ChannelReply lets you support eBay, Amazon and Walmart customers from your helpdesk. But what if you don’t have a helpdesk? Which is better for your ecommerce business—Zendesk, Freshdesk, Help Scout, Gorgias or Re:amaze?
Each has clear advantages over the others. The ChannelReply integration also works differently with each one. We’ll cover the key variations here so you can choose the best fit for your business.
Last updated 8/3/2020.
Overview
All supported helpdesks will make your life a lot easier!
- Answer eBay, Amazon and Walmart messages in the same place where you answer emails, live chats and more.
- See data about your marketplace customers and their orders in the ChannelReply app.
- Create canned replies to save time answering common questions.
- Sort, assign and prioritize tickets, either manually or automatically.
- Get insights into agent performance, support volumes, and other critical data.
So, how are they different?
Zendesk was the first helpdesk we ever supported and is our most popular integration. As such, we’ve built every ChannelReply feature to work with Zendesk. It is incredibly flexible, meeting the needs of businesses of every size in all industries. Read more.
Freshdesk has features and flexibility similar to Zendesk’s at a more affordable price range. The integration has a few drawbacks, displaying fake email addresses for marketplace users and a small app interface. However, Freshdesk can do more with eBay, Amazon and Walmart data than any other helpdesk. Read more.
Help Scout is often the most affordable choice when you need advanced features like HIPAA compliance or smart self-help. It’s also brilliantly designed for ease of use—if you want zero tech headaches, Help Scout is the way to go! Just note that some ChannelReply features are not supported. Read more.
Gorgias knocks Shopify and Magento support out of the park with incredibly powerful features built into your store. All plans include unlimited users and most Gorgias features—so they aren’t cheap. The Amazon, eBay and Walmart integrations are pretty basic except when it comes to macros, where Gorgias is better than any other helpdesk we support. Read more.
Re:amaze can do almost anything and supports all ChannelReply features. Like Freshdesk, it has the drawback of displaying fake email addresses for marketplace customers, but it offsets this by having the absolute best mobile app for eBay, Amazon and Walmart support. Re:amaze also lives up to its name by developing new features at light speed! Read more.
Zendesk
Some Advantages of Zendesk
- Wonderful interface that provides detailed info with minimal clutter.
- Extremely customizable, and capable of almost any support function imaginable.
- Has a suite of sales and support add-ons for integrating your entire customer service department.
- Supports over 1,000 apps.
What’s One of Zendesk’s Drawbacks?
- Can get a bit pricy; many features included in other helpdesks require using a paid add-on or app in Zendesk.
What Are Some of the Top Reasons to Use Zendesk with ChannelReply?
An eBay ticket in Zendesk with the ChannelReply app on the right.
Zendesk was the first helpdesk we integrated with eBay and Amazon, and it supports just about every ChannelReply feature. Here are a few things you can do with ChannelReply + Zendesk:
What Are the Limitations of the Zendesk Integration?
The biggest drawback is that data from ChannelReply cannot be used easily in Zendesk triggers and automations. For example, there’s no built-in option to build a trigger based on what item the customer purchased or how much they spent.
That’s not to say it would be impossible. We cover workarounds in “Everything You Can Do with ChannelReply in Zendesk,” under the heading “Custom Fields in Business Rules.”
Are There Any Other Ways ChannelReply Works Differently in Zendesk?
Threading works a little differently.
If you close a ticket in Zendesk, it cannot be updated. This means new messages from that customer will open a new ticket rather than updating the old one. The new ticket is called a follow-up, and all follow-ups are linked to their related tickets, making it easy to review old tickets as needed.
Should I Choose Zendesk?
You’ll rarely hear the words “Zendesk can’t do that.” If power, scalability, and organization are top concerns, go with Zendesk.
What Zendesk Plan Do I Need to Use ChannelReply?
ChannelReply is compatible with Zendesk Support Team or better. Visit their pricing page for plan details.
Freshdesk
Some Advantages of Freshdesk
- Most affordable option for most users.
- Extremely customizable, and capable of almost any support function imaginable.
- Has a suite of sales and support add-ons for integrating your entire customer service department.
- Generally considered more user-friendly than Zendesk.
What’s One of Freshdesk’s Drawbacks?
- The cluttered ticket sidebar makes apps like ChannelReply a bit harder to use than in other helpdesks.
What Are Some of the Top Reasons to Use Freshdesk with ChannelReply?
The ChannelReply app on an Amazon ticket in Freshdesk.
Freshdesk lets you do more with eBay, Walmart and Amazon data than any other helpdesk.
What Are the Limitations of the Freshdesk Integration?
The biggest drawback of using Freshdesk is that apps like ChannelReply are small. This can make it difficult to read through all the customer and order info we provide. We are working on a new app that takes advantage of Freshdesk’s recently upgraded framework, though, and this new app will be taller and expandable.
Data from eBay, Walmart and Amazon is not searchable in Freshdesk.
Messages from marketplace customers will appear with fake email addresses. You would see something ending with @channelreply.email rather than, for example, an @members.ebay address. However, the real address will be available on their Freshdesk customer profile and will therefore be searchable. You can also collect the marketplace email addresses for use in rules with ChannelReply’s custom fields.
Should I Choose Freshdesk?
We often recommend Freshdesk when customers ask for the most affordable option. It’s also the best choice for sellers who love using Amazon, eBay and Walmart data in both canned responses and automations.
What Freshdesk Plan Do I Need to Use ChannelReply?
