Is your team wasting time on messy communication and slow customer support?
Between endless email chains, missed messages, and delayed responses to customers, poor communication can eat up valuable time and hurt your business.
Get that time back with Slack. Since 2013, this powerful tool has changed how teams work together. With features like instant messaging, easy file sharing, and teamwork tools, Slack can help your team stay connected and responsive.
Why should you connect your customer support tools to Slack? Here's why:
- Support teams can quickly share and discuss customer issues within Slack channels
- Cross-functional teams can easily collaborate on complex customer issues
- Managers can monitor support activities and trends more effectively
- Slack integrations can automate routine tasks and notifications
- Support agents can quickly search for and retrieve relevant information
- Team members can stay updated on support issues even when away from their desks
All this means you can help customers better and make them happier.
Want to know which customer help tools work best with Slack? We'll show you the most popular tools that connect to Slack and how these tools can make your job easier.
9 Best Customer Support Tools for Slack
1. ClearFeed
ClearFeed is a conversational support platform specifically built for teams that support their customers and employees on Slack. It can be used to support both internal teams within an organization on Slack and external customers via Slack Connect channels.
Recommended for
- B2B SaaS companies that use Slack for customer support
- Support and customer success teams looking to improve workflow and scale high-touch support on Slack
- Engineering, HR, Sales Ops, and IT help desk teams that want to consolidate requests and track SLAs
Key Features & Benefits
- Shared Queue Management: Consolidates and prioritizes customer requests across multiple Slack channels, making it easier for teams to manage interactions and resolve issues efficiently
- Ticket Conversion: Convert Slack threads to support tickets with one click (either natively in ClearFeed - or in systems like Zendesk, Freshdesk, and Salesforce)
- Triage Channels: Organize customer requests in dedicated triage channels for better collaboration and faster resolution
- AI-Powered SLA Alerts: ClearFeed uses AI to detect urgent issues and alert teams before service-level agreement (SLA) breaches occur, ensuring timely responses
- GPT-Powered Virtual Agent: Automates responses to common customer queries using indexed knowledge bases and documentation, improving first-contact resolution
- Multi-Channel Support: Handle customer requests across Slack and Email, ensuring unified communication through one platform
- Analytics & Insights: Provides metrics on response times, closure rates, and customer satisfaction (CSAT), helping teams improve service delivery
- Integration with Key Tools: Supports integration with external tools like Intercom, Jira Service Management, GitHub, and HubSpot, enhancing cross-platform workflow management
- Fast Setup & Implementation: Known for its easy setup and fast implementation, it is ideal for teams that need quick deployment
- Customizable Workflows: Enables automation of processes, such as sending alerts or creating tickets, to handle operations efficiently
Pricing
ClearFeed prices are flexible and based on usage (channels) or Agents. They also offer a 15% discount if you opt for an annual subscription. It offers three main pricing tiers:
- Free Tier:
- You can use up to 10 Slack channels or 1 agent
- Handles up to 30 requests/month
- Includes basic features like a triage channel, AI-based alerts, and some integrations
- Unlimited private collaboration on tickets and customer requests
- Professional Tier:
- Includes everything in the Free tier plus more features like ticketing, insights, GPT-powered calls, and surveys
- Starts at $80 per month for 20 Slack channels (or 3 Agents). The price increases as you need more channels or add more agents
- Enterprise Tier:
- For large businesses needing more than 200 Slack channels
- Custom pricing based on your needs
- Includes all Professional features plus advanced options like custom security, white-labeling, and special integrations
Add-ons: GPT Answers cost $40/mo for 200 GPT requests
Pros
- Offers a free trial
- Transparent and simple tiered pricing
- Unlimited custom fields in forms in professional and enterprise tier
- Pay-as-you-go pricing for additional channels
Cons
- Ticket limits could be restrictive for some teams
- Add-ons like GPT Answers don't have volume discounts
2. Zendesk
Zendesk is a customer service software company that provides solutions to help businesses deliver exceptional customer support across channels like messaging, chat, phone, and self-service.
