Customer support makes up an essential part of any business. A business cannot exist without clients, which makes customer service the core of every business. For customers to make effective purchase decisions and make the most of a product or service, they require assistance. With open-source help desk software, a business can make it easy for its clients to access information and training on their products and services.
Help desk software can automate customer services, making it easier for businesses to respond to client queries promptly and within a shorter time. These are tools used to help the end-user or customer with support-related information on products and services. This is done to help troubleshoot issues with a product or offer guidance on the proper way of using the product.
Help desk support can be provided through different channels, including free and open-source help desk software. The benefit of open-source help desk software is that it is available to the public. Therefore, anyone can download, inspect, enhance and even manipulate to meet the needs of the business.
Functions of an open-source help desk software tool
Providing a contact pointHelp desk software tools provide customers with points of contact to a business through different mediums. Like SMS, website, email, contact forms, and instant messaging.
Ticketing managementWith help desk software, all complaints and queries from clients are systematically allotted. This makes tracking easy using a ticket number. This software also tracks repeated queries to ensure they are dealt with at the same time.
This function simplifies the query process in an organization. Repeated queries can be compiled into ‘How To’ guides and FAQs, making it easier for customer service agents to focus on more urgent and unique queries. Clients can access these FAQs at any time through the business website, therefore avoiding placing a query application.
AutomationOpen source Helpdesk software tools automate repeat processes to save time. The open source software automates services such as query ticket allotment and resolution notification. It can also automate the query filling process, making it easier for clients.
Benefits of using open source help desk software in customer service
Open source help desk software can have major positive impacts on a business customer support department. It also offers numerous benefits. These include:
Reduced hardware costsSince open source solutions are easy to compress and move, they come with fewer hardware requirements and use less hardware power to carry out tasks. With the advantage of taking up less hardware power, businesses can make use of older or cheaper hardware to get the desires results with open source help desk software.
With reduced hardware costs, a business can enjoy reduced software costs, minimizing business expenses by saving on licensing and maintenance fees. The only expense incurred is the amount used on media, support, and documentation.
High-end softwareOpen-source software is a high-end program. Whenever a business uses open-source software, it enjoys access to the source code. Because of this availability, open-source software programs are very well designed to make it easy for them to be used in coding. This is why open-source software programs are ideal for companies.
Integrated managementOpen-source software allows businesses to enjoy integrated management. This is because open source software makes use of advanced technologies like WBEM (Web-Based Enterprise Management) and CIM (Common Information Model). With these advanced technologies, businesses can integrate server, app, service, and workstation management, resulting in efficient administration.
Zero vendor lock-inVendor lock-ins are some of the greatest headaches of most IT departments. These come with expensive licensing fees, portability issues, and the inability to tweak the software to suit organizational needs. Open-source software offers more freedom and addresses all these disadvantages by allowing you to customize it to suit your needs.
Simplified licensing managementWhen an organization makes use of open-source software, they benefit from not having to worry about licensing. It is possible to install open-source software several times, and it can be used from any location. This ensures your activity is free from monitoring, license compliance requirements, and tracking.
Consolidating and scalingOpen-source software is scalable using varied clustering options, open-source applications, and load balancing like database and email. This way, an organization is able to scale up for higher growth or consolidate to achieve more using less.
Better support
Using open-source software gives you access to ample support. This is because the software is available free to the public, accessible through online platforms. Numerous software companies offer free software help online, including an array of paid support services. Most open-source software developers offer support and maintenance services too.