Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction

Photo Caroline Raaijmaakers
Author: Caroline Raaijmaakers
Zendesk CRM advisor
Table of Contents

In this background article, we present a concise summary of our independent CRM & Customer Interaction survey of the software vendor Zendesk and its product portfolio (such as Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox). Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction scores better in our independent study than Pegasystems but slightly worse than HubSpot. Of all the categories in our research, Zendesk received the most credits in reporting and has a poor performance in task management. Within the context of CRM & Customer Interaction, we have put together the main advantages and disadvantages of Zendesk CRM, and present them by component (customer relationship management). We also point out the features of the product portfolio such as Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox et cetera.

How does Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction score on certain components?

In our comprehensive research, we also looked at the different products of Zendesk software. More than 180 criteria were used in the process. The image below shows the strengths and weaknesses of Zendesk CRM, compared to the competition. Please note that Passionned Group is 100% independent of the software vendors in our research. We do not sell licenses, we do not make deals or have done business with the supplier. Among other things, we help and advise companies in the proper selection of CRM systems.

Score of Zendesk CRM software.Figure 1: The pros and cons of the software vendor Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction. A vendor can score a maximum of 100%. Source: The CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024. Do you want to take a deep dive into our research design? Click here to download this guide.

The Zendesk analysis was done by intercepting big data and extensively analyzing it to pick up every tiny detail. More than 355 documents later we know that Zendesk excels in reporting. In this analysis, both machine learning models and the critical eye of a senior CRM expert played a distinguished role in drawing conclusions.Zendesk in our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024 Image of Zendesk in our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024In our 100% vendor-independent CRM & Customer Interaction Guide we have collected all the ins and outs of Zendesk for you. You get access to hundreds of (shorter) trainings, tech talks, demos, lectures, tutorials, and always have the latest CRM news. In addition, this guide will help deepen your knowledge about CRM & Customer Interaction.view the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide

Zendesk and their complete CRM & Customer Interaction product portfolio

Zendesk knows (a minimum of) 3 products in the realm of CRM & Customer Interaction. Below, we rank and describe the products in order of relevance:

What is Zendesk CRM?

Other names by which this software product is known: Zendesk Platform

We do not display all the features here but, in this paragraph, we report the (main) characteristics of Zendesk CRM, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox. Zendesk CRM can be defined by the following properties:

  • customer information
  • customer interactions
  • customer relationship management
  • customer service
  • reporting

Do you want to know the intricacies of all elements (100+) of Zendesk CRM? Open the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here.

Are you considering hiring an expert in Zendesk CRM?

Do you want to hire an interim Zendesk CRM consultant who knows the Zendesk CRM software inside out, and implement a professional Zendesk CRM application? Our interim specialists are happy to help. Indeed, hiring Zendesk CRM developers is not always expedient. Leave a message here and we will explore the possibilities of cooperation with you.

Screen shot of Zendesk CRM software.
Picture of Zendesk CRM tools.
Zendesk CRM in action
Figures 2, 3 and 4: Various figures show the operation of Zendesk CRM. Click on the image to make it bigger. Credits: Zendesk & partners.

What is Zendesk Sunshine?

We don’t reveal everything here but, in this paragraph, we provide a description of Zendesk Sunshine, including some of its features and any related products. The product Zendesk Sunshine can be best characterized by the following properties:

  • account
  • customer data
  • customer service
  • no-code
  • reporting

Are you curious about all the functions (100+) of Zendesk Sunshine? Then download our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Zendesk Sunshine software.
Picture of Zendesk Sunshine tools.
Zendesk Sunshine in action
Figures 5, 6 and 7: These three images give a first impression of Zendesk Sunshine. Click on an image to magnify. Credits: Zendesk & partners.

What is Zendesk Happyfox?

