Best Shopify Customer Service Apps in 2023

April 17, 2023
11 mins

Last updated: August 15, 2024

Published: April 17, 2023

11 mins

If you’re not using Shopify customer service apps for your online store, you’re missing out.

There are several factors that help determine your eCommerce store’s success – such as products, branding, and your marketing strategy. But one aspect of your eCommerce strategy that’s all too commonly overlooked is customer service.

When it comes to consumer experiences, news travels fast, and a few poor reviews can tarnish your reputation in the long term.

One of the easiest ways to keep your Shopify store customers happy is to take advantage of the game-changing customer service apps you can integrate with your business.

But what exactly do these apps do? What’s the benefit of using customer service apps for Shopify? And which apps are the most effective?

Let’s find out.

TL;DR

Providing an excellent customer service experience is at the heart of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones.
Shopify customer service apps can help you improve your customer service offering with help from automation features, live chat, and omnichannel communication.
Opting for a customer service help desk, like eDesk, allows you to enjoy multiple customer service tools in one solution.

What are Shopify Customer Service Apps?

Shopify is a hosted eCommerce platform that allows you to create an online store and sell products or services. One of the biggest advantages that come with using Shopify is access to apps and integrations that add extra functionality and features. If you want to include pop-ups on your site, for example, there are apps that allow you to do it.

Similarly, Shopify offers a huge range of customer service apps that allow you to up your customer service game, with features such as live chat and help centers. These apps can be seamlessly integrated into your eCommerce store, where they’ll reduce customer pain points and take your customer satisfaction to the next level.

Why use a Shopify Customer Support App?

Do you want better feedback, positive reviews, and a higher conversion rate?

Customer support apps could be the secret weapon you’re looking for.

Here are just some of the benefits of using Shopify customer support apps for your eCommerce business.

Reduces customer wait time

As anybody who’s ever dealt with an impatient customer knows, a long response time is an automatic no-no for customers. You might as well write the 1-star review yourself.

If customers experience delays on real-time communication channels such as WhatsApp or live chat, it’s a recipe for cart abandonment.

This phenomenon has increased in recent years as consumers come into contact with services that get quicker and quicker, such as same-day delivery and faster download speeds. A 1-minute response time, on the other hand, can increase conversions by 391%.

Businesses like eDesk user, Hickies, make the most of help desks for Shopify by reducing their response time to keep customers happy. By working with a solution that allows for an omnichannel experience, you can keep track of interactions across multiple platforms, allowing you to answer customer inquiries in record time.

The best customer service apps allow you to create templates for frequently asked questions, access detailed customer information at the click of a button, and see all previous interaction data.

Decreases manual workload

How many repetitive tickets do you respond to daily? How much time do you spend hunting around for order information before you can respond to a customer’s ticket? And how many hours do you waste going back and forth between colleagues discussing how a previous interaction with a customer went?

The best customer service apps put a stop to all of these manual tasks.

Many customer service solutions offer self-service options that help customers access information quickly without having to submit a ticket for a simple question.

Automation features like chatbots, easy access to customer order information, and a clear view of previous interactions allow you to skip time-consuming tasks and focus on what’s important.

Plus, customer support apps with a smart inbox automatically prioritize and assign tickets based on rules. That means no more scrambling to decide who looks after what – simply load up your dashboard and find your automated workload.

The best part? The less time you spend on repetitive, manual tasks, the more time you’ll have to focus on tasks that generate income, so your bottom line will benefit.

Increases profits

Although it might sound counterintuitive, investing in customer service software actually saves you money. For a start, your IT team won’t have to spend valuable time building your own solution. Plus, with the automation on offer, you won’t have to hire as many staff members for your customer support team.

As well as helping you shave valuable dollars off your budget, customer support software offers a simple way to increase your conversion rate.

The better your customer satisfaction, the better your customer loyalty, meaning your existing customers are likely to stick with you in exchange for exceptional service.

When Trainz.com implemented eDesk’s customer support app, the ease of the dashboard view and clear oversight of ticket handling allowed the eCommerce store to triple its revenue. The store also managed to provide great customer service at all times, with an impressive 95% of customer queries receiving a response within 24 hours.

Adds a personal touch

These days, everything is personalized. From a perfectly curated Instagram feed to product recommendations tailored down to a tee, customers not only want, but expect personalized service.

But don’t be fooled – this desire for personalization doesn’t mean that automation isn’t on the cards. Customer support apps that use automation can easily pull customer data in to personalize responses, while personalized suggestions can increase both your conversion rate and average order value.

Providing this personal touch can help you better connect with your customers. You never know, the friendly approach might be just the edge you need over your competitors.

Best helpdesk apps

eDesk

eDesk is the ultimate all-in-one solution for eCommerce store owners looking to streamline their customer support into one, easy-to-use dashboard. From automation features that save you time to a handy live chat feature that allows for real-time responses, you can reduce your manual workload and increase profits with the help of one single platform.

Who is eDesk for?

eDesk is for any Shopify store, big or small, that wants to take its customer service offering to the next level. This helpdesk software giant is suitable both for companies just starting to grow and companies with an established following and income.

Have stores on other platforms, too? No problem. eDesk has integrations with other eCommerce giants like Amazon, eBay, and WooCommerce, so you’ll be able to consolidate the customer service system for all your stores into one solution.

Pricing

Standard plans start at just $69 per month, with most of the features that make eDesk such an effective customer support tool. For larger companies with a huge number of customer queries, Enterprise level plans start at $149 per month.

Main features

Smart inbox which uses automation to group, assign, and prioritize tickets.
Live chat with real-time responses.
Automatic outreach to convert excellent service into reviews.
Insights that allow you to analyze your eCommerce store in detail.
Automation tools to streamline customer support.
Voice support options.
Consolidates all customer integrations into one view.
Knowledge base for self-service support.

Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a customer support software aimed at helping teams shave hours off their customer response times and manual tasks. You can choose from regular pricing plans and omnichannel support plans, with the latter giving you the opportunity to provide support across multiple channels.

Who is Freshdesk for?

Freshdesk is aimed at online store owners using eCommerce platforms such as Shopify. Freshdesk suits large established businesses looking to make their customer service easier to manage.

Pricing

You can try Freshdesk for free initially, after which point pricing plans start at $15 per month. For omnichannel support, however, you’ll pay more – upwards of $49 per month.

Main Features

Omnichannel support.
Customizable analytics and reports.
Advanced automation rules

Related Reading: Best Freshdesk Alternatives

Zendesk

Zendesk is a customer support tool that also offers a sales solution, so you can work to increase your conversion rate from two angles. Offering omnichannel options and the ability to build a help center and community forum, Zendesk is a great all-in-one option for customer service.

Who is Zendesk for?

Zendesk is built to scale and grow as your business does, so there’s no particular type or size or business it’s best suited to. If you’re looking for a sales solution to run alongside your customer support tool, Zendesk is a good option since it provides both.

Pricing

Zendesk’s cheapest plans start at $49 per month for basic features, with their most expensive standard pricing plan reaching $79 per month. Enterprise businesses can expect to pay upward of $150 per month.

Features

Artificial intelligence and chatbots.
Omnichannel messaging.
Self-service support options.

Related Reading: Best Zendesk Alternatives