Help Connection.NET (by Expinion.net) Editor's Review

Editor's rating

The editor's rating is calculated based on the average of the following criteria, rated on a
scale of 1 of 5:

• Installation: 5
• Features: 5
• Interface: 3
• Customization: 4
• Help and support: 5

Bottom line

"HelpConnection.NET is more than just a helpdesk script. It is a bag full of professional customer support tools — a self-service client support portal, a social reputation tracker and several built-in back office tools such as task management and memo sharing — built seamlessly into a product that is truly designed to aid in customer support." - Ahmad Permessur, Editor - HotScripts.com

Pros and cons

Pros

• It's easy to install and configure.
• It has well-documented support manuals including inline help in each admin section.
• Tons of customizable options are available via a backend or configuration file.
• Powerful reporting and statistics features are included.
• It has a decent client self-service portal with knowledge base and news announcement sections.

Cons

• The admin interface can take some getting used to.

Detailed review

HelpConnection.NET is a fully featured and functional helpdesk and knowledgebase script with automation aplenty that will help you stay on top of your customer support. It is well equipped with all the essential features you'd expect in any customer support application, such as parsing emails as tickets with the possibility of assigning tickets to specific agents and tracking tickets until their resolution.

Its flexibility and customization options make it an appropriate customer support solution for not only online businesses but also offline businesses. For example, HelpConnection.NET's assets management feature allows you to assign items to a particular issue or client. Additionally, HelpConnection.NET has a built-in social reputation tool that can be configured to monitor Twitter for specific keywords, such as your brand's keywords or your competitors' keywords.

HelpConnection.NET is also bundled with a client area that has a self-service customer support portal. Clients can browse knowledgebase items, read announcements, file new tickets or track existing ones. The interface of the client portal can be styled to match the look and feel of your site.

The admin section of HelpConnection.NET sports a minimalist interface with the possibility of customizing the dashboard. The interface can take some getting used to, but built-in help for each section proves to be very useful. Back office administration is HelpConnection.NET's forte: Support agents can share internal memos with each other and turn tickets into tasks that can be eventually managed in a task manager. Power users will also get access to detailed reporting, including agents' performance statistics.

Taking all of that into account, HelpConnection.NET is a great piece of script that is robust and serves its purpose well. Some enhancements to the user interface in the backend could further improve an already excellent product.

Screenshots