Top 5 Cost-Effective Cloud-Based Ticketing Systems

Frictionless experiences are crucial to keep your customers coming back and to outshine your competition.

Now, one of the ways in which you can enable your front line agents to deliver consistent and exceptional customer experiences, is by investing in a robust, cloud-based support ticketing system.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that cloud-based systems have become omnipresent. Consider this stat: Globally, the cloud computing market will surpass $1 trillion by 2028. With businesses spending an average of $1.2 million on cloud services, the investment in cloud-based ticketing systems reflects a broader trend toward digital transformation, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

This is no different in customer service teams. Cloud-based ticketing systems have become a mainstay.

Support teams invest in such ticketing systems so that they can handle customer queries on the go – all they need is an internet connection.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the top cloud-based ticketing systems and how they can help you enhance customer satisfaction.

Table of Contents

• Turn your inbox into a ticketing system
• What are cloud-based ticketing systems?
• 5 cost-effective cloud-based ticketing systems for your business
  • 1. Hiver
  • 2. Freshdesk
  • 3. Zoho Desk
  • 4. Help Scout
  • 5. LiveAgent
• Provide customer support across all channels easily
• FAQs

What are cloud-based ticketing systems?

Cloud-based ticketing systems are solutions that allow businesses to efficiently manage and respond to customer inquiries, issues, and support requests. These systems operate in the cloud, meaning that they are hosted on remote servers and accessed via the internet, with robust API security to protect data integrity and privacy rather than being installed and operated on-premises.

5 cost-effective cloud-based ticketing systems for your business

Here is a quick comparison of some of the popular cloud-based ticketing systems.

1. Hiver

For customer service teams that want ticketing features at good value for money, Hiver is worth looking at. It brings customer emails, chats, WhatsApp queries, and phone calls into one centralized easy-to-navigate dashboard.

A few things that stand out about Hiver:

• Support staff won’t see customer queries as impersonal tickets. Instead, in Hiver, tickets are called conversations, and all conversations have a unique ID. This adds a layer of human touch and personalization to how companies do customer support.
  
• Forever-free plan that comes with essential ticketing features such as multi-channel support (shared inboxes, live chat, knowledge base and WhatsApp), collaboration tools, templates, and Slack integration.
  
• 24/7 support and onboarding assistance across all pricing plans
  
• Manage all customer conversations and regular work emails from the same interface. Reduce switching between tools and tabs.
  
• Get complete visibility into your team’s workload and know exactly who’s handling what.

Now, let’s unpack some of Hiver’s key features: 

• Automate workflows to route and tag customer queries. For instance, all payment or refund-related questions can be auto-routed to the finance team.
  
• Distribute workload equally using round-robin assignments so that no one is overworked.
  
• Use notes and @mentions to ask colleagues for help when responding to a customer. You can also use notes to jot down updates to a customer query for future reference.
  
• The AI Co-Pilot can create a first draft of your response to customer queries. It uses your knowledge base and third-party integrations as source content. 

• Track key metrics like first response time, resolution time, ticket volume, and agent workload. Also, build custom reports based on specific metrics you want to track. For instance, you can determine the resolution time for all ‘priority’ complaints.

• View important customer details like name, company, and past interactions with your support team. This helps bring all customer context into one place. 

• We’ve covered this before, but you can track customer queries using Conversation IDs. For example, if a customer reaches out for an update on a past issue, agents can simply search for the Conversation ID to retrieve the full conversation history—without digging through multiple emails.

• Set up SLAs to drive accountability in response and resolution time. For example, you can set an SLA stating that high-priority issues must receive a response within 30 minutes and be resolved within 4 hours. If an SLA is at risk of being breached, the manager or supervisors will get alerted immediately, enabling proactive action.

2. Freshdesk

Freshdesk is cloud-based customer service software that offers a comprehensive suite of features to help businesses efficiently manage customer inquiries, issues, and support requests. It is designed to streamline customer support processes, enhance collaboration among support teams, and provide a seamless experience for both customers and agents.

