Last Reviewed: November 12th, 2024

Best Remote Help Desk Software Of 2024

What is Remote Help Desk Software?

Remote Help Desk Software is a critical tool for managing and organizing IT support needs across dispersed work settings. It expertly tackles challenges like tracking support requests, facilitating remote access to resolve technical issues, and managing help desk resources. Key benefits of this software are efficient resource allocation, enhanced ticket management, and streamlined resolution times. Features like ticketing system, knowledge base, and remote access are central, while AI-enabled predictive analysis is an emerging trend. Industries with significant IT reliance, such as tech, finance, and healthcare, find this software highly beneficial. Support teams are the main users, but its ancillary users include any team dealing with technology issues. Common limitations revolve around security concerns, integration difficulties, and providing responsive support for complicated issues. in summary, Remote Help Desk Software is instrumental in managing, streamlining, and enhancing IT support processes, thereby improving productivity and operational efficiency.

What Are The Key Benefits of Remote Help Desk Software?

  • Improves ticket management efficiency
  • Aids in resource allocation
  • Streamlines support queries
  • Enables remote troubleshooting
  • Enhances productivity
  • Provides knowledge base access
  • Promotes customer satisfaction
  • Offers critical incident tracking
  • Facilitates real-time communication
  • Accelerates issue resolution time
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Overall

Based on the latest available data collected by SelectHub for 150 solutions, we determined the following solutions are the best Remote Help Desk Software overall:

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Why We Picked Chrome Remote Desktop

Is Chrome Remote Desktop the key to unlocking seamless remote access, or does it leave users feeling a bit left out? User reviews from the last year reveal a mixed bag, with Chrome Remote Desktop emerging as a capable yet barebones tool. Users consistently applaud its simplicity and affordability. Setting it up is as easy as pie, requiring only a Google account and the Chrome browser – no need to wrestle with complicated installations. This straightforward approach makes it a godsend for folks who aren't tech-savvy, allowing them to quickly establish remote connections. And let's not forget the price tag – completely free! This makes it a winner for budget-conscious individuals or small businesses dipping their toes into the remote access pool.

However, Chrome Remote Desktop isn't without its shortcomings. The lack of built-in chat is a head-scratcher, forcing users to rely on external communication methods during remote sessions. The browser dependency is another sticking point, potentially alienating users who prefer other browsers like Firefox or Safari. While Chrome Remote Desktop excels at basic remote access, its limitations become apparent in more demanding scenarios. The absence of drag-and-drop file transfer, for instance, can be a real drag, compelling users to resort to cumbersome manual uploads and downloads. Similarly, the lack of robust session management features makes it less than ideal for professional IT support environments where multiple simultaneous connections and multi-monitor setups are the norm.

In a nutshell, Chrome Remote Desktop is a solid choice for users seeking a no-frills, free-of-charge remote access solution. It's perfect for occasional use, providing a lifeline for remote workers, assisting friends and family with tech troubles, or accessing your own devices on the go. However, its lack of advanced features may leave professionals and power users yearning for more.

Pros & Cons

  • Simple Setup: Chrome Remote Desktop is praised for its straightforward setup process, which can be completed quickly without any special technical expertise.
  • Cost-Effective Solution: Chrome Remote Desktop is free to use, making it a budget-friendly choice for businesses of all sizes.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: The software works seamlessly across various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of users and devices.
  • Seamless Integration with Google: Chrome Remote Desktop leverages the convenience of Google accounts and the Chrome browser, simplifying access and management for users already familiar with Google's ecosystem.
  • Reliable Performance: Users generally report a positive experience with Chrome Remote Desktop's speed and responsiveness, especially when using a stable internet connection.
  • Limited File Transfer: Chrome Remote Desktop lacks a drag-and-drop feature for file transfers, requiring a cumbersome process of uploading and downloading files, impacting efficiency for businesses that frequently exchange files.
  • No Built-in Chat: The absence of a built-in chat feature hinders real-time communication with the remote user, making it difficult to exchange information or instructions efficiently, a crucial aspect of remote troubleshooting or collaboration.
  • Lack of Multi-Session Handling: Chrome Remote Desktop only allows one active session at a time, limiting IT professionals or users who need to access and manage multiple devices simultaneously, a common requirement in business environments.
  • Session Timeout: The 30-minute session timeout, requiring re-authentication, disrupts workflow and can be frustrating for users, especially during extended tasks or presentations.

Key Features

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Access and control your computer from any device, whether it's a Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, or Android system.
  • Easy Setup: Quickly install and configure the Chrome Remote Desktop extension from the Chrome Web Store, with no need for complex network configurations.
  • Secure Connections: Utilizes the latest open web technologies, including WebRTC, to ensure secure and encrypted connections between devices.
  • Unattended Access: Set up remote access to your computer even when you are not physically present, allowing for 24/7 availability.
  • Multi-Monitor Support: Seamlessly switch between multiple monitors connected to the remote computer, enhancing productivity for complex tasks.
  • File Transfer: Easily transfer files between the local and remote devices, streamlining workflows and reducing the need for third-party file-sharing services.
  • Clipboard Synchronization: Copy and paste text and images between the local and remote devices, making it easier to share information and resources.
  • Remote Assistance: Provide or receive technical support by sharing your screen with another user, facilitating troubleshooting and collaboration.
  • Session Management: Manage multiple remote sessions simultaneously, allowing for efficient multitasking and oversight of various systems.
  • Performance Optimization: Automatically adjusts the quality of the remote session based on network conditions to ensure a smooth and responsive experience.
  • Customizable Shortcuts: Create and use keyboard shortcuts to perform common tasks quickly, enhancing the efficiency of remote operations.
  • Integration with Google Account: Leverage your existing Google account for authentication and access management, simplifying the login process.
  • Free to Use: Chrome Remote Desktop is available at no cost, providing a robust remote access solution without the need for a subscription or additional fees.
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Why We Picked Zendesk

Zendesk For Service offers streamlined tools for businesses of all sizes. It excels in features like ticket management, collaboration and knowledge management. Its interface is easy to use and understand, and there are plenty of onboarding resources for new users. The platform also offers numerous integrations with programs like CRM systems, project management tools and collaboration tools like Slack.