Recommended for
- Small, medium, and large businesses across industries looking to improve their customer service capabilities and customer satisfaction
- Businesses that want a scalable omnichannel customer service solution
- Businesses that value building meaningful customer relationships through personalized service
Key Features & Benefits
- Integrates various communication channels (email, web, phone, chat, social media) into a single system
- Centralizes all customer interactions for efficient tracking and resolution
- Offers AI-powered chatbots, knowledge bases, and community forums for 24/7 support
- Provides real-time data and customizable dashboards and offers over 20 pre-built templates and dashboards
- Works well with popular tools like Salesforce and Google Apps
Pricing
Zendesk Support offers three main tiers:
- Support Team: $19 per agent/month
- Support Professional: $55 per agent/month
- Support Enterprise: $115 per agent/month
Zendesk Suite offers four tiers:
- Suite Team: $55 per agent/month
- Suite Growth: $89 per agent/month
- Suite Professional: $115 per agent/month
- Suite Enterprise: Custom pricing based on needs
Add-ons available:
- Advanced AI: $50 per agent/month
- Workforce Management: $25 per agent/month
- Quality Assurance: $35 per agent/month
- Workforce Engagement Bundle: $50 per agent/month
- Advanced Data Privacy: $50 per agent/month
Pricing is per agent, with annual billing discounts. Startups get 6 months free. Higher tiers offer more customization and advanced features.
Pros
- Flexible pricing tiers to fit different business needs and sizes
- Month-to-month billing available
- Free trial to test out the product
- Thousands of integrations are available
- Scales to support large enterprises
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- Can get pricey at higher tiers for larger teams
- Add-ons increase costs further
- Contract and minimums may apply for enterprise plans
- Advanced features like custom objects, sandbox, etc., are only available at higher tiers
3. Intercom
Intercom is a customer service software company that provides an AI-powered platform to support agents and leaders. Their products include an inbox, AI assistant, tickets, and phone support.
Recommended for
Customer service and support teams at mid-market to enterprise companies across industries like financial services, e-commerce, software, and healthcare.
Key Features & Benefits
- Resolves customer queries instantly across channels with accurate, conversational responses
- Routes all customer conversations from email, phone, and chat into a unified inbox
- Provides AI-generated expert answers, boosting agent productivity
- Manages complex support queries with ticketing
- Troubleshoots customer issues faster with integrated phone and video support
- AI-driven insights and customizable reports for improved decision-making
- Automates routine tasks with triggers, conditions, and rules
- Reduces support volume with proactive messaging and notifications
- Improves team efficiency with tailored inbox views and conversation tracking
Pricing
- Intercom offers three main plans:
- Essential: $29 per seat/month (billed annually)
- Advanced: $85 per seat/month (billed annually)
- Expert: $132 per seat/month (billed annually)
- All plans include access to core features like shared inbox, AI Agent, ticketing system, and help center
- Higher-tier plans offer additional features like advanced automation, multiple team inboxes, and enhanced security options
- There's a Proactive Support Plus add-on available from $99/month, which includes advanced in-app and outbound support features
- Usage-based pricing applies for certain features:
- Fin AI Agent: $0.99 per resolution
- WhatsApp: Charged per conversation
- SMS: Charged per message sent/received
- Email campaigns: Charged per email sent
- Intercom offers a 90% discount for startups through their "Intercom for Startups" program
Pros
- Pay only for what you use
- Integrated into Intercom's existing messaging platform
- Free tier available
Cons
- Potentially costly for high call volume businesses
4. HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot provides an all-in-one customer platform with software for marketing, sales, and customer service. Their software aims to help businesses grow better by unifying data, teams, and tools to deliver a personalized customer experience.
Recommended for
- Small to mid-sized businesses looking to scale and improve the efficiency of marketing, sales, and customer service processes
- Companies wanting an integrated platform to unify customer data and interactions
- Businesses seeking to deliver personalized, omnichannel customer experiences
- Teams looking to leverage AI and automation to be more productive
Key Features & Benefits
- Customer service software with features like a help desk, knowledge base, and customer portal to provide support across channels and improve customer satisfaction
- Integrates natively with HubSpot's CRM and marketing automation software to unify data and give agents full context on customers
- Proactive retention tools like customer health scores and product usage tracking help identify opportunities to improve relationships
- Scalable editions with premium features like advanced SLAs, playbooks, and workflows to manage high-volume support
Pricing
HubSpot offers both free and paid tiers of their customer service software Service Hub. There are 3 paid tiers:
- Starter: $20/month per seat
- Professional: $100/month per seat
- Enterprise: $150/month per seat
Pros
- Integration with other HubSpot products like Marketing Hub and Sales Hub
- Lots of features, even in the free tier, like ticketing, AI chatbot, and reporting
Cons
- The pricing tiers jump from $20/month to $100/month, which is a big increase
- Limited information on what features are in each paid tier
5. Salesforce Service Cloud
Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer service and support software that provides tools for case management, knowledge management, omnichannel routing, collaboration, automation, analytics, and AI to help businesses deliver personalized and efficient customer service.
