CONTACT CENTRES
Untapped Potential: Informal Contact Centres Richard James, Senior Product Manager, Gamma
The Reality We’ve Overlooked Informal contact centres – what are they, you’re probably asking. Well, they’ve been here all along, right under our noses. The people manning them are the unsung heroes in small businesses, healthcare providers, and even local vet clinics. They’re also squirreled away in hidden corners of large enterprises and public sector organisations, never truly recognised for what they are or what they’re actually doing. So clearly the physical reality of informal contact centres isn’t revolutionary – but recognising their existence certainly is. Because it’s through this recognition that you can supercharge them with Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) to level up Customer Experience (CX) from ‘oh well, that’ll do’ to ‘holy hell, that was amazing.’ So what are they? They’re your lifeblood Everyone imagines monolithic call centres. That’s what a contact centre is, surely. Well, whether you knew it or not, your mind’s eye is deceiving you: informal contact centres are the real pulse of today’s businesses, the vitality embedded deep within the anatomy of everyday operations. I’m not kidding – they’re everywhere. They’re in your IT department, they’re in HR, and especially at the front desk answering client queries. And they’re not just parts of bigger operations – let’s think back to the small businesses we mentioned earlier on. They don’t even realise they’re running informal contact centres – in fact, they might even protest if someone tried to tell them so. However, admission can be revolutionary: an admission that these setups exist and that they’re crucial. Wake Up, Folks: You’re Already in the Race Let’s be frank: if you’ve got a phone and staff fielding questions from clients while juggling other tasks, congrats—you’re already in this race. You have an informal contact centre, whether you like it or not. The question now isn’t whether to join the high-speed chase of elevating CX; you’re already in it. The question you should be asking is: how do you take the
lead? Because you’re not the only business in your ecosystem. If customers aren’t being served with exceptional CX, they’ll go to the other vet, they’ll re-register with another doctor’s surgery – they’ll put in a complaint against the local council. It’s CX or die, and realising you need the boost is the first step to survival. So, how do you go from cruising to breaking the sound barrier in CX? You turbocharge your setup with CCaaS. We’re talking scalability that moves with the ebbs and flows of your business, omnichannel support that meets your customers wherever they are, and a cost- effective model that makes your accountant’s heart sing. And beyond that, your employees will thank you – you’ll be giving them the tools they need to do their jobs properly – they’ll be happier, and this will have a knock on effect on your customers. They say “happy wife, happy life” – well, think: “happy staff, happy customer”. Why Settle for Less? You wouldn’t settle for less if you were a customer. And that’s the mindset you need to have. This isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about being a trailblazer. It’s not just about acknowledging that informal contact centres exist; it’s about optimising them to deliver CX that’s not just exceptional but unforgettable. At the end of the day, ‘good enough’ never is. So why should it be the case for your staff and customers? Exploring CCaaS solutions to solve this issue is the next step you need to take. Unleash The Untapped Potential So here’s what to do: recognise that you’re already part of this race to redefine customer service. Acknowledge the unsung heroes within your business—the informal contact centres— and give them the tools they deserve. Why? Because if you don’t someone else will, and your staff and customers will join them. It’s a harsh truth, but one that many businesses need to hear – put yourself in the shoes of customers and staff (you are often a customer and will have worked the trenches at some point) and you’ll see why this isn’t a choice, but an inevitability.
Richard James Senior Product Manager
gamma.co.uk
So clearly the physical reality of informal contact centres isn’t revolutionary – but recognising their existence certainly is.
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