Zendesk vs Salesforce: Which is Right for Your Business?

In a fast-paced world of business, the choice of customer relationship management software can make or break your customer experience strategy. Two key players that come up time and again in discussions of CRMs are Zendesk and Salesforce. But which one is right for your business?

In this blog, we will look at:

• An Overview of Zendesk vs Salesforce
• A Detailed Comparison
• How SurveySparrow Can Enhance Your CRM Work

An Overview of Zendesk vs Salesforce

Let's get a clear picture of the two platforms.

Understanding Zendesk

Before getting into the comparisons, let's understand Zendesk. Known for its simplicity and user-friendliness, the software is designed as a customer service platform to help businesses manage support tickets and interact with customers across several channels such as email, chat, social media, and phone.

Zendesk focuses greatly on providing frictionless customer support. Introduced with added features over the years, its basic premise has stayed the same: making customer service easy for both the teams and the customers. If your business offers customer support as its main service, then perhaps Zendesk could be an ideal help.

Exploring Salesforce

On the other hand, Salesforce is an all-encompassing CRM platform considered a giant in the business world. The creation of Salesforce was firstly for tracking sales operations; then, it obtained a very wide extension on marketing, customer service, and even app development using its cloud-based platform.

It is not meant for just customer service but rather gives a panoramic view of the whole business with features that can be personalized for nearly every department.

The power of Salesforce is in its flexibility. This platform provides countless integrations and customizations to fit the demanding needs of bigger companies with many tools that handle complex processes.

Difference Between Zendesk and Salesforce

Now, let's see the difference between Zendesk and Salesforce among some fundamental areas in which the platforms diverge:

1. Core Purpose

Zendesk

Zendesk is focused on customer support. It's designed for teams who require an orderly way to manage inquiries, offer help, and track issues.

Salesforce

Salesforce is a full-blown CRM. It has support features like Zendesk, but on top of that, it adds in sales, marketing, and analytics.

You could say that Salesforce is more for those companies that need a larger set of tools past customer service.

2. Ease of Use

Zendesk

Zendesk beats the simplicity game. Its user interface is easy enough that your team members can get started with it without much training. Everything is made simpler to engage with customers.

Salesforce

Salesforce is an overkill for new users. It has a vast number of features, thereby having a more rigorous learning curve. The system is infinitely customizable but often requires hiring a Salesforce consultant or developer.

3. Customization and Integration

Zendesk

While not as flexible in customization as Salesforce, Zendesk is much easier to use when it comes to integration. It connects with many popular applications, from Slack and Shopify to HubSpot. However, it doesn’t match the huge number of integrations that Salesforce has.

Salesforce

If you're looking for that level of customization, Salesforce is hard to beat. The platform is built for scale and flexibility within different industries. Plus, because it’s part of a large network, you can add custom workflows, apps, and automation. Salesforce can integrate with virtually any third-party tool that your business needs. 

4. Scalability

Zendesk

Zendesk is much better for an SMB that majorly deals with customer support. It's scalable in that regard, but it can hold your business back if you need a multi-functional CRM.

Salesforce

Salesforce, on the other hand, is designed for scale. Should the business be planning a fast rate of growth or already be engaging in complex sales and support processes, then within Salesforce, the scalability itself becomes a huge advantage. It can take up multiple departments and large teams with advanced reporting and forecasting capabilities.

5.  Price

Zendesk

Zendesk is, however, quite price-competitive, especially for businesses that require nothing more than customer service capabilities.

Generally, its plans are affordable, starting from a low-cost entry point, making it easy to run, even with smaller teams or companies that do not require all the bells and whistles.

Salesforce

Salesforce, on the other hand, can be expensive when you start adding more advanced features and customization. The first cost of purchasing a platform might seem small, but the investment increases incrementally as one expands or customizes the platform to fit the business needs.

Beyond comparing Zendesk and Salesforce, it's important to understand that businesses today need flexible CRM software to stay ahead. A system that easily connects with other tools and lets you set up custom workflows can make daily tasks more smoother. This flexibility helps businesses grow and adjust to new challenges. 

Personalization: Zendesk vs Salesforce

When you compare Zendesk to Salesforce, the decision will finally be based on what you need for your business. So, here is a comparison of when either platform might be the right solution:

If You're Customer-Service Oriented

If your business's center is based on good customer support, then Zendesk is likely to be the better of the two options. Its intuitive ticketing system, multi-channel support, and simplicity make it a strong contender for businesses that require fast and effective service.