While users praised the comprehensive features and level of customization offered by the platform, they also said that this can make the learning curve steeper. Some customers were also disappointed by the lack of advanced reporting tools, the unresponsiveness of customer support and high cost for small businesses. All in all, Zendesk is a scalable and feature-rich solution for businesses looking for an efficient ticketing and support tool.

Pros & Cons

  • Ticket Management: 83% of users who talked about Zendesk’s ticket management features had a positive experience and praised the platform.
  • Ease of Use: 64% of users who talked about their onboarding and general experience using the platform said Zendesk was easy to use and learn.
  • Integrations: 57% of reviewers who mentioned integrations were happy with the range and variety of integrations available.
  • Knowledge Management: 83% of users who mentioned using the knowledge management and help center tools said they had a positive experience.
  • Collaboration: 92% of users who talked about Zendesk’s collaboration tools said that the platform made external and internal collaboration and communication easier.
  • Reporting: 55% of users who talked about the platform’s reporting and analytics tools complained about the lack of advanced reporting tools, especially on cheaper plans.
  • Customer Support: 70% of users who talked about contacting Zendesk customer service expressed dissatisfaction with their experience.
  • Cost: 100% of users who talked about pricing said that the cost of the platform was quite high for small businesses and businesses in developing countries.

Key Features

  • Ticketing System: Offer high-quality customer support across various channels with pre-built dashboards, automation, customer ticket fields and dynamic forms. Avoid misplacing tickets, produce faster resolution and boost the bandwidth via robust tools such as CSAT ratings, routing, service-level agreements and time tracking. 
  • Omnichannel Support: Offer quick and seamless customer support through multiple channels including email, phone, chat, customized chatbots, a website, WhatsApp, messaging, Facebook and Twitter to ensure faster resolutions 
  • Messaging and Live Chat: Engage in long-term, personalized conversations with customers to deliver instant support without any repetitions. Help customers get instant answers via bots and integrated programs with the ability to turn to a live agent whenever needed. 
  • Help Center: Give customers access to knowledge base articles and automated suggestion pop-ups to enable a streamlined and efficient self-service. Convert essential issues in the community into resolvable tickets and update reusable content from help centers and articles through content blocks. 
  • Voice Support: Deliver instant support to customers with a cloud-based voice solution, plug into 90+ telephone providers. Extend voice capabilities with services including redaction, quality assurance and advanced call transcriptions. 
  • Community Forums: Create a platform for customers to collaborate, provide feedback, review the product, and answer other user’s questions. Help them reach out for the most relevant services. 
  • Reporting and Analytics: Analyze how customers use websites, products, services and various support channels. Determine ways to improve the experience by getting instant access to insights and identifying problem areas via customizable, pre-built dashboards. 
  • Knowledge Base: Help customers get to know the services and products better by creating easy-to-read articles with rich formatting and translations to 40+ languages for a localized customer experience. 
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Why We Picked ServiceNow

ServiceNow's Help Desk Software receives consistent praise for its intuitive interface, robust automation capabilities, and comprehensive reporting features. Users appreciate its ability to streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and provide real-time visibility into support operations. However, some reviewers note that its complex configuration and customization options can be daunting for small teams or those with limited technical expertise.

Compared to similar products, ServiceNow stands out for its scalability, enterprise-grade security, and extensive integration options. Its ability to handle large volumes of support requests and integrate seamlessly with other business systems makes it a popular choice for large organizations. However, its higher cost and steep learning curve may not be suitable for smaller businesses or those with less demanding support needs.

Overall, ServiceNow's Help Desk Software is best suited for large organizations seeking a comprehensive and scalable solution. Its strengths in automation, reporting, and integration make it a valuable tool for streamlining support operations and improving customer satisfaction.

Pros & Cons

  • Robust Ticket Management: Efficiently manage and track tickets from submission to resolution, with customizable workflows and automated notifications.
  • Seamless Integrations: Effortlessly connect with other business systems, such as CRM, ERP, and HR, for a unified view of customer interactions.
  • Comprehensive Knowledge Base: Empower users with self-service options by creating and managing a searchable knowledge base of FAQs and solutions.
  • Automated Workflows: Streamline processes by automating repetitive tasks, such as ticket assignment, escalation, and status updates.
  • Real-Time Analytics: Gain valuable insights into performance metrics, customer trends, and areas for improvement through customizable dashboards and reports.
  • Mobile Accessibility: Provide remote teams and users with access to the help desk platform anytime, anywhere, through mobile applications.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Foster teamwork and knowledge sharing among support agents through integrated chat, forums, and collaboration tools.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Easily adapt the platform to changing business needs, with the ability to handle large volumes of tickets and integrate with new systems as required.
  • Excellent Customer Support: Receive dedicated support from ServiceNow's team of experts to ensure smooth implementation and ongoing assistance.
  • Proven Track Record: Leverage a platform trusted by leading organizations worldwide, with a proven track record of delivering exceptional help desk solutions.
  • Steep Learning Curve: Navigating ServiceNow's complex interface and functionality requires significant training and experience, leading to slow adoption and productivity challenges.
  • Customization Limitations: While ServiceNow offers customization options, they can be restrictive and time-consuming, hindering organizations from tailoring the platform to their specific needs.
  • Costly Implementation: Implementing ServiceNow can be expensive, involving licensing fees, professional services, and ongoing maintenance costs, which may not align with all budgets.
  • Limited Reporting Capabilities: ServiceNow's built-in reporting features may fall short of providing comprehensive insights and analytics, requiring additional third-party tools or custom development.
  • Slow Performance: Users have reported instances of slow performance and responsiveness within ServiceNow, particularly during peak usage times, affecting productivity and user satisfaction.