In this paragraph, we report the (main) characteristics of Zendesk Happyfox, including some of its features and any related products. Zendesk Happyfox can be characterized by the following features:

  • account
  • automate routine tasks
  • contact
  • customer service
  • infrastructure
  • no-code
  • repetitive tasks
  • reporting
  • ticketing system
  • workflow automation

Are you curious about all the functions (100+) of Zendesk Happyfox? Download the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Zendesk Happyfox software.
Picture of Zendesk Happyfox tools.
Zendesk Happyfox in action
Figures 8, 9 and 10: Overlying figures show the operation of Zendesk Happyfox. Click on the image to make it bigger. Credits: Zendesk & partners.

Zendesk CRM tools and the version history

Lately, we see a stable trend when it comes to CRM & Customer Interaction functionality and support for operating systems, cloud platforms, and connectivity.

We reviewed Zendesk’s latest versions of the total product range. Below you can see the progression of the versions of all available CRM & Customer Interaction Zendesk products:

  • Zendesk CRM: 2023 2022

Behind each product, we display the version numbers, the most recent versions are mentioned first.

What are the licensing costs of Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox?

It is difficult to determine exactly what a license of Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox costs because it depends on the country, the number of users (also consider the amount of CPUs for server versions), the connectors to data sources, and at what point in the year you request a quote. If you request a quote just before the end of Zendesk’s fiscal period, you can probably get a decent reduction in the license cost. As part of a cloud-first strategy, it makes sense to run the software in the cloud. Often you only pay for what you consume in resources. The purchase cost of Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox may not be the largest amounts, but maintenance and support do show up in your budget every year.

What makes Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction worth considering

In our study, we see that Zendesk in the field of CRM & Customer Interaction software has a few specific features which emerged distinctively in our research. This makes Zendesk CRM more or less unique: merge duplicate leads, scheduling tasks, manage opportunities, hot lead, and sales cycle management.

The advantages and disadvantages of Zendesk CRM

Tag cloud of the Zendesk CRM tools.Figure 11: Tag cloud of the strengths and weaknesses of Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction

In the following paragraphs, we name all the advantages and disadvantages of Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction, Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox, et cetera. The listing in the following paragraphs is subject to change, because: Zendesk may be working to creating features that meet specific customer needs at this time (such as support for no-code, repetitive tasks, cloud solutions, custom activities, and marketing automation platform). In addition, documentation may lag behind current events.

Share your experience

Leave a review about Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction here. Your observations may then be taken into consideration and contribute to a better, even more balanced assessment of Zendesk CRM.

1. Zendesk Reporting

90%

The vendor Zendesk has an excellent score in our 100% vendor-independent CRM & Customer Interaction study on the section ‘Reporting’ with a score of 90%, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: CRM analytics and interactive reporting. In doing so, we looked at the following products: Zendesk Happyfox. In total, we examined 11 criteria within this section. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Reporting’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024.

2. Zendesk Customer Relationship Management

85%

The vendor Zendesk has an excellent rating in our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the section ‘Customer Relationship Management’ with a score of 85%, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: customer interactions, small businesses, and self-service portal. In doing so, we investigated the following products: Zendesk CRM. In total, we examined 25 features within this discipline. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Customer Relationship Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

3. Zendesk Sales Management

83%

The vendor Zendesk has an excellent performance in our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the section ‘Sales Management’ with a score of 83%, relative to other vendors. We considered the following factors: sales pipeline, customer lifetime value, goal management, sales workflows, sales order management, sales cycle management, and visual sales pipeline. In total, we examined 51 criteria in this category. Are you excited about the topic ‘Sales Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024.

4. Zendesk Customer Data

79%

Zendesk has a good score in our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the subject ‘Customer Data’, given that they score 79% on this, compared to other vendors. We considered the following factors: custom fields, appointment, customer data platform, customer information, data anonymization, and manage contacts. In doing so, we looked at the following products: Zendesk Sunshine. In total, we examined 45 criteria within this section. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Customer Data’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Study.

