Should we build our own contact centre? While many emerging platforms encourage a 'DIY' contact centre approach, these come with some potential pitfalls. In this article, Gavin Metcalfe shares his experiences and expert opinion on the topic.
Since moving back into my nearly completed home after a substantial internal renovation, I've found myself immersed in the meticulous process of unpacking amidst the final touches and compiling what seems like an endless "snagging list." Yet, as a self-described "typical Kiwi Bloke," I've encountered moments where I stumble upon items on the list and pause, grappling with a mix of pride and uncertainty. Will I be judged if I can't handle these tasks myself? Will my family or even the builders perceive me differently? It's amusing how the intricacies of the psyche and ego come into play in these situations.
Facing this internal dilemma, I reached for my tools—a collection of screws, a trusty drill—and made the decision to tackle the task of re-hanging those cupboard hooks in the wardrobe. As I embarked on this endeavour, the first hurdle emerged: a shortage of the correct fastenings for the hooks. Undeterred, I rummaged through my supplies, hoping to find substitutes that would suffice. Yet, even with my makeshift solution, I encountered further complications. Only one screw found its place, while the second inadvertently pushed the plug through into the door, leaving me with a precarious situation—only one end of the hooks secured, and the risk of damaging the freshly painted surface looming ominously. In that moment, clarity struck. Despite my determination, I've never been particularly adept at DIY tasks; after all, I've spent the past 25 years immersed in the world of technology. I've entrusted experts to renovate my home, so why jeopardize the finishing touches now? With that realization, I stepped back, setting aside my tools.
Reflecting on this episode prompted me to consider a parallel within the realm of customer experience technology and the crucial disparity between projects that yield success and those that falter. Your customer experience stands as the cornerstone of your business, akin to the front door, where interactions with your valued customers occur.
Over the past decade, the technology sector has undergone significant disruption fuelled by advancements such as public cloud infrastructure, consumption-based models, open API ecosystems, and now, Generative AI. Consequently, in today's landscape, the design of solutions must be meticulously crafted, drawing from experience garnered from numerous contact center deployments. This ensures that both minor hiccups and major obstacles are pre-emptively addressed and mitigated.
Many platforms now allow or even encourage developers or enthusiastic DIYers to ‘build their own contact centre’. This scenario might seem enticing to the avid technologist, especially one not directly responsible for overarching company metrics like CSAT or sales targets. Yet, despite the allure, delving into a DIY approach with technology presents numerous pitfalls, often likened to "one-way doors." Consider this: if Bill Gates offered you the chance to "Build Your Own Word Processor," it might spark excitement among tech enthusiasts eager to personalize their digital typewriters. However, for a construction company, venturing into word processor development would likely prove an unnecessary folly.
Many people can be dazzled by a slick demonstration, especially with a snippet of information and assumed production readiness. Taking the next step to designing a contact centre which both meets or exceeds your current requirements, helps you deliver on your company specific CX goals, but can also be extended, changed and easily managed is not a general IT skill.
It takes a broad understanding of CX trends and considerations from Open Speech vs DTMF, Authentication models, Workforce management, Quality Management, sentiment analysis and business intelligence along with the battle scars of experience across a range of customer and technology deployments.
Next time you are around a tradesman or builder, ask them what the most common DIY mistakes which they are asked to fix? I expect you will get a long list.
When dealing with a complex customer and agent experience be aware of the DIY myth and the human psyche/ego which may envelop your technical teams, this can be a very expensive mistake to learn.
My advice would be, stick to your knitting, surround yourself with experts you trust and see your CX outcomes improve.
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sales@neonnow.io
I am passionate about solving customer problems with technology. It’s an exciting time as democratised technology innovations are enabling businesses of any size to create advanced, personalised, contextual experiences for both agents and customers. I work in the real world, listening to customers, building trust, and recommending solutions that will provide a step change for the customer's business. My solutions and products enable immediate and longer terms benefits for organisations, solving real-world problems by leveraging our own developed IP along with a strong eco-system of partners to repeatedly deliver optimal outcomes for customers. My career spans customer service, projects, product management and sales across a variety of industries. My career highlights demonstrate my capacity to develop high-performing teams to provide business outcomes which enable growth. I have over 20 years’ of experience in the London, New Zealand and Australian technology markets. I own CloudWave’s Product Strategy and Management along with our consulting team.’
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