Out of the box or not, that is the question

Is it?

 

Several contact center vendors provide an out of the box contact center solution. Are you ready to buy it? Well, I don't buy it. Since when does one size fits all? Are you betting your contact center (that is the basis of your valuable contacts with your clients) on an IKEA style application?

 

Now, nothing wrong with IKEA furniture, but applications in this type of industry need to be thought out together with the client, in order to be 100% effective. Or else you will end up with an application that will fit your needs for 50 % and you will build applications and patches and workarounds in order to make it work more or less the way you want it. This will cost you more money and time in the end.

 

Let's see. Windows is delivered with WordPad (as Write is called nowadays). Do you use it? Ever? Why did you buy Microsoft Word (or downloaded OpenOffice.org?) - Because you needed something more powerful. So, don't go for the prepackaged applications. Unless. Unless you can change them - meaning unless you can have the source code to change them or can have consultants that can change the source for you in order to change the application to suit your needs.

 

I think that all these offerings of contact center vendors with cheapo products - they are just trying to tie you in to their product. And when you are tied into it? Then they will suck you dry. You will need to buy this. And that, and the other. And you pay. And pay. And pay. And see the bottom of your wallet very soon.

 

So - think when you buy something cheap. It may well not be as cheap as you are thinking...

 

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Wanna buy (perhaps not so cheap, but very performing) contact center software? Mail now. I'll be sure to make you an offer you can't refuse.