Key Features

  • Customer Service Management: Enable the back, middle and front offices to address customer issues and automate common requests prudently. Get access to robust tools such as dashboards, cross-portal search and activity feed to enhance the customer experience and improve the team’s productivity. 
    • Communities: Connect customers with peers to solve problems, share ideas, solutions and experiences and find answers via online forums. 
    • Gamification: Encourage engagement through elements like levels, points and badges. 
    • Case Integration: Escalate unanswered questions or issues into cases manually or automatically. 
    • Harvest Knowledge: Allow moderators to turn solutions into knowledge articles.
  • Knowledge Management: Offer a customer-grade search experience to users with contextual knowledge powered by AI capabilities and machine learning. Monitor timelines, knowledge use, aging, gaps and feedback via dashboards and analytics to fine-tune processes and content. 
  • Microsoft Word Authoring: Offer a familiar writing experience to users with a Microsoft Word online integration. Create reusable knowledge articles to reduce repetition and redundancy 
  • Feedback Management: Manage feedback with exceptional automatic closed-loop processes. 
  • Performance Analytics: Solve customer issues with better insights into real-time trends and patterns. Improve team productivity and decrease repetitions and failures with dashboards, analytics hub, spotlights and KPI signals. 
  • Subscription: Allow users to subscribe to a knowledge base, articles and to receive automatic notifications about any new content. 
  • Virtual Agent: Help customers resolve issues instantly via an AI-powered chatbot. Transfer conversation history to the most appropriate agent who can resolve issues quickly through live-agent hand-off. Use a built-in NLU engine to connect Microsoft LUIS and IBM Watson Assistant to identify map entities and intents. 
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Free, Monthly
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Why We Picked Streak CRM

Built into Gmail, Streak ensures efficient email marketing, as users can check if an email is opened or read, deliver mass emails, send follow-ups, schedule emails and more. Additional strengths include data organization and greater productivity via G Suite integration. However, the free version has restrictions on how many emails can be tracked and doesn’t offer detailed tracking data. Reviewers also noted that the user interface needs improvement and that there are technical issues to address. Overall, it’s a decent software with a number of useful features.

Pros & Cons

  • Email Marketing: Robust features include open and read rates, bulk emails, scheduling and more, according to more than 82% of users who mention email marketing.
  • G Suite Integration: The software ensures efficient process by connecting with G Suite, as noted by almost 90% of reviewers who mention this aspect.
  • Free Plan: Every user who references the free plan indicated it’s very useful and caters to almost every requirement.
  • Centralized Data: The software aids efficient data management, as noted by every reviewer who mentions this feature.
  • Reminders: Every user who refers to this feature liked the ability to frequently follow up
  • Ease of Use: More than 62% of reviewers who reference this feature noted the platform is easy to navigate.
  • Customer Communication: Streak aids effective customer engagement according to all users who mention this feature.
  • Customer Support: According to almost 60% of users who mention this element, the customer service needs improvement, with slow responses and irregular quality cited as a couple issues.
  • Lack of Free Features: While the free plan is useful, 80% of reviewers felt it would be helpful to have more features.
  • Location: Every user who mentions this feature observed that the software doesn’t reflect senders’ geographical location.

Key Features

  • Pipelines: Streak CRM lets you create an unlimited number of pipelines, and with a Professional or Enterprise plan, you can also create unlimited rows (called items) within each pipeline. Filters, groups, sorting and search features let you configure pipelines based on the view you need and then save that view to share with team members. You can also link related pipeline items for quick navigation between the two. 
  • Boxes: Each box represents a contact, lead or whatever else you want to track. They act as the building blocks of your pipeline and are what you move through the stages. Boxes can contain information like emails, contacts, comments, notes, tasks, file attachments, data fields and more. 
  • Customizable Workflows: The software allows you to configure your workflow to fit your processes. You can add, delete or move pipeline stages, as well as color-code them for easy tracking. 
  • Alerts: The view tracking feature sends a notification when a recipient reads your message. You can sort emails in your Sent folder based on whether they’ve been viewed or not, so it’s clear which contacts require follow-up. 
  • Mail Merge: If you need to send mass emails that include personalization, this feature has the necessary capabilities. You can pull data from your pipeline to personalize elements like company info or recipient name. The preview mode lets you proof emails before sending. 
  • Send Later: You can schedule emails to send at a predetermined time and edit or cancel them from the draft view. 
  • Snippets: With this feature, which acts as a template, you can create a library of most-used emails to reuse whenever needed. Shortcuts allow you to insert the content quickly. The templates are shareable among team members. 
  • Reporting: Available with the Professional and Enterprise plans, this feature lets you generate reports based on the data in your pipelines. The system offers built-in sales and pipeline reports that can be customized, downloaded and shared via email. Sales reports let you track information like the total value currently in your pipeline, the value per stage, close rate, projected close value and more. Pipeline reports include total interactions, stage flow, the number of boxes assigned to each user and the number of boxes in any given stage. 
  • Permissions: With a Professional or Enterprise plan, you can control who views and edits information in the system. Owners act as the administrators, with the ability to edit teams, roles, pipelines and other settings. Members are limited to viewing pipelines and contacts, and can’t change user roles or team members. 
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Why We Picked Intercom

Intercom offers a comprehensive platform to manage communications and increase engagement, via chatbots, product tours, email campaigns, automated answers and more. Based on user reviews, the product offers an intuitive interface, excellent customer support and useful onboarding resources. Users appreciated that they can customize automated tasks and in-app messages.