Recommended for
Salesforce Service Cloud is for medium and large businesses across all industries that have customer service teams and want to improve agent productivity, optimize support operations, and increase customer satisfaction.
Key Features & Benefits
- Automatically routes cases to agents based on skill and availability
- A centralized repository that allows agents and customers to access relevant articles
- Provides a customizable workspace for agents to manage multiple cases efficiently
- Offers real-time, in-app video support and screen sharing for mobile users
- Handles cases on social platforms like Facebook and Twitter
- An offline-first app for field workers to manage service appointments
- Empowers customers to book and manage their appointments through various channels
- AI-driven service tools that improve case resolutions with predictive analytics
Pricing
- Service Cloud offers several pricing tiers with increasing features, from a basic Starter edition to a more advanced Unlimited edition
- Starter: $25 per user/month
- Pro: $100 per user/month
- Enterprise: $165 per user/month
- Unlimited: $330 per user/month
- Einstein 1 Service: $500 per user/month
- Usage-based pricing applies for certain features:
- Einstein for Service: $75/user/month
- Field Service: $50/user/month
- Virtual Remote Assistant: $50/user/month
- Self Service: $2/login/method
- Digital Engagement: $75/user/month
- Service Cloud Voice: $50/user/month
- Service Intelligence: $220/user/month
Pros
- Core features like case management and knowledge base in all tiers
- Free trials available to test out the product
Cons
- Pricing is not straightforward - billed monthly or annually, depending on the tier
- Large price jump from Pro to Enterprise tiers
6. Freshdesk
Freshdesk is a customer service software that provides helpdesk ticketing, knowledge base, chat, and collaboration tools to help companies deliver exceptional customer support. It is owned by Freshworks.
Recommended for
- Small and medium-sized businesses that need affordable and easy-to-use customer support software
- Support and customer service teams at companies that need to manage tickets, self-service, and agent collaboration
- Businesses that want AI and automation to optimize their customer service operations
Key Features & Benefits
- Converts requests from email, web, phone, chat, and social into tickets
- Automates ticket assignments, responses, and workflows to enhance productivity
- Provides predictive support capabilities through Freddy AI to resolve queries faster
- Allows customers to find solutions via a knowledge base, forums, and community
- Agents can collaborate and manage support tickets effectively through discussion threads and notes
- Interactive Voice Response system for efficient call routing
- Provides real-time reporting and analytics on customer service performance
Pricing
Freshdesk offers different products within its customer service ecosystem. Let me break down the pricing for each:
- Freshdesk: This is their core customer support ticketing system. Pricing starts at £15/agent/month for the Growth plan, with a free plan available for up to 2 agents
- Customer Service Suite: This is a comprehensive package that includes Freshdesk, Freshchat, and Freshcaller. Pricing starts at £25/agent/month for the Growth plan
- Freshchat: Their live chat and messaging software. Pricing starts at £15/agent/month for the Growth plan, with a free plan available for up to 10 agents
- Freshcaller: Their cloud-based phone system for customer support. It has a free plan and paid plans starting at £12/agent/month plus per-minute charges
Additional features and add-ons:
- Freddy AI:
- Freddy Self Service: First 500 sessions included, then £80 per 1000 sessions
- Freddy Copilot: £23/agent/month (billed annually)
- Freddy Insights: Currently in Beta, requires Freddy Copilot
- Day Passes: Available for occasional agents, starts with $2/pass (varies as per the collection and selected tier)
Pros
- Free forever plan allows trying basic features
- Reasonable pricing tiers for growing businesses
- No cancellation fees
Cons
- Unclear how many collaborators are supported on the Pro and Enterprise plan
- Complex pricing model for SMBs
7. Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is a cloud-based help desk software that aims to provide excellent customer service and support. It offers features like omnichannel support, AI-powered productivity tools for agents, advanced analytics, and deep integrations with 200+ apps.
