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How To Choose The Best CX Partner For Your Business

Posted on | by Harriet Norman

How To Choose The Best CX Partner For Your Business

Partnering with a CX software vendor helps to maximise the value of your offering, become more relevant to your customers and access opportunities that are otherwise unattainable.

There is a myriad of CX partners to choose from out there but how can you know for sure which is best suited to your organisational needs?

We have identified 5 key questions to consider:

  1. Do they have the capabilities to help you achieve your objectives?
  2. Is their commercial model aligned with yours?
  3. Do they have relevant and adequate experience?
  4. Are they reliable and flexible?
  5. Do they offer a strong yet adaptable technology stack? 

1. Do They Have The Capabilities To Help You Achieve Your Objectives?

It is fundamental that your CX partner thoroughly understands your needs and what you are striving to achieve by joining forces. Not only is it important that they relay this to you but it’s important that they prove their capabilities can you get you where you want to be.

Ensure that any prospective CX partners take you through their skills, experience and competencies. Check the partnership types they offer are in line with what you require. 

For instance, Synthetix offers partnership types such as:

  • System Integrators – Utilising Synthetix’s SDK 2.0 (in development) to combine your clients’ software and subsequently increase value for you and their customers. 
  • Technology Partners – Seamlessly integrating directly with your software to create an enhanced offering for your customers.
  • MSPs – Multi-tenant knowledge base views enable the management of multiple clients’ customer services within a contact centre – perfect for outsourcing. 

2. Is Their Commercial Model Aligned With Your Requirements?

To ensure you and any potential CX partners are aligned commercially, consider the following:

  • Is the pricing structure compatible? Do they offer commercial models that are suitable for enterprise business, bespoke needs and multi-year contracts? 
  • Are their client bases similar to yours? Joint offerings could broaden your appeal to the wider market but large discrepancies in the audience would simply not work. 

3. Do They Have Relevant And Adequate Experience?

Do your research with regards to potential CX partners and their experience – particularly with projects that are similar to what you’re asking for. Forging a partnership with a company that doesn’t have the relevant experience is risky and not recommended. 

Look for the following: 

  • The number of years of experience – Although quality over quantity may be true, years of experience is a good  indicator of how well a vendor can execute a partnership. Synthetix has been delivering CX solutions and partnerships since 2001. 
  • The industries in which they have experience – Make sure they have experience in your given industry. Synthetix for example, has worked within a multitude of industries from Utilities to Manufacturing and Retail to Contact Centres. 
  • Their track record with previous projects – Do they have any case studies outlining project examples and wins? If not can they demonstrate this to you in another way? Such examples are proof of capability. 

4. Are They Reliable And Flexible?

A fundamental when partnering with a CX vendor is reliability and flexibility. You don’t want to get midway through an important project to find out that the lack of security, support or willingness to go the extra mile hinders its completion. 

Ensure you ask directly or find out through desktop research the following: 

  • Security: First consider your security needs, they may be different per project but this first step is crucial. Ensure the CX partner complies with these and at the least: ISO 27001, GDPR and PCI.
  • Support: Discuss in detail the level of support required and expected from your end, making sure both partners are on the same page. If expectations are not managed here then things begin to collapse. For instance, you may require certain hours of available support per day as well as an experienced account manager on hold.
  • Flexibility: To find out if a prospective partner would go above and beyond, ask directly. Suggest a hypothetical scenario and see what they say. Alternatively, you can look for success stories or testimonials online.

5. Do They Offer A Strong Yet Adaptable Technology Stack?

Firstly know exactly what you require from a partner in terms of technology and how it will tie into you and your clients. It’s paramount that this fit is assured from the get-go otherwise the partnership will not work as intended: 

  • Make sure your potential CX partner has taken you through a thorough product demo and explained in detail how the technologies will work together. 
  • Find out their integration capabilities – Are their APIs open and RESTful? Can their software connect with any 3rd party apps that are integral to the project’s success? 

Final Thoughts

When it comes to delivering excellent CX and customer service, often “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is all too true.  

If you are looking for a CX partner that is experienced, understands partnership needs, is reliable, flexible and knows the importance of commercial and technological adaptability, please 

Get in Touch