Customer support

One inbox or a ticket system

The category splits in two. Shared-inbox tools feel like email and suit small teams. Ticketing systems bring statuses, queues, SLAs and structure, and cost more in setup.

Picking the heavier tool for a three-person team is the most common mistake here, and so is outgrowing the lighter one silently.

Channels, and what they really cost

Email, chat, phone, social, in-app. Each channel usually carries its own price, its own limits and its own quality of implementation.

A product with excellent email and a token voice add-on is not a phone support tool.

Automation and reporting

Ask what can be automated without a developer: routing by keyword, macros, auto-close, follow-up reminders. Then ask which report proves the queue is under control, and whether you can get it without exporting.

Migration

Ticket history is the sticky part. Check whether the tool imports it, keeps attachments, and preserves who said what. Losing three years of context is the real switching cost, not the monthly price.