Recommended for
- Small and midsize businesses across industries looking for affordable and easy-to-use help desk software
- Companies that want to deliver personalized, contextual customer support across channels
- Businesses seeking actionable insights from customer service analytics
Key Features & Benefits
- Automate repetitive tasks to improve agent efficiency
- Offer customized self-service portals for different brands
- Track and analyze customer service metrics to improve performance
- Automate ticket escalation for breaches in service-level agreements
- Integrates with Zoho CRM for unified customer management
- Personalize workflows with custom functions and code
Pricing
Zoho Desk offers 3 main plans - Standard, Professional, and Enterprise.
- Standard: $19/user/month billed annually
- Professional: $31/user/month billed annually
- Enterprise: $50/user/month billed annually
Pros
- Generous 15-day free trial
- Scales from small teams to large enterprises
- No hidden fees or costs
Cons
- May lack advanced features for large enterprises compared to high-end competitors.
- Add-ons and extras like additional storage or support packages cost extra
8. Hiver
Hiver is an email-based help desk and shared inbox software that helps businesses manage customer service and support workflows.
Recommended for
- Small and mid-sized businesses across industries looking to manage customer service
- Teams that want to manage customer support within their existing email workflows
- Companies that value ease of use, collaboration, and automation to improve customer satisfaction
Features
- Gmail integration for managing customer inquiries directly from the inbox
- Collaborate with team members via shared email accounts and track conversations
- Add private notes to emails, ensuring smooth internal communication
- Automate tasks such as email routing and responses to improve efficiency
- Prevent multiple team members from working on the same query simultaneously
- Collect and monitor customer satisfaction scores to improve service
- Save time by using pre-written responses for common customer inquiries
- Ensure that service level agreements (SLAs) are met with automated tracking
- Enable personalized and human interactions with customers instead of treating inquiries as mere transactions
Pricing
Here's a summary of Hiver’s pricing plans:
- Lite (Easy Starter): $19/user/month
- Growth (Scaling Up): $29/user/month
- Pro (Rapid Growth): $49/user/month
- Elite (High Volume): Custom pricing
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive interface
- Effective task assignment and delegation
- Enhances productivity and efficiency in email handling
- Helps in tracking and managing email workflows
Cons
- Limited customization options for some features
- Mobile app functionality could be improved
- Expensive for small teams
- Occasional sync issues reported by a few users
- Limited integration with other tools outside of email platforms
- Reporting features, while useful, could be more comprehensive
9. Help Scout
Help Scout is a customer service software that helps support teams manage conversations across multiple channels like email, live chat, in-app messaging, and self-service knowledge bases. It aims to provide an all-in-one platform to optimize support workflows.
Recommended for
Small to large customer support teams across industries like SaaS, e-commerce, financial services, education, healthcare, etc.
Key Features & Benefits
- Simple and intuitive interface for customer support teams
- Powerful tools like AI features, workflows, analytics, and integrations to deliver better customer support
- Personalized customer experiences with context-aware conversations and self-service options
- Inbox for efficient email management, help center for self-service, and live chat for real-time support
- Automations to handle repetitive tasks and ensure nothing falls through the cracks
- Data and reports to understand team performance and customer happiness
Pricing
Help Scout offers three main pricing tiers:
- Standard: $75/month for 100 contacts, unlimited users, 2 shared inboxes, 1 docs knowledge base
- Plus: $200/month for 250 contacts, 5 inboxes, 3 docs knowledge base
- Pro: $850/month for 1000 contacts, 10 inboxes, 5 docs knowledge base
Pros
- Easy to use and quick to set up
- Clean and intuitive user interface
- Easy to collaborate with different departments
- Great customer support
Cons
- Difficult to customize documentation
- Limited reporting and analytics
Improve Efficiency with Slack Integrations
Slack integrations for customer support can help your team work better. They put all customer chats in one place, making it easier to help quickly. Choose tools that fit your team's needs. Make sure everyone knows how to use them.
These tools save time, letting your team focus on important work. This can make customers happier and your team's job easier. Want to know how your organization can simplify ticketing and delight your customers? Get in touch to see ClearFeed in action today!