What we like:

• A free plan for small businesses that are tight on budgets but still need a customer support system. It has limited support features and can be used by up to 10 agents.
• You can assign what is known as Day Passes to agents who are not part of your core support team and are only needed occasionally. This way, any time you expect a spike in tickets, you can assign a Day Pass to unlimited agents for 24 hours.

3. Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk is a cloud-based ticketing system that allows you to offer multichannel support across channels such as email, chat, telephone, and so on.
It offers a robust ticket management system along with analytics and reporting features that allow you to measure and optimize the performance of your support team.

What we like:

• Affordable pricing plans for businesses of all sizes. The plans start at $14 per user per month and go all the way up to $40 per user per month.
• Zoho Desk Express at just $7 per agent per month for small businesses that are just looking to start automating their customer service.
• A free plan that can be used by up to 3 agents and is suitable for teams that have very minimal support needs.

4. Help Scout

Help Scout is a powerful customer support tool that allows you to streamline customer conversations across email, live chat, knowledge base, and more.

Aside from this, Help Scout also has smart automation features, detailed reporting and analytics, and self-service options to help you offer effective customer support.

What we like:

• Affordable pricing plans that start at just $20 per user per month. You get access to support features such as shared inboxes, live chat, and in-app messaging.
• A startup plan that is free for 6 months and can be used by up to 10 users.
• Up to 100% discount for non-profit businesses that focus on human rights, environmental sustainability, under-representation in tech, etc.

5. LiveAgent

LiveAgent is an omni channel customer service help desk that allows you to seamlessly manage incoming support tickets. The platform offers a variety of features such as a built-in call center, live chat, knowledge base, and social media support.

What we like:

• LiveAgent’s pricing plans start at just $9 per agent per month. The basic plan includes support features such as an email account, live chat, and knowledge base. 
• You can use the platform for free for 30 days before deciding to purchase the tool.
• A forever free plan that offers limited support features for businesses that have smaller budgets
• A startup plan for businesses that have a team of no more than 40 employees.

Provide customer support across all channels easily

Nowadays, most ticketing systems have omnichannel capabilities, allowing you to manage conversations from various touchpoints without switching between tools.

Hiver, for example, combines the functionalities of a help desk with the interface of your inbox. So your team won’t need to learn new software. It helps you centralize all customer interactions, reduce response times, and deliver consistent, high-quality support—no matter where the customer reaches out.

Additionally, with features like automation, smart ticket routing, and real-time collaboration, Hiver helps you resolve issues faster while maintaining a personalized touch. 

If you’re ready to explore how Hiver can get your team started quickly, you can try using it for free. 

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about cloud-based ticketing systems.

1. What is Hiver’s pricing plan?

Hiver offers three-tiered pricing plans, starting at $19 per agent per month and going up to $79 per agent per month.

2. Is there a forever-free option available for small businesses?

Yes, Freshdesk provides a free plan for small businesses. However, it has limited support features and can only use up to 10 agents.

3. How are cloud-based ticketing systems better than on-premise ticketing systems?

Cloud-based ticketing systems offer several advantages over on-premise ticketing systems:

• Cloud-based systems can be accessed from anywhere. All you need is an internet connection. This ensures team locations do not restrict workplace collaboration. 
• They are typically more scalable than on-premise solutions, allowing organizations to easily adjust resources based on needs.
• Cloud-based systems often have lower upfront costs than on-premise solutions, as there is no need to purchase and maintain hardware.

4. What are the benefits of cloud-based ticketing systems?

Benefits of cloud-based ticketing systems include:

• Easy accessibility
• Scalability
• Lower upfront costs
• Automated updates
• Low maintenance costs
• Improved collaboration

5. How does a cloud-based ticketing system work?

A customer or user raises a question or query through a channel—email, chat, or phone, for instance. This query is converted into a ticket with a unique identification number. The ticket is then assigned to an agent who works on it and communicates the resolution to the customer.