Many reviewers also liked that they can assign conversations, use add-ons, send emails, send attachments and handle all customer outreach from a single platform. However, some users mentioned that the product is expensive and has limited reporting capabilities. All things considered, Intercom is a great solution for businesses in need of a complete communications platform.

Pros & Cons

  • Usability: The platform is easy to use, straightforward and intuitive, according to 94% of users who commented on this aspect.
  • Customer Support: According to 74% of users who mentioned this, support reps are knowledgeable and helpful.
  • Training: Of the total users who commented on this feature, 90% liked the onboarding resources, training guides and simplicity of navigation.
  • Communication: 90% of users who commented on this appreciated being able to answer a high volume of questions, customize bots, automate responses and organize conversations.
  • Value for Money: The pricing is hard to understand and skews expensive, according to 100% of users who mentioned this.
  • Reporting: According to 67% of users who reviewed this feature, internal reports are limited and inaccurate.

Key Features

  • Mobile Carousels: Manage communication with a customizable, code-free interface on a single or multiple screens. Request device permissions, add deep links, send dynamic carousel messages, open URLs, start conversations in the messenger and give users the option to chat with support. 
  • Team Messaging: Organize and respond to conversations on web, mobile and email and social channels from a central location. Create separate inboxes for support and sales, set permissions and use notes to collaborate on difficult questions.  
  • Product Tours: Create customizable interactive guides to orient new customers and explain products.  
  • Series Visual Campaign Builder: Use a drag-and-drop visual campaign builder to create behavior-based customer messaging campaigns. Send in-app and in-product messages and make feature announcements. Adjust paths for wait time, message type and unique tags. 
  • Conversational Support: Manage, route and prioritize conversations. Automate answers to common questions with the Resolution Bot. Customize user experience with intelligent chatbots based on customer behavior. 
  • Customer Data: Track unique business and customer data, like business type, location, pricing plan, product type and spend. Integrate data from a tech stack to personalize interactions and keep information up to date.
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Why We Picked Freshdesk

Freshdesk garners praise for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design, which minimizes training time for new agents and gets them up to speed faster. This is particularly important for businesses with high agent turnover or seasonal spikes in support requests. When compared to competitors offering a steeper learning curve, Freshdesk allows teams to become productive quicker, leading to faster issue resolution and improved customer satisfaction. However, Freshdesk's free plan, while suitable for small teams or those starting out, can be limiting for businesses requiring advanced features. Features like custom automations, powerful reporting, and integrations are often reserved for paid plans. This can be a dealbreaker for businesses seeking a comprehensive help desk solution without a significant upfront investment. Here, competitors offering more robust functionalities in their free tiers might be more suitable. Overall, Freshdesk shines for its user-friendliness, scalability, and mobile accessibility. The ability to customize the platform to fit specific workflows and the availability of mobile apps for agents and customers are valuable assets. However, its limited free plan functionality and potentially complex reporting can be drawbacks. Freshdesk is best suited for small and medium-sized businesses seeking an easy-to-use and scalable help desk solution, particularly those with limited technical expertise or a mobile workforce. For larger enterprises with complex workflows or multilingual customer bases, competitors offering more powerful reporting capabilities or broader language support might be a better fit.

Pros & Cons

  • User-Friendly Interface: Freshdesk is praised for its intuitive design and straightforward navigation. This minimizes onboarding time for new agents and reduces the learning curve, allowing them to become productive more quickly. Think of it as a user-friendly smartphone app compared to a clunky, feature-laden desktop program. This ease of use translates into faster issue resolution and improved overall efficiency.
  • Scalability & Customization: Freshdesk caters to businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises. Its flexible plans and customization options allow businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs. For instance, a small team might prioritize a simple ticketing system, while a larger organization can leverage features like custom automations or in-depth reporting for more complex workflows.
  • Mobile Accessibility: Freshdesk offers mobile apps for agents and customers, enabling them to access the platform and manage inquiries on the go. This is particularly valuable for remote teams or situations where agents need to be available outside the office. Imagine a field technician using the mobile app to update a customer ticket while on-site, improving responsiveness and streamlining the resolution process.
  • Limited Free Plan Functionality: While Freshdesk offers a free plan, it can be restrictive for businesses with growing needs. Features like custom automations, advanced reporting, and integrations are often reserved for paid plans. This can limit its usefulness for businesses seeking a comprehensive help desk solution without upfront investment.
  • Reporting Complexity: Freshdesk's reporting capabilities, particularly in lower-tier plans, can be cumbersome to navigate and require some technical expertise to generate insightful data. Some users report that creating custom reports or filtering data can be time-consuming, hindering efforts to effectively track key performance indicators (KPIs) and measure support team effectiveness. Imagine sifting through an overflowing email inbox to find a specific message compared to having a well-organized filing system with clear labels.
  • Limited Multilingual Support: Freshdesk's interface and support resources are primarily available in English. This can be a drawback for businesses operating in international markets or with a multilingual customer base. While some basic translations are available, they might be limited or not comprehensive, potentially hindering effective communication with non-English speaking customers and agents.

