At its core, Help Scout is a simple help desk software. The application provides a shared inbox where multiple team members can access and work in collaboration with each other to solve customer issues in real time. It consolidates conversations from different teams, email addresses, and brands into a single help desk.

Help Scout’s user interface is intuitive and easy to follow so that users can learn as they go, as well as experiment with their options.

For businesses looking to automate their help desk operation, Help Scout also provides a workflow builder, where users can add rules and filters to automatically trigger an action when a condition is met. It cuts down the time operators spend directing emails so that they have more bandwidth to engage in meaningful conversations with customers.

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Who Help Scout is best for

Help Scout is built with simplicity and ease of use in mind. Freelancers, as well as small and medium-sized businesses, will find Help Scout a viable solution for their customer support needs. It’s especially helpful in situations where different team members take turns answering customer enquiries (as opposed to a dedicated support member), due to the shared inbox and collaboration platform.

Help Scout pricing

Help Scout has three plans:  

• Standard Plan –  At $25 per user per month, the Standard Plan has all the mandatory support tools, an automated workflow builder and full history reports. It includes 2 users, 5 mailboxes and 1 Docs site.
• Plus Plan – The Plus Plan is $40 per user per month, and includes all the features of the Standard Plan, plus more field and team customization. It includes 25 mailboxes and 5 Docs sites.
• Company Plan – Company Plan costs vary based on team size. It includes all Plus Plan features, plus additional onboarding services, a dedicated account manager and more security options. This particular plan includes unlimited mailboxes and Docs sites.

All of Help Scout plans come with a free 15-day trial, and are eligible for a 20% discount if the users pay annually.

Help Scout customer support

Help Scout support is rather limited, and is only available via email and ticket. An extensive self-help library is available, which has a robust knowledge base featuring articles, guides and tutorials. Educational resources are also available in the form of webinars and customer service insights on their resource page.

Pros

• Multiple support channels make it fast and easy for customers to solve their problems
• Easy to learn and use
• Powerful work builder allows for fast and effective customer service automation
• Robust collection of knowledge bases
• Over 50 integrations with 3rd party applications
• A free trial is available

Cons

• Lack of live chat and call statistic tracking
• Metrics, analytics, and reporting is limited

Rating breakdown

• Overall Rating: 3.9
• Features: 3.8
• Price: 4.0
• Ease Of Use: 4.8
• Customer Service: 3.5