IT helpdesk (ITSM) and customer support share surface-level similarities but serve fundamentally different purposes. Choosing the wrong category of tool wastes money and frustrates both agents and users.
The key differences
IT helpdesk serves internal employees with known identities and predictable issue types. Customer support serves external users with varying technical literacy and unpredictable requests. The workflows, escalation paths, and success metrics are different.
When ITSM tools work for customer support
Rarely, and only for technical products where customers behave like internal users. Jira Service Management is excellent for IT but clunky for customer support. The customer portal feels like an afterthought.
When customer support tools work for IT
More often than you would expect. Tools like FyneDesk and Freshdesk handle internal IT support well because the core workflow (ticket in, assign, resolve, close) is universal. You just skip the ITSM-specific features like change management and asset tracking.
The hybrid approach
Some teams use one platform for both. This works if the tool is flexible enough. Avoid tools that force ITSM terminology (incidents, problems, changes) on your customer-facing support team.