What if there was one customer support channel that helped cut down the number of support tickets and delivered faster customer service, without relying on customer support staff? It exists — and it’s entirely powered by a network of users who volunteer their time and knowledge to help other users, building what’s known as a customer community.

For most companies, the largest segment of users are those who are on a trial or using the free version. In fact, as your company grows, your free user count will likely grow even faster than your paying customers do. But, every support interaction costs a company something, so as your customer base grows, how can you handle support for a group that doesn’t pay you anything for your product?

You know the value of helpdesk software, but it all comes down to allocating budget for your team. You’ll have to convince your boss to invest in a helpdesk software—or even better, show them how a helpdesk software can enable your support team to achieve more return on investment (ROI). We’ll show you how a helpdesk brings unique value to your support team, with lots of evidence to back it up. Your boss will be wondering why you haven’t invested in a helpdesk already.

The entire reason you created a business in the first place was probably to help a customer meet a need or solve a problem. Chances are, you designed your products and services for the same reason. 2You should operate in the same way. But most brands have lost sight of what’s truly important: the customer. If you don’t put your customer’s needs and issues above all else, you’ll have to deal with the consequences. And they’re not so sweet.

If you’re a sales professional, you’re likely sick and tired of external prospecting. Whether you’re soliciting in person or making outbound calls, it’s one of the most frustrating and time-consuming parts of the process. That’s why, when you receive an inbound call for information from a prospect, it’s a joyous occasion. One common mistake a lot of sales professionals make is assuming that an inbound call is a slam dunk can’t-miss sale. This is not the case.

Humans have always loved the idea of robots having feelings. Hollywood has cashed in on this affinity in multiple films, from making robots fall in love with each other, to an alternative dystopian future where robots are taught to feel, leading them to overpower humans. But even with such narratives, humans like it better when chatbots are taught more about feelings and made to assist them with empathy1.

Providing good customer service is an art. Typically, someone calling into a customer support department is already angry and frustrated with the services your company offers, and it is the job of a skilled customer support agent to diffuse that issue and help that customer leave satisfied and smiling. Blindly fumbling about or taking a one size fits all strategy toward the happiness of your customers is a perfect recipe for failure.

Gone are the days when artificial intelligence (AI) was a mere buzzword. Today, AI is transforming our lifestyle. AI enables machines to perform a myriad of tasks with minimal human interference. Whether in sales, marketing, or customer service, AI has revamped business processes. According to a recent Gartner report1, 55% of established companies have started making investments in AI or have prioritized it for their immediate plan of action.

All our activities, online and offline, leave an almost imperceptible electronic trail. Traffic cameras “see” you cross a junction around the same time each weekday, your phone lets your favorite coffee shop know when and how long you visit through their “free” Wi-Fi. The data collected by these devices or from our interactions with others tend to end up in a data archive somewhere, unused and unanalyzed.

The all-new Freshworks Marketplace is in full swing and in case you haven’t had a look at it yet, now would be the perfect time to check it out. Over the past month, we have been steadily adding more and more intuitive and easy-to-use apps to the Freshdesk Marketplace. From an app that drastically reduces the number of tickets you encounter to an app that helps you get up to date on the latest data protection and privacy protocol, we have you covered.