Salesforce Service Cloud vs Zendesk comparison

Salesforce Service Cloud and Zendesk compete in the CRM and customer service software category. Salesforce seems to have the upper hand in customization and robust integration capabilities, while Zendesk is noted for its ease of use and straightforward setup.

Features: Salesforce Service Cloud is known for its rich customization capabilities, robust integrations with platforms including Marketo, and excels in case management, reporting, and automation. Its platform is highly customizable and upgradeable, leveraging powerful APIs for integration. Zendesk offers strong ticket management, ease of configuration, and efficient integration with popular apps like JIRA. It focuses on simplicity and features like macros, reporting, and a self-service portal.

Room for Improvement: Salesforce users cite issues with its complex pricing structure, cumbersome email integration, and a need for enhanced knowledge management. Frequent updates complicate user experiences. Zendesk users seek better customization options in reporting and support for more channels, along with improvements in ticket merging and multilingual support capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Salesforce Service Cloud is primarily deployed on public cloud infrastructure and is praised for excellent customer support. It has extensive resources and community support, though Level One support can be challenging. Zendesk supports cloud hosting models including private and hybrid, with its customer and technical support rated favorably, though lacking some advanced features Salesforce offers.

Pricing and ROI: Salesforce Service Cloud is generally viewed as expensive, with a suggestion to negotiate pricing for advanced features. However, it offers high ROI due to automation and comprehensive functionalities, catering mainly to larger enterprises. Zendesk’s pricing, though on the high side, is competitive and offers good value, focusing on simplicity and efficiency, providing substantial ROI.