ReadWriteStart

ZenDesk Offers iPhone App Customer Support

Written by Dana Oshiro / June 18, 2009 3:00 PM / 2 Comments

This post is part of our ReadWriteStart channel, which is dedicated to profiling startups and entrepreneurs. The channel is sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark. To sign up for BizSpark, click here.

zendesk_iphone_jun09b.jpgDon't you hate it when someone attractive asks you for an imaginary light, and your iPhone Zippo crashes? ZenDesk is offering a new embeddable drop box solution to give iPhone and Android developers customer support directly in their apps. With the current influx of application development, and the need to serve international mobile audiences, subscription-based service ZenDesk is providing another pipeline for company support. And the demand it certainly there as support sites like JustAnswer and FixYa move increasingly into servicing users in the mobile space.

ZenDesk is best known as a web-based SaaS help desk provider. The company has had its own web-based Dropbox since January, and this new mobile offering alleviates the need for application developers to create their own forms. That being said, can we really expect mobile app audiences to walk a company through its bugs? Especially when the products retail for $3 dollars or less?

zendesk_iphone_jun09.jpgWhile there are certainly some major names like Smule and Tapulous, the vast majority of developers are recognized only by their products. The drop box is an attempt to ease the complaint process and circumvent users having to find a support email. However, buggy applications are not likely to maintain their audience for long as most apps have decent competitors waiting in the wings. In other words, while ZenDesk is a great solution, you certainly can't rely on your post-purchase support services to pull you through. Some of ZenDesk's notable clients include Twitter, Scribd and MSNBC. To check out the service, sign up for a free trial.

Microsoft BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. Click here to apply.


Comments

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  1. We at DeskAway use Zendesk for our customer support and find it immensely useful! Really like this idea they have come up with!

    Posted by: Priyanka D | June 18, 2009 11:42 PM



  2. Hi Dana. Thanks for the post. I'm pretty sure the mobile dropbox will not save buggy apps from being buggy :-) But it will give app publishers the ability to embrace customer feedback, bug reports and feature requests, and intervene these unfortunate instances where a simple misunderstanding leads to a terrible and sometimes devastating review on the app store.

    Posted by: Mikkel Asger Svane | June 19, 2009 1:40 AM



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