tabs on their support without getting bogged down in data.

Integrations: Expanding the Toolbox

In today's interconnected world, having a helpdesk that plays well with others is essential. Help Scout integrates with a variety of platforms, including Shopify, Slack, and Zapier, to name a few. This allows you to extend its functionality and create a more seamless workflow for your team.

For instance, with the Shopify integration, you'll have customer order information at your fingertips right within Help Scout. This means your team can quickly access order details, making it easier to resolve issues without switching between multiple systems. Similarly, Slack integration lets your team stay updated on ticket statuses through notifications, helping everyone stay in the loop.

However, while integrations are generally a strength, setting them up can sometimes be a bit tricky, especially if you're not particularly tech-savvy. It’s a good idea to involve someone with technical expertise when configuring integrations to ensure everything runs smoothly. Once set up, though, these integrations can greatly enhance your team's productivity and responsiveness.

Customer Self-Service: Empowering or Overwhelming?

One of the more interesting features of Help Scout is its customer self-service options, primarily through its Docs feature. This allows you to create a knowledge base where customers can find answers to common questions on their own, reducing the volume of direct inquiries your team needs to handle.

The benefit here is twofold: customers appreciate the ability to find quick solutions without waiting, and your team can focus on more complex issues that require their expertise. Plus, maintaining a comprehensive knowledge base can also serve as a valuable training resource for new team members.

However, there's a catch. Building and maintaining a knowledge base takes time and effort. You'll need to ensure the information is accurate, up-to-date, and easy to understand. If not properly managed, a knowledge base can lead to frustration if customers encounter outdated or incorrect information. So, if you choose to utilize this feature, commit to keeping it fresh and relevant.

Pricing: Balancing Cost and Value

Price is a crucial factor in deciding whether Help Scout is right for your brand. Compared to some other helpdesks, Help Scout offers competitive pricing, especially given the range of features it provides. The pricing tiers are designed to accommodate different business sizes and needs, making it accessible for many growing ecommerce brands.

Help Scout offers three main pricing plans—Standard, Plus, and Company. The Standard plan includes essential features and is suitable for smaller teams, while the Plus plan adds advanced reporting and more integrations, catering to larger teams with more complex needs. The Company plan is tailored for larger enterprises requiring custom solutions and support.

While the pricing is attractive, it’s essential to weigh the cost against the actual value you’ll gain. If your team can fully utilize the features and integrations Help Scout offers, it can be a worthwhile investment. However, if your needs are more basic, you might find yourself paying for features you don’t use. Consider running a trial to see if the investment aligns with your business objectives.

User Experience: The Human Factor

At the end of the day, the software's user experience can make or break your team's efficiency. Help Scout is generally praised for its clean and intuitive interface, which minimizes the learning curve for new users. This is particularly beneficial for fast-growing teams that need to onboard new members quickly.

Help Scout’s design emphasizes simplicity, with a layout that makes it easy to navigate and manage customer interactions. Features are clearly labeled, and the search function is robust, allowing your team to find past conversations or customer details with minimal fuss.

That said, as with any software, personal preference plays a role in the overall user experience. Some users might find certain functionalities less intuitive than others, or they might prefer different visual layouts. It’s important to involve your team in the decision-making process, perhaps by gathering feedback during a trial period to ensure the software meets their needs and preferences.

Security: Building Trust with Customers

Security is a non-negotiable aspect of any helpdesk tool, especially when dealing with sensitive customer data. Help Scout takes security seriously, offering features like two-factor authentication and data encryption to protect your information.

Having strong security measures in place not only safeguards your business but also builds trust with your customers. They need to know that their data is in safe hands, and Help Scout’s commitment to security helps reassure them of this. Additionally, Help Scout is GDPR compliant, which is crucial for businesses operating within or interacting with customers in the European Union.

However, it's always good practice to regularly review your security settings and stay updated on best practices. Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and ensuring your team is trained in security awareness can further mitigate risks.

Final Thoughts

Help Scout offers a solid suite of features that can enhance the customer support experience for ecommerce brands. From a shared inbox to automation and integrations, it provides the tools needed to streamline processes and improve customer satisfaction. However, it's important to weigh these advantages against potential drawbacks like limited reporting customization and the learning curve associated with new software.

For those seeking an alternative, Fullcourt might be worth considering. It’s designed specifically for fast-growing Shopify brands, offering a lightweight, affordable option with essential CX tools like a shared team inbox, self-service live chat, and an AI support assistant. By focusing on simplicity and affordability, Fullcourt can help you provide excellent customer service without the complexity of more extensive helpdesk solutions.