ChannelReply is compatible with Freshdesk Blossom or better. Visit their pricing page for plan details.
Help Scout
Some Advantages of Help Scout
- Clean and extremely easy-to-use interface.
- Exceptional support; everyone in this socially conscious, certified B corporation cares about your success.
- Powerful, built-in live chat and help center features.
- Most affordable helpdesk for some users.
What’s One of Help Scout’s Drawbacks?
- Help Scout’s ecommerce integrations aren’t quite as strong as the other helpdesks’.
What Are Some of the Top Reasons to Use Help Scout with ChannelReply?
An eBay ticket in Help Scout, with the ChannelReply app on the right.
Help Scout makes advanced ChannelReply features simple to use.
What Are the Limitations of the Help Scout Integration?
Data from Amazon, eBay and Walmart cannot be used as placeholders in Help Scout’s Saved Replies. You’ll need to manually type in details like the item the customer ordered or its shipping status when replying.
Actions are not available in the ChannelReply app for Help Scout. This means eBay Resolution Center inquiries, cases and returns cannot be managed inside Help Scout. The Walmart order acknowledgement, order cancellation, shipping update, and refund approval features are not yet supported either, but we plan to add these options in the future.
Should I Choose Help Scout?
Help Scout is fantastic for anyone who wants a clean and simple way to answer customer messages. If you do a lot of your business on your own website, their built-in Docs help centers and Beacon chat / self-help app deliver incredible bang for the buck.
What Help Scout Plan Do I Need to Use ChannelReply?
ChannelReply is compatible with Help Scout Standard or better. Visit their pricing page for plan details.
Gorgias
Some Advantages of Gorgias
- Incomparably powerful Shopify and Magento integrations.
- Integrated live chat built for e-store websites.
- Unlimited users.
What’s One of Gorgias’s Drawbacks?
- Gorgias is young, and generally not as strong as the other helpdesks when supporting channels other than Shopify or Magento.
What Are Some of the Top Reasons to Use Gorgias with ChannelReply?
The ChannelReply app on an Amazon ticket in Gorgias.
Gorgias macros can use absolutely any piece of data from any third-party app. That includes ChannelReply.
- Easily view customer and order details in the ChannelReply app with Gorgias’s app sidebar.
- Use eBay, Walmart and Amazon data in Gorgias macros with total freedom—roughly twice as many datapoints are usable in Gorgias as in any other helpdesk we support.
- Create unique views for eBay, Walmart and/or Amazon tickets.
What Are the Limitations of the Gorgias Integration?
We have not tested the possibility of creating a marketplace autoresponder in Gorgias.
eBay, Amazon and Walmart data is not searchable in Gorgias. It is also not currently usable in rules, though we expect this feature to become available in the future.
eBay Resolution Center inquiries, cases and returns cannot be managed inside Gorgias. Walmart actions like acknowledging orders are also unavailable.
Should I Choose Gorgias?
Gorgias should be a no-brainer if your Shopify or Magento store is the focus of your business. Although the other helpdesks do support Shopify, and some support Magento, none of them come close to what Gorgias can do with these integrations.
What Gorgias Plan Do I Need to Use ChannelReply?
All Gorgias plans are compatible with ChannelReply. Visit their pricing page for plan details.
Re:amaze
Some Advantages of Re:amaze
- Wonderful interface that provides detailed info with minimal clutter.
- Extremely customizable, and capable of almost any support function imaginable.
- Powerful, built-in live chat and help center features.
- Excellent mobile support.
What’s One of Re:amaze’s Drawbacks?
By default, marketplace data is not searchable in Re:amaze. The only workaround available right now (using custom fields) can quickly cause your tickets to become cluttered.
What Are Some of the Top Reasons to Use Re:amaze with ChannelReply?
Above: An Amazon ticket in Re:amaze on a desktop browser. Below: The ChannelReply app displaying data for an Amazon ticket inside the Re:amaze mobile app.
Re:amaze is the only helpdesk that is 100% compatible with ChannelReply on mobile devices. Their app-within-an-app feature allows you to easily check your buyer and order data, then switch back to answering the message.
What Are the Limitations of the Re:amaze Integration?
Messages from marketplace customers will appear with fake email addresses. You would see something ending with @channelreply.email rather than, for example, an @marketplace.amazon address. While the real address will be available in their Re:amaze customer attributes, it will not be searchable by default. You can collect the marketplace email addresses for use in search and rules with ChannelReply’s custom fields.
Data from eBay, Walmart and Amazon is not searchable in Re:amaze unless you set up custom fields.
Custom fields appear inside each message thread. In other helpdesks, these are shown in a sidebar or other separate interface, so this system for Re:amaze adds clutter and forces additional scrolling.
Custom fields can only be updated in Re:amaze whenever a new message is delivered. In the other platforms, they are updated every time the ChannelReply app loads in the sidebar. This means Re:amaze may occasionally show outdated data in custom fields, but the latest info is always available in the app.
Should I Choose Re:amaze?
Re:amaze’s well-designed interface and powerful advanced options make it one of our most frequently recommended helpdesks. As the only one compatible with all ChannelReply features across all devices, it is also our #1 choice for sellers who need to provide support on mobile.
What Re:amaze Plan Do I Need to Use ChannelReply?
All Re:amaze plans are compatible with ChannelReply. Visit their pricing page for plan details.
I’m Still Not Sure Which One I Should Use—Help!
We’re here to answer your questions! Contact us and tell us what features are most important to you. We’ll gladly help you find the helpdesk that best meets your needs.
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