If You Need All-in-One Solution

If your need is in business for one platform where sales, marketing, and customer service come together, then Salesforce is the way to go. You have this platform as the main hub of your business, where all the departments are integrated, and a 360-degree view of your operations is provided.

If You Want to Balance Simplicity with Power

Salesforce is way more powerful and customizable, yet Zendesk is very simple. If your team does not have the time or resources to spend learning a complex platform like Salesforce, the ease of use that comes with Zendesk will save you a good amount of time and headaches.

If You Prioritize Scalability

Salesforce is great for scaling and customization, built to support companies of all sizes. It offers many integrations and advanced automation options. If you expect fast growth or need complex workflows, Salesforce can adapt better. Zendesk is flexible but has more limits when it comes to scaling across various business functions.

When Is Zendesk Better Than Salesforce?

So when is Zendesk better than Salesforce? Zendesk might be a better fit for your business if:

• Your main job is to focus on customer support and ticket management.
• You want a straight, easy-to-use platform that will not require much customization.
• You do business on a shoestring budget and do not need the extended CRM capabilities that Salesforce has to offer.
• You are a small to medium-sized business, and you have customer service at the core of your operations.
• To cite an example, e-commerce companies that need quick customer interactions and easy ticketing find ease of use and a support-centric design in Zendesk.

Also, with features like Zendesk survey integration, businesses can easily collect customer feedback, which helps improve the customer service experience over time.

When Would You Consider Using Salesforce?

Salesforce is the best pick if:

• You need a comprehensive CRM system that supports not only customer service but also sales, marketing, and analytics.
• Your company can afford to invest in tailoring and training so that you can exploit the potential of the platform to the fullest.
• You are a larger company or you plan to grow rapidly and need the system to be scalable across multiple departments.
• You need advanced reporting and forecasting tools to manage long-term business goals.

An example of this is where a company has sales teams in various regions around the globe, Salesforce will bring this forth by facilitating the flexibility in managing your company's complexity.

Now, we know both tools are centered around the magic word data. What if I said you can get the best of both worlds? With SurveySparrow you can! You can collect data with conversational surveys and integrate them with Zendesk and Salesforce!

So, Why Should You Use SurveySparrow?

Let's keep this simple. You can integrate the surveys you create using SurveySarrow with Zendesk and Salesforce. 

Surveysparrow went a bit beyond by bringing the power of data collection and automation to the same place. You can...

• Design beautiful conversational surveys and forms that can fetch 40% more responses.
• Connect your survey to Zendesk and get a new contact stored each time you get a response. In real time!
• By integrating the surveys with Salesforce, you can automate your workflow. How? By connecting with Slack, QuickBooks Online, MailChimp, Jira, and ActiveCampaign. You can trigger personalized surveys when an event occurs and capture new leads.
• Improve customer experience by identifying areas for improvement in your customer service. When you know what your customers want, you can build better campaigns that align with their needs.
• Map your customer journey all in one place. The responses from Salesforce and Zendesk flow into your CRM.  

Creating a survey with the drag-and-drop builder is as easy as pie! You should try it. Plus, the AI survey maker will craft one for you within seconds if you hit send with a prompt. Share it via multiple platforms including WhatsApp, SMS, or other social media channels. That's not it! You get advanced analytics tools to break down the data.

Why don't you take it for a free spin?

Now, before you go...

The Takeaway: Which One Works for You?

At the end of the day, choosing between Zendesk and Salesforce depends on how one envisions a business's use of a CRM system. If you're a small company that focuses on customer service alone, Zendesk would just be the perfect fit. It's cost-effective, user-friendly, and gets the job done correctly.

But then, if your business is more complex or you need a comprehensive CRM that should handle the sales, marketing, and customer support all together, Salesforce could be a wiser investment. More power, flexibility, and room for growth come at an increased price.

Besides picking the right CRM, it's important to look at ways to make your work easier. Using business process automation tools can boost productivity by handling routine tasks, giving your team more time for important work.

Whether you're a small business or growing fast, choosing a SaaS CRM solution that fits your needs can help improve efficiency and support growth. With the right tools, you can align your processes with your goals and achieve better results.

Conclusion

That battle between Zendesk and Salesforce is really a functionality versus breadth argument. On the one hand, Zendesk is basically just a super-specialized customer support tool, while on the other, Salesforce is a full-blown CRM, including a lot more capabilities. Which one is right depends on your business need, complexity of operations, and budget.

Take that moment to reflect on what really matters for your business, and you will make the right decision—a decision that benefits your team and your customers.

And, if you're still confused, you know where to go! Give SurveySparrow a try today. Here, you get smooth data collection with the power and expertise of both tools. You get both. no need to choose!