Contact Center silos don’t just exist inside organizations. Sometimes, the industry silos itself off from other Contact Centers as well.
This article is part of our Contact Center Management Series — a collection of articles that bring together practical guidance and insights to help Contact Centers run better and deliver stronger results.
A Story
In a recent Contact Center management class, we had a lively discussion about the value of Contact Center tours.
One participant shared that during an official Contact Center tour in Singapore, nearly every operational question was met with the response that the information was “confidential.”
Even when she was just asking about the Available Time rate. A metric that can often be estimated — and was being treated as if it were classified information.
Everyone in the class groaned.
Breaking Down Silos
Contact Center professionals have long talked about how difficult it can be to build effective cross-functional relationships inside their organizations.
Marketing keeps releasing promotions without informing the Center. Operations changes their procedures. Legal changes terms & conditions and so on.
The role of senior Contact Center leaders is to work up and out — not just to manage operations, but to educate the wider organization on the value the Contact Center creates.
To their credit, some Contact Center leaders have done exactly that. They improve the visibility and value of their Center throughout the organization.
The result is better communication, more supportive cross-functional relationships, and higher morale among Contact Center employees who understand that their work matters.
On the other hand, many have not. And the internal reputation of their Center remains mixed at best.
The Industry Level
At the industry level, Contact Centers often remain deeply cut off from one another.
One phrase that always gives me pause is when a senior executive insists that their operation is fundamentally “different” from everyone else’s.
I’ve even had one tell me that they weren’t a Contact Center at all — though they were.
I meet many Contact Centers each year. While the industries they operate in differ, the operational challenges are remarkably consistent.
Most management staff I meet have worked in only one or two Centers during their careers, which can lead to a narrow view of the Contact Center industry.
Here’s a question you can ask
I ask Contact Center people what industry they work in. The answer, more often than not, should be: the Contact Center industry.
That answered can then be followed by – “And yes – I work in the Insurance/Telecoms/Public Sector vertical…”.
It’s a simple but powerful exercise to see how people define the work they do.
When you work as a trainer or consultant, you begin to see the same problems and opportunities repeated across organizations.
I had a case where one Center was struggling with their upselling program while literally one mile away there was another Center that had a superb upselling program in place.
Despite operating within walking distance of each other, the likelihood of these two Contact Centers sharing ideas was extremely low.
Physical proximity doesn’t create learning. Intentional connection does.
What About Associations?
I find that many industry associations out there are really awards-issuing bodies.
Does the industry association where you are provide initiatives such as education, benchmarking and industry advocacy?
Or do they focus primarily on awards — which attract a predictable base of participants and help maintain financial stability?
A Client wrote to me and thanked me for connecting them up with folks in other organizations who were going through the same channel implementation process.
She added that they felt isolated — and would value the opportunity to learn alongside peers from other organizations facing the same challenges.
I’m not sure all associations work at breaking down that isolation.
Contact Center Tours
Many Contact Center tours are designed to impress rather than educate.
In some cases, visitors never even enter the Center, spending most of the time in a conference room reviewing slides.
Part of the challenge is that what truly matters in a Contact Center — quality, customer experience, engagement, leadership — is largely invisible.
That’s why I would happily attend a tour where leaders openly shared the mistakes they made, what didn’t work, and how they recovered.
And be aware — when tours are built around award-winning Centers, the pressure to perform often outweighs the willingness to be honest.
Knowing Is Easy
There’s a big difference between knowing something and executing something well. Running a great Contact Center takes more than know-how.
It requires takes will and skill.
Thank You for Reading
I regularly share stories, strategies, and insights from our work across Contact Centers, Customer Service, and Customer Experience. If this resonates, I’d love to stay connected.
You can drop me a line anytime, or subscribe on our site.
Daniel Ord
[email protected]
www.omnitouchinternational.com