5. Zendesk Data Quality

76%

Zendesk has a good performance in our 100% vendor-independent CRM & Customer Interaction study of the theme ‘Data Quality’, given that they score 76% on this, compared to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: merge duplicate and data cleansing. In total, we examined 16 features within this discipline. Would you like to delve further into the topic ‘Data Quality’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024.

6. Zendesk Campaign Management

75%

The company has a good rating in our recently updated, independent CRM & Customer Interaction study on the section ‘Campaign Management’ with a score of 75%, compared to other vendors. We considered the following factors: email marketing, email campaigns, drip campaigns, and direct marketing. In total, we examined 25 selection criteria within this main theme. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Campaign Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024.

7. Zendesk Lead Management

72%

The vendor Zendesk has a good rating in our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the subject ‘Lead Management’, given that they score 72% on this, compared to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: lead generation, lead conversion, lead scoring, and lead qualification. In total, we examined 12 features within this discipline. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Lead Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide.

8. Zendesk Automation Platform

67%

Zendesk has a good score in our study on the subject ‘Automation Platform’ with a score of 67%, compared to other vendors. The following criteria were used: marketing automation, all-in-one marketing automation, app marketplace, and automating workflows. In total, we examined 28 features within this discipline. Are you planning to specialize further in the topic ‘Automation Platform’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Study 2024.

9. Zendesk Infrastructure

66%

The vendor Zendesk has a good score in our 100% vendor-independent CRM & Customer Interaction study on the subject ‘Infrastructure’. The score amounts to 66%, compared to other vendors. We considered the following factors: email integration, mobile crm, cloud infrastructure, and customizable layouts. In total, we examined 56 aspects in this category. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Infrastructure’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Study.

10. Zendesk Customer Service Management

63%

The company has a good rating in our 100% vendor-independent CRM & Customer Interaction study of the theme ‘Customer Service Management’, given that they score 63% on this, compared to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: customer service, case management, ticketing system, field service management, and call center CRM. In total, we examined 9 criteria in this category. Would you like to delve further into the topic ‘Customer Service Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

11. Zendesk Task Management

52%

The company has a good score in our independent CRM & Customer Interaction guide on the subject ‘Task Management’ with a score of 52%, compared to other vendors. We used the following selection criteria: repetitive tasks and task list. In total, we examined 13 selection criteria within this main theme. Are you planning to specialize further in the topic ‘Task Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024.

Want to know more? Then order the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here

In which sectors is Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction most active?

In our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey, we also found out which industries a vendor operates in. These are the industries where Zendesk is frequently used: automotive, banking, education, fintech, governments, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, manufacturing, public sector, real estate, restaurant, retail, telecom, and universities.

Zendesk software is most used by…

The CRM & Customer Interaction software from Zendesk is most often mentioned in combination with the following functions/roles: account managers, business development, sales reps, service agents, and service representatives.

Hire a qualified Zendesk developer

Training and in-company training Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction

We organize various classes in the field of CRM & Customer Interaction but can also provide specific Zendesk training, for example as in-company. The training will address at least the subsequent software applications: Zendesk Sunshine and Zendesk Happyfox. Of course, we frame the training with the ideas of the intelligent, data-driven organization.

Final judgment: Zendesk CRM scores high

Zendesk has a compact product portfolio with which it scores high in our CRM & Customer Interaction survey. Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction innovates (approximately) at an average rate of less than 5 features per year, is active (for now) in lots of different sectors, and has developed best in reporting.

About Passionned Group

logo of Passionned Group, the Zendesk CRM & Customer Interaction specialistPassionned Group excels in 100% independent CRM & Customer Interaction consulting and the implementation of CRM & Customer Interaction solutions. Our experienced CRM & Customer Interaction specialists help small and larger organizations to advance as intelligent, data-driven organizations.

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Fact sheet

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customers
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training courses
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people trained
9.3
customer satisfaction
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consultants & teachers
19
years of experience