Key Features

  • Ticketing Management: Deliver higher quality customer service with collaborative ticketing. Convert customer issues from different channels into resolvable tickets. Offers: 
    •  Team inbox to prioritize and assign tickets based on keywords. 
    •  AI-supported ticketing to improve agents’ efficiency and save time. 
    •  SLA management to measure agents’ performance and set customer expectations for response times. 
  • Omnichannel: Consolidate various support-related communications channels like email, phone, chat, website, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter to ensure a seamless customer experience as well as faster query resolution. 
  • Service Management: Create service tasks and field technician groups for tickets on the basis of location, priority and other aspects. To manage field operations, it also includes: 
    •  Scheduling dashboard to keep track of appointments, tasks and field team workloads. 
    •  Mobile field service to keep technicians updated on the fly. 
    •  Automated time-tracking to monitor billable hours. 
    •  Single swipe attachment of customer signatures to the service tasks via the mobile app. 
  • Reporting and Analytics: Schedule reports at regular intervals and customize them according to various requirements. Access actionable insights using data in different chart styles and visualizations. 
  • Customization: Customize workflows, customer portal and agents for optimum productivity based on specific business requirements. Its customization can be leveraged in the following ways: 
    •  Customized ticket forms. 
    •  Custom URL for smooth customer experience. 
    •  Building and integration of customized apps. 
    •  Custom segmentation of customers for personalized support. 
  • Automation: Automate notifications to agents and customers for any updates in their tickets. Automatically execute maintenance activities and implement actions on tickets based on the time lapsed since an event. 
  • Identity and Access Management: Allow and restrict agents as well as customers to log in to their accounts using single sign on script from anywhere using IP whitelisting and a VPN. 
  • Customer Self-Service: Enable efficient customer self-service with automated suggestion pop ups, knowledge base articles and by converting critical issues in the community into resolvable tickets. 
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Why We Picked Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a collaboration platform that handles various tasks such as communications, notifications, subscriptions, reporting, workflow management and more. Automation, customization and integrations are a few noteworthy features. However, reviews noted that there are too many features and that the platform isn’t user-friendly. In addition, users found customer support unhelpful. Overall, it has all the basic CRM features along with extras like project management not always found in CRMs. That, along with a free subscription, makes it a good choice for companies on a tight budget.

Pros & Cons

  • Budget-Friendly: 87% of users mentioning this aspect suggested that the software is inexpensive and fits well for any size organizations, providing good value for the price.
  • Workflows: It automates many tasks to make work easier, according to 88% of reviews about workflows.
  • Report Generation: 64% of user reviews referencing this feature indicated the reporting tool is useful.
  • Integration: The platform integrates all the necessary applications that users need, as observed by 67% of reviewers mentioning integration.
  • Customization: Users can customize Bitrix24 based on their needs, according to 66% of reviews mentioning customization.
  • Device Compatibility: It works well on all kinds of devices and various digital networks, according to 75% of users who reference compatibility.
  • User Interface: 57% of users mentioning the UI said it was difficult to understand and use for daily operational tasks.
  • Customer Support: 100% of users who talked about support remarked that it wasn’t prompt and supportive in solving product-related queries.
  • Unnecessary Features: 50% of the users referring to capabilities noted the platform has many unnecessary features that never come to use.

Key Features

  • Pipeline Management: A kanban layout provides a visual view of your pipeline. The software supports custom deal stages and multiple pipelines. 
  • Campaign Management: This feature lets you build dynamic or static audience segments, run advertising campaigns on social networks, and set up campaigns across channels such as bulk mail and instant messaging. It includes campaign templates and metrics. 
  • Call Center Capabilities: Features include: 
    • PBX (private branch exchange) functionality for routing, queueing, voicemail, call transfers and forwarding, employee extensions, and recording.
    • Telemarketing features such as voice or SMS broadcasting, automatic call transcribing and callback requests.
    • Local numbers across more than 50 countries.
    • Integration with RingCentral and other VoIP tools.
  • Customer Support Tools: Post business hours, send canned replies, route and transfer conversations, and view client and supervisor ratings with a live support widget. A helpdesk feature provides tickets, SLAs, statuses and case priority. A multichannel contact center lets service teams provide email and telephone support, live chat, social media support and more. 
  • Document Management: Manage quotes and invoices, create custom documents, set up recurring invoices and build a product catalog. Documents support e-signature, and the kanban layout shows what stage invoices are at. Includes multi-currency support and tax capabilities, with accounting achieved via integrations with Xero and QuickBooks. 
  • Mobile Apps: Free iOS and Android apps are available. 
  • Self-Hosted Solution: The on-premise solution is a scalable platform offering: 
    • LDAP and Active Directory support.
    • Web clustering.
    • Multiple single sign-on (SSO) options and robust security features such as two-factor authentication and RSA encryption.
    • Modules for eLearning, a helpdesk and idea management, which aren’t available in the cloud version.
    • Access to the source code for full customization.
    • Deployment on any major server, including readiness for AWS deployment
    • 30-day trial.
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Why We Picked ConnectWise Manage

ConnectWise Manage is an effective PSA tool capable of executing job costing, time tracking, ticketing, project management, sending purchase orders, connecting to machinery and more. It integrates with accounting, sales, other ConnectWise software and more in addition to keeping users organized by sorting client information, tickets and more. Although ConnectWise Manage occasionally lags in performance, has a high pricing plan, a scattered customer support base and a clunky interface, most users believe it's worth every penny.

