If you run a small online store, choosing the right customer support software can enable you to manage customer enquiries more efficiently, improving the overall customer experience and boosting customer satisfaction.
Here, we run through how this software works and the different types available.
How customer support software works
Customer support software is a suite of tools and platforms designed for businesses to streamline operations across multiple channels. It helps businesses manage customer enquiries by keeping all interactions – whether over the phone, by email, live chat or through social media – in one place.
This centralised platform allows businesses to handle requests more efficiently by organising them into tickets, assigning them to the right team member and tracking them through to resolution. It helps ensure that enquiries are not missed, responses are consistent and progress can be monitored from start to finish.
In practice, this can lead to faster response times, more efficient use of staff time and a more consistent customer experience. Over time, this may result in higher customer retention and improved operational efficiency.
Some of the types of customer support software available are outlined below.
Live chat tools
Live chat software enables you to communicate with customers in real time. The biggest benefit of these tools is that customers receive a quick response, with the issue potentially resolved in a matter of minutes if it’s straightforward.
Live chat tools can be convenient for customers as they can multitask while talking to someone, rather than being stuck on a phone call. Agents can also deal with more than one chat at once, improving productivity. Live chat tools often come with built-in data and insights, enabling your business to easily monitor response times and common issues.
However, live chat isn’t as suited to more complex issues and in these cases, many customers would prefer to speak to someone directly over the phone to resolve their issue.
Ticketing software
Ticketing software converts each customer query into a trackable ticket, which can be assigned, prioritised and dealt with. This means that urgent tickets can be resolved faster than lower priority requests, helping improve response times and overall customer satisfaction.
By organising enquiries in a single system, it reduces the risk of messages being overlooked, even when volumes are high. Plus each ticket carries full details of any past interactions, so that agents can quickly understand the context without asking the customer to repeat information.
However, the effectiveness of the system depends on consistent use and agents updating tickets clearly.
Software for telephone support
Telephone support software remains a core part of many customer service operations, particularly for urgent or sensitive issues. Although digital channels such as live chat and email have become more popular, some customers still prefer speaking to a human over the phone.
Phone support software provides you with the tools needed to help manage and track customer support calls. Features can include call routing, queue management, call recording and real-time analytics, so your business can deal with higher volumes of enquiries more easily.
Just keep in mind this type of software is more expensive, and long wait times can lead to lower customer satisfaction ratings.
Built-in customer support via e-commerce platforms
Depending on the e-commerce platform hosting your website, you may already have access to an integrated app store packed with customer support extensions. These hubs allow you to read user reviews, check ratings, and directly download tools customised to fit your business needs. It is well worth checking your platform’s marketplace first, as these add-ons are pre-configured to ensure they work beautifully with your digital shop. For example, Shopify, has a range of apps that offer customer support, from built-in AI tools to apps where you can bring in people to help support your customers. Each app has been reviewed by various users giving you a consensus on which is the best app for your needs.
How AI automation can help
AI automated agents, or chatbots, can help deal with routine enquiries from customers. They can provide instant responses, guide users to relevant help pages and resolve simple issues without human input. This allows human agents to spend more time on more complex interactions. Where needed, AI tools can also escalate more complex issues to human agents. However, while there are many benefits to using AI automation, if your business relies too heavily on it, it can frustrate customers. Poorly designed chatbots can create dead ends and lead to enquiries going unresolved, which won’t be a good look for your business.
Software that can manage messages and communication all in one place
Omnichannel support can manage customer messages from multiple channels, including phone, email, live chat and social media, and bring them into one platform. This means that instead of switching between different tools, support teams can view and respond to all conversations from one inbox.
Customer service agents can see the full interaction history in one place, regardless of how they got in touch, with messages pulled into a central dashboard. This allows for more consistent and efficient support. Examples of this type of software include Zendesk or Freshdesk.
Frequently asked questions
Customer support software is a group of tools designed to help businesses manage and respond to customer enquiries across channels such as email, phone, live chat and social media. It typically brings all interactions into the one platform so requests can be organised into tickets and assigned to agents.
Customer support software can improve customer satisfaction because it increases response times, helps businesses stay organised and track responses, and enables them to resolve issues more effectively. Many systems also include reporting tools that can help businesses identify common issues and resolve them quickly.
Yes, most platforms are designed to integrate with systems such as CRM software, ecommerce platforms and payment tools. This allows agents to access customer data, such as order history and account details, without switching between systems.
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Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers, including The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Sun and the Evening Standard. Rachel is a keen baker in her spare time.
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