The Advent of the Pop-up Contact Centre

Everyone’s heard of pop-up kiosks and stores, even pop-up cafes and pop-up exhibitions. Most of us have been annoyed at some point by pop-up ads online. But how about pop-up contact centres? We believe it’s about time this term came into our lingo, as it’s a phenomenon happening more and more in this age of agility.

A pop-up contact centre is often an impromptu set-up in response to an unexpected event – such as telephone fund-raising for a natural disaster, a hotline for a product recall, or a team to manage a social media disaster gone viral. However it can also be part of a planned strategy to test the ground for a new offering, where the business case for investment in a permanent contact centre is not yet proven. Or perhaps there is an event being promoted on TV which will trigger a sudden, short spurt of calls – and then the pop up centre pops down.

Pop-up contact centres can be used effectively by start-ups and big business alike. Even government agencies may leverage them for new policy announcements or urgent public initiatives.

So how does a pop-up contact centre work?

Pop-up contact centres may be outsourced to a third party or, thanks to flexible cloud technology, implemented in-house. The three key elements are people, space and technology. Contact centre outsourcers can provide all these things bundled up in a package and ready to go. They may offer a choice of physical facilities, or even a remote (home) agent model which is instant and scalable. Most outsourcers which operate multi-tenant facilities (with numerous clients in a shared space) have an empty space buffer (20-30% is typical) where there is capacity to accommodate needs at short notice. (If this sounds like just what you need, find outsourcers here.)

Alternatively, if you have an in-house strategy, and want your own people to manage your customers, you can plug into space+cloud technology bundles. Technology providers are getting smarter about their offerings in this area, with express packages and accelerated user training for their software, which allow clients to be up and running in weeks or even days, at a push. As the software is in the cloud, it can be deployed anywhere, regardless of whether you operate from your own physical premises.

Just need fit-out contact centre space?

If you have the technology and the people already, and all you’re looking for is space, speak to your training department about using a training room or a boardroom to provide temporary capacity. Or contact us for external space options. Matchboard currently has clients with pre-configured Australian contact centre space in Sydney, Melbourne and other cities.

Regardless of whether you’re working on a business continuity plan, and want a pop-up contact centre to be part of it, or you’re in marketing and have a need for a temporary sales and service function, Matchboard can help walk you through the options. Contact us.