Pros & Cons

  • Abundant Features: ConnectWise Manage is equipped with a variety of features such as client communication, time tracking, ticketing, lead tracking, reporting, delivering purchase orders, quoting and more, according to 62% of users.
  • Integratable: Approximately 69% of users reported that ConnectWise Manage integrates with a vast amount of products including other ConnectWise solutions, Automate, Auvik, and LogicMonitor as well as certain sales and accounting solutions.
  • Arrange Client Information: Users remain organized by sorting client contact information, crucial documents, tickets and more, as reported by nearly 100% of users.
  • Highly Configurable: Roughly 57% of users reported that ConnectWise Manage is modifiable to align with their business needs.
  • Overwhelming Setup: When conveying how they felt about implementation, 42% of users stated that the setup tables are not user-friendly and there's an overwhelming number of customization choices.
  • Dated Interface: Approximately 71% of users conveyed that the interface is ugly, old and clunky compared to Zoho and Bullhorn. Users also report that there's a tough learning curve.
  • Inconsistent Customer Support: ConnectWise Manage's customer support is on a hit-or-miss basis, according to 90% of users. Some customer support agents allocate the best solutions and some don't. There's also a slow response time in offering the ideal troubleshooting resources.
  • Lagging Mobile Capabilities: Roughly 100% of users stated that ConnectWise Manage's mobile app does not match with its desktop or cloud counterparts.
  • High Price Tag: The overall cost of the system combined with its varying levels of support comes with a high price tag according to approximately 100% of users.
  • Slow as Molasses: Precisely 100% of users say ConnectWise Manage has a slow loading time when performing various tasks, including opening the right help tickets.

Key Features

  • Help Desk: ConnectWise Manage can track all ticket requests as they enter the system through different avenues, such as live chat, phone and email. ConnectWise Chat allows clients to enable instant online chat functionality and logs the information learned through these communications. The help desk feature also includes a customizable ticketing dashboard where users can view factors such as time-to-resolution history, team resources and total billable hours. 
  • Agreements: This tool automates the management of client contracts along with recurring billing parameters. Agreement templates are included in the system and can be customized to adjust factors such as support coverage and billing rates. The program can also help prioritize tickets based on client expectations. 
  • Account Management: ConnectWise Manage contains a centralized system where all customer interaction is stored, including purchases, communications, tickets and products so that reiterative information isn’t entered and the sales process can be streamlined. The program also develops standardized workflows for tasks such as client onboarding and ticket resolution to ensure a consistent customer experience. KPI and financial reporting are included to see where a customer stands financially with a company. 
  • Sales and Marketing: This program enables users to create and track sales opportunities. Campaign metrics such as links clicked and emails opened can also be monitored to assist with lead scoring. Customizable HTML email templates are available to help target specific groups. Automatic notifications of deals to close, opportunities that were won and agreements to renew keep sales teams up-to-date and ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. 
  • Procurement: ConnectWise Manage can sync up with QuickBooks easily to facilitate operations between accounting and inventory management. The program allows users to visualize materials and products that need to be ordered per set minimum stock levels. The solution can also adjust inventory count and manage inventory quantities. Information can be shared between sales and procurement to provide more visibility into the work of other departments. 
  • Time Tracking and Billing: The system tracks billable and non-billable hours and can allocate them to specific agreements and SLAs. Accountability tools are included in the program to make the process of obtaining approvals less of a hassle. Time on-site can also be tracked through the solution so that users can ensure that they are getting paid for all of the time that they spend working on a project. 
  • Project Management: Sales opportunities can be quickly converted into projects so that nothing slips through the cracks between workflows and so that project-related tasks can begin immediately. ConnectWise Manage also gives users visibility over different project aspects such as resources, roadblocks, timelines and statuses. Project templates can be customized and used to streamline project workflows and ensure consistency. 
  • Reporting: ConnectWise Manage’s reporting functionality includes the ability to see how many assets an organization has on-hand along with inventory levels. Inventory management costs can be calculated based on this information. Tickets can also be reviewed, assigned and closed through this tool. 
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$69
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Key Features

  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Diagnostics Tools
  • Drag & Drop
  • File Transfer
  • Mobile Access
  • Monitoring
  • Multiple Monitor Access
  • Real-Time Chat
  • Remote Access/Control
  • Remote Monitoring & Management
  • Remote Printing
  • Remote Update / Installation
  • Reporting/Analytics
  • Screen Recording
  • Screen Sharing
  • Server Monitoring
  • Troubleshooting
  • User Management
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Why We Picked Spiceworks

Spiceworks is a cloud-based platform that offers on-the-go ticket management for Android and iOS devices. Users said it is easy to navigate and integrates well with active directories. Many customers also liked its network monitor feature that carries out tasks like CPU utilization and reports on hardware and memory.

However, some users also said that the UI could undergo some redesign for a better user experience and more usability. Because it lacks customization and automation options available, tasks can take a lot of time. In all, it’s a functional, affordable and feature-rich product that could be an ideal choice for new companies.

Pros & Cons

  • Implementation: According to 100% of users, the software is relatively easy to set up and configure.
  • Ease of Use: Approximately 89% of customers said that it is a simple ticketing system with basic and easy-to-use features.
  • Features: The helpdesk feature allows seamless issue tracking and updates to users while saving significant time, according to 100% of users.
  • Value for Money: According to 100% of users, it is free and works better than many other products.
  • User Interface: According to 50% of users, the user interface is a little bit clunky.
  • Customization: Few customization options are available, which makes tasks lengthy, according to 60% of customers.
  • Automation: Approximately 95% of users said that there's almost no automation available, so agents cannot manage different queues to route tickets.

