Channels are the various ways in which customers attempt to contact you for assistance. A helpdesk consolidates questions/messages from all channels into one location to make it easier for agents.
Phone and email are the traditional support channels that are still widely used. With self-service becoming more popular, businesses are allowing customers to raise tickets directly from the support portal if they don't find answers in the knowledge base or forums. Customers can easily access support through chat and in-app (web and mobile) channels on a company's website and apps. Of course, brands are now expected to provide customer support via Facebook and Twitter as well. A truly multi-channel helpdesk will bring everything together and make agent support extremely simple.
