10 Best Tools to Manage a Shared Email Account Effectively

Managing a shared email account well is crucial for ecommerce founders and CX leaders. It’s not just about keeping things organized; it's about ensuring that every customer feels heard and valued. In the competitive ecommerce space, customer loyalty often hinges on how effectively you can handle and respond to queries. A shared inbox can be a real asset if used correctly, but without the right tools, it can quickly become a tangled mess.

This article will walk you through ten of the best tools available to manage a shared email account effectively. These tools are designed to help you streamline communications, improve response times, and ultimately provide a better experience for your customers. Let’s explore how these tools can transform your customer support operations.

1. Front: The Collaborative Inbox

Front is a favorite for many teams looking to manage shared email accounts efficiently. Think of it as a blend between an email client and a project management tool. It's designed to make team collaboration on emails seamless, which is vital for providing quick and unified responses to customer queries.

Here's how Front can help:

• Shared Inboxes: Assign emails to team members, ensuring responsibility and accountability. It eliminates the confusion of having multiple people answer the same email.
• Internal Comments: Discuss an email thread with your team without the customer seeing it. This feature is great for collaborating on complex queries where input from multiple team members is necessary.
• Automations: Set rules for automatically assigning emails based on certain criteria, such as keywords or sender's email address. This ensures that the right person handles specific types of inquiries.

With Front, communication becomes a team effort, which is crucial for growing ecommerce brands where customer experience is a priority.

2. Help Scout: Simplified Customer Support

Help Scout is another excellent tool designed with customer support in mind. Unlike traditional help desks, it doesn’t feel robotic, which helps maintain a personal touch in your communications.

Key features include:

• Email Management: Manage multiple inboxes from one place, making it easy to handle different aspects of customer support.
• Knowledge Base: Create a self-service portal where customers can find answers to common questions, reducing email volume and empowering customers.
• Customer Profiles: Access detailed information about your customers within your inbox, allowing for more personalized responses.

Help Scout is perfect for DTC brands that want to maintain a personal connection with their customers while scaling their operations.

3. Zendesk: The Comprehensive Solution

Zendesk is a powerhouse in customer support, offering a suite of tools that go beyond just email management. It’s particularly suited for larger teams or those expecting to scale rapidly.

Highlights of Zendesk include:

• Ticketing System: Convert emails into tickets, allowing for better tracking and management of customer interactions.
• Multi-Channel Support: Manage customer interactions across email, chat, social media, and more from a single platform.
• AI-Powered Automation: Use AI to sort and prioritize emails, ensuring urgent queries are handled first.

While Zendesk offers a robust solution, it might be a bit overwhelming for smaller teams. However, for those prepared to dive deep into its capabilities, it can significantly enhance customer support operations.

4. Gorgias: Ecommerce-Specific Support

If you're running an ecommerce store, Gorgias might be the tool for you. It’s built specifically for ecommerce brands, offering features that integrate directly with platforms like Shopify.

What sets Gorgias apart:

• Shopify Integration: Access customer order information directly within email threads, allowing for quick and informed responses.
• Macros: Create canned responses for common queries, saving time and ensuring consistency in responses.
• Revenue Attribution: Track the impact of support interactions on sales, helping you understand the direct value of customer support.

Gorgias enables ecommerce businesses to respond faster and more effectively, leveraging vital customer data to improve service quality.

5. Hiver: Gmail-Based Customer Support

For companies already using Gmail, Hiver offers a way to transform your inbox into a help desk without leaving the familiar Gmail interface. This tool is ideal for teams looking for a lightweight solution that doesn't require learning a new system.

Features of Hiver include:

• Email Assignment: Assign emails to team members directly from the Gmail interface, ensuring clear ownership of customer queries.
• Shared Notes: Add notes to email threads for internal discussions, keeping all communication in one place.
• Analytics: Track response times and team performance to continually improve your customer support processes.

Hiver helps teams manage shared inboxes effectively while sticking to tools they already know and love.

6. Groove: Streamlined Customer Service

Groove is a straightforward tool aimed at simplifying customer service for small to medium-sized ecommerce businesses. It combines the ease of use with powerful features to enhance customer interactions.

What Groove offers:

• Unified Inbox: Manage emails, live chat, and social media messages from one platform, ensuring no customer message goes unnoticed.
• Customizable Workflows: Automate repetitive tasks and streamline communication processes for efficiency.
• Reporting: Gain insights into customer support metrics to identify areas for improvement.

Groove's simplicity makes it a great choice for teams that want to focus on delivering excellent customer service without getting bogged down by complex tools.

7. Freshdesk: Scalable Support Solution

Freshdesk offers a robust platform for teams looking to scale their support operations. It’s user-friendly, making it easy for team members to get up to speed quickly.

Key features of Freshdesk include:

• Ticket Management: Convert emails into tickets, allowing for better organization and follow-up on customer queries.
• AI Chatbots: Use AI to handle common questions, freeing up your team to focus on more complex issues.
• Multi-Channel Support: Engage with customers across email, chat, phone, and social media from one platform.

Freshdesk is ideal for ecommerce businesses that need a comprehensive solution capable of growing with them.

8. Missive: Email Collaboration and Chat

Missive is designed for teams that want to collaborate efficiently on email threads and chats. It's a perfect tool for ecommerce brands where teamwork and quick responses are essential.

Why Missive stands out:

• Email and Chat Integration: Handle emails and team chats in one app, reducing the need to switch between different platforms.
• Shared Labels and Tags: Organize emails with shared labels and tags, making it easier to find and manage conversations.
• Collaborative Writing: Draft emails together in real-time with your team, ensuring consistency and thoroughness in responses.

Missive helps teams stay synchronized, ensuring everyone is on the same page when handling customer queries.

9. HappyFox: The All-in-One Help Desk

HappyFox offers a comprehensive help desk solution that integrates with a variety of platforms, making it a versatile choice for ecommerce brands.

Features include:

• Omnichannel Support: Manage communications across email, chat, social media, and even voice calls.
• Task Management: Create tasks from emails and assign them to team members, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• Knowledge Base: Build a repository of FAQs and guides to help customers find answers on their own.

HappyFox’s versatility makes it suitable for businesses looking for a tool that can handle various customer support channels efficiently.

10. Kayako: Unified Customer Service

Kayako is designed with a focus on providing a unified customer experience. It's particularly beneficial for teams that need to manage complex customer journeys across different channels.

Kayako’s strengths include:

• Single View Inbox: View all customer interactions in one place, regardless of the channel they came through.
• Customer Journey Mapping: Understand the full context of a customer's interactions with your brand, allowing for more personalized support.
• Collaborative Features: Work with your team on customer issues to ensure comprehensive responses.

Kayako helps brands deliver consistent and personalized support, which is essential for building lasting customer relationships.

Final Thoughts

Managing a shared email account doesn't have to be a headache. With the right tools, you can streamline your customer support, improve response times, and ultimately enhance the customer experience. Whether you're a small team looking for simplicity or a growing brand needing robust features, there's a tool out there to meet your needs.

Speaking of tools, Fullcourt offers a simple yet powerful solution tailored for fast-growing Shopify brands. It's designed as an affordable alternative to bloated helpdesks, combining essential CX tools in one intuitive platform. From a shared team inbox to a self-service live chat portal, Fullcourt enables your team to deliver exceptional customer service with ease.