Key Features

  • Tickets and Tasks: Check IT tasks and incidents regularly, accept and reply to tickets and close them quickly with private comments. Use custom fields to manage millions of tickets, track workflow processes and see response times. 
  • Directory Integration: Merge with the Active Directory to add end-users automatically. Tag them to tickets and authenticate them in the portal. 
  • Team Management: Assign tickets automatically to appropriate agents and check team performance metrics with the dashboard. 
  • Multisite Support: Serve clients from various locations by setting up user portals and individual sites that all roll up to a single master help desk. 
  • Asset Management: Scan subnets with an IP address for all types of hardware, including Mac and Windows, along with switches, routers, printers and more. Gather information regarding the manufacturer, open ports, MAC address, UPS devices, antivirus programs storage and software and hardware details with the on-premises tool. 
  • Software Tracking: Detect any troublesome and unwanted software on Mac and Windows servers and workstations with a downloadable element to optimize system workflows. 
  • Custom Reporting: Generate custom reports on all network assets to get easy-to-export data in the cloud or self-hosted version. 
  • Scheduled Scans: Set inventory scans at a pre-defined time and frequency with automated scanners to ensure everything is up to date and not slowing down the network. 
  • Dashboards: Monitor the connectivity between IT infrastructure and remote sites in real time to identify any issue with the ISP, web application and internal network quickly. 
  • Contract Tracking: Track vendor contract info in a single platform and get automatic alerts of upcoming expiration dates. 
  • Networking Tools: Trace any foreign IP address or troubleshoot a slow network with IP Lookup. Calculate network range, create a new subnet and convert CIDR notation easily to an IP range through Subnet Calculator. Check if a site is unavailable for all users or just ones from the specific network with a website down checker. 

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Buyer's Guide

Remote Help Desk Software Is All About Lower Operational Costs and Better Customer Support

Remote Help Desk Software BG Intro

The benefits of a remote help desk are undeniable. Lower operating costs, better employee satisfaction, more hiring flexibility — the list goes on. Many companies have enthusiastically embraced virtual call centers and remote agents for their help desk operations. Remote help desk software plays a significant role in making this possible.

If you’re looking for a way to take your customer support to the next level, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will help you better understand remote help desk software — what it is, what it does, how it can help you and more. Let’s get into it!

Executive Summary

  • Remote help desk software is designed to help remote teams handle the day to day operations of a customer service and support desk.
  • It can help reduce overhead costs by eliminating the need for a physical office or related infrastructure.
  • It’s important to do your research, compare software platforms strategically and then choose the tool that best suits your organizational needs.
What This Guide Covers:

What Is Remote Help Desk Software?

Remote help desk software is a virtual extension of your help desk, allowing you to handle your day to day customer service needs from anywhere in the world whether you’re in the office or not. It’s a type of help desk software designed to meet the needs of remote teams.

You can hire agents from anywhere in the world and allow them to receive, view and resolve support tickets from home or an office, as long as they have a stable internet connection. Remote help desk software can also help you reduce overhead costs associated with renting or leasing office space and other on-premise infrastructure.

Remote work has been one of the most significant trends of 2022, and it’s definitely here to stay. In fact, so many businesses have adopted the remote model that it’s causing a decline in the demand for office spaces, even after the peak of the pandemic. Remote help desk software is a step forward in modernizing your support desk operations and improving both employee and customer satisfaction.

Primary Benefits

Benefits Remote Helpdesk Software

Reduced Costs

By transitioning to remote support desk operations, you can eliminate office rental and lease costs. Eliminating physical offices also does away with the need for on-premise equipment like furniture, computers and telephones. This reduces your infrastructure and maintenance costs.

Studies by researchers at Chicago’s Booth School of Business indicate that employers may be able to moderate wage inflation by offering remote work instead of larger pay hikes, further reducing the costs of running your business.

More Hiring Flexibility

Remote help desk software is cloud-based and can run on any internet-connected device. This allows you to hire agents as you need without having to worry about location. Not being bound by location means you have a wide talent pool of potential employees to choose from. The perks of remote work also tend to attract more applicants, making recruitment easier.

Increased Employee Satisfaction

In 2022 McKinsey found that, given the opportunity, 87% of American workers prefer working from home. Remote work gives employees more flexibility in handling their schedules, resulting in a better work-life balance. Additionally, eliminating commutes saves time and reduces exhaustion and stress.

A study by Oxford University found that happier workers are 13% more productive. Using remote help desk software to enable your employees to work remotely or in a hybrid model can help you improve employee satisfaction and productivity.

Better Customer Satisfaction

Hiring employees across different locations and time zones allows you to offer 24/7 support, without the cost of maintaining multiple offices.

A study conducted jointly by Salesforce and Forbes found a direct connection between employee and customer satisfaction. Happier agents provide better service, resulting in happier customers. Customers also appreciate having access to support exactly when they need it, so increasing your agent availability makes it easier for them to get help.

Key Features & Functionality

Let’s take a look at some of the key features of remote help desk software.

Ticket Management

View, sort, filter and search tickets using custom tags and priority settings. Omnichannel ticketing support, agent collision detection and other collaboration tools make it easier to solve support requests.

Agent Workspace

Dashboards provide customer service agents with a unified workspace for viewing, handling and resolving tickets. Agent dashboards also come with features like performance tracking, workplace gamification and to-do lists for improved productivity.

Call Center Management

A Salesforce report found that phones are the second most preferred channel for issue resolution among customers.

Call center management tools like soft phones, automatic call distribution, call conferencing, call monitoring and barging, call recordings, transcription and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) help organize and streamline your phone support to serve customers better.

Email Management

The same Salesforce report found that email is the most preferred channel for issue resolution. Apart from email ticketing support tools, remote help desk software comes with capabilities like custom email templates, email scheduling and more to help you serve customers through this channel.

Live Chat

Zendesk found that 70% of customers today expect some form of conversational customer service. Live chat tools are a great way of offering this.

Browser-based chat with either chatbots or live agents provides an easily accessible support method for your customers. Customizable chat widgets, chat history and canned responses build on this to make the experience even more user-friendly.

Remote Workforce Management

When you have a remote team, you need workforce management tools designed for employees working from home. Time tracking, agent performance monitoring and configurable business hours help you keep your virtual workplace on track, no matter where your employees are.

AI Tools

You can leverage AI to improve your help desk’s performance. Chatbots, AI-based ticket sentiment analysis, AI-based response suggestions and automatic tickets can help your agents navigate customer support situations better, in ways that are strategically geared towards success.

Collaboration Tools

Effective issue resolution often requires collaboration between agents and teams. Remote help desk software offers internal collaboration tools such as pinned notes, team inboxes, shared tickets, linked tickets and call conferencing.

Customer Self-service

Self-service tools are a significant customer service trend for 2023. Remote help desk software offers self-service tools like a customizable knowledge base, community forum support, customizable customer portal and more, so customers are empowered to seek out answers to their questions on their own if they prefer.

Integrations and Extensions

It’s important for your remote help desk platform to integrate and work with other software your company uses.

CRM integration, telephony integration for call center management, social media integration, iPaas integrations and API support help ensure your software works with other important aspects of your system.

Software Comparison Strategy

How do you find the right remote help desk solution for your company? The first step is to determine what your company needs. What challenges are you currently facing in customer support? What are some features of remote support desk software that can help you address those issues?

Create a list of your organizational requirements and the features you are looking for. If you need help, try our requirements template as a starting point for this. You’ll want to consider factors like the size of your organization and the volume of customers you handle on a day to day basis. The software you choose should not only be able to handle this volume but also offer options for scaling as your organization grows.

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, make a list of potential products and vendors and reach out to them for quotes. You can also send them a list of questions you might have about the software. Be sure you understand exactly what you’re getting into before you commit to a purchase. If you don’t know where to start, we have a list of questions you can ask potential vendors at the end of this guide to help you out!

Cost & Pricing Considerations

Several factors can affect the cost of remote help desk software, including the size of your organization, the number of users who will be using the software and the features you need. Additionally, if you are looking to incorporate add-on features, plug-ins and integrations for advanced functionality, your software might cost more.

Remote help desk software is always deployed on the cloud, which means it usually comes with a subscription-based payment model. Most vendors offer multiple pricing tiers, depending on the extent of features you need. A program with basic functionality may not cost a lot, while a more advanced version will likely be more expensive.

The Most Popular Remote Help Desk Software

The long list of platforms available on the market can make software selection overwhelming and confusing. Here’s a list of the most popular remote help desk software, curated by our analysts.

Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a cloud-based help desk software that offers comprehensive remote help desk support. It comes with a host of help desk features, like omnichannel support, ticketing management, AI integration and more. The platform provides cloud infrastructure and browser and mobile apps to enable agents to work from anywhere, as long as they have a stable internet connection

Freshdesk

Ticket management with Freshdesk. Source

Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud is a comprehensive customer service solution offered by Salesforce. Its Lightning Console helps improve agent productivity and optimize workflows. You can automate essential processes, create customized workflows and track agent performance. It also offers cloud-based deployment, telephony integrations and native mobile apps, making it perfect for remote help desks.

Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud agent dashboard. Source

Zendesk

Zendesk is a cloud-based help desk system that provides streamlined solutions for remote customer service and support. It features a unified workspace to help agents handle their day to day tasks and track their performance. It also provides a host of collaborative tools to allow remote teams to work together to resolve customer issues. For more information, see our Ultimate Zendesk Review.

Zendesk

Live chat-based support with Zendesk. Source

 

 

Questions To Ask

Before committing yourself to any one platform, it’s important to have a clear sense of what your company needs and how well the software matches your requirements.

Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself during internal discussions:

  • What’s our budget?
  • Is the software suitable for our specific organizational needs?
  • How many agent accounts do we need?
  • Will our employees need training to use the software?
  • Do we have the technical resources we need to support implementing and maintaining a new system, or will we need to rely on the vendor?

Key Questions Remote Help Desk Software

These are some questions you can ask vendors about the software to learn more about the software and the vendor:

  • How many years of expertise do you have in the industry?
  • What customer support and training do you offer?
  • Is this software compatible with my existing software?
  • What are the core strengths of the software?
  • To what extent can this software automate repetitive tasks?

Next Steps

Remote help desk software allows you to keep up with the changing times, reduce operational costs, improve employee satisfaction and provide better customer experiences.

We hope this guide was helpful in giving you a rundown on remote help desk software and what to look out for when comparing different platforms. If you’re still feeling unsure about what to do next, our free requirements template can be the perfect place to start! We wish you the best on your software selection journey!

Product Comparisons

Additional Resources

About The Contributors

The following expert team members are responsible for creating, reviewing, and fact checking the accuracy of this content.

Technical Content Writer
Kriti Sahay is a Technical Content Writer at SelectHub, writing content for Help Desk and Call Center Software. Kriti is based out of New Delhi, India. When she's not handling Buyer's Guides and other informational articles, she can be found experimenting in her kitchen, street shopping, or painting!
Technical Research By Joan Akash
Senior Analyst
Joan Akash, a Senior Research Analyst at SelectHub, holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management with a specialization in Marketing. Her expertise as a researcher and reviewer spans diverse software categories, including Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, Live Chat, and Help Desk. Beyond her professional pursuits, Joan is spiritually driven, with a passion for teaching children and a penchant for reading biblical blogs and crafting poetry.
Technical Review By Manan Roy
Principal Analyst
Manan is a native of Tezpur, Assam (India), who currently lives in Kolkata, West Bengal (India). At SelectHub, he works on categories like CRM, HR, PPM, BI, and EHR. He has a Bachelor of Technology in CSE from The Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology, a Master of Technology from The Institute of Engineering and Management IT, and an MBA in Finance from St. Xavier's College. He's published two research papers, one in a conference and the other in a journal, during his Master of Technology.
Content Editor
As an editor, Dianna Dragonetti leads a team of five writers in writing about a variety of software, with an emphasis on how these tools empower businesses. Categories include accounting, learning management systems, content management systems, supply chain management, and electronic data interchange.