How to Navigate the 5 Biggest Headaches of Switching CX Platforms

Written by Sophie

Switching CX platforms can be a headache.

That’s why so many companies stick with VoC programmes that are expensive, complicated, and not really delivering results.

We get it, no one wants to invite a headache.

But what if switching didn’t have to be painful?

Here we break down the five most common pain points of switching VoC platforms and share our top tips on how to make the process smoother, faster, and less stressful.

🤕 1. The Knowledge Loss Headache

When switching CX partners, you risk losing your incumbent’s deep understanding of how your VoC programme runs and how your company operates. They understand all the subtle programme nuances, unique workflows, and internal processes that have been fine-tuned over time. Losing this knowledge overnight can feel… scary!

✅ Choose a partner who is flexible. If your current programme is tailored, it’s no good picking a VoC provider with an off-the-shelf solution. Don’t just take their word for it – ask for examples of different programmes they’ve supported and connect with their existing clients to see how flexible they really are in practice.

✅ Facilitate knowledge sharing between partners. Your new provider should coordinate with the incumbent provider and take the time to learn your business culture, workflows and customer priorities, not just the surface-level features.

💡 At Watermelon, when onboarding new clients, we conduct a series of dedicated auditing sessions using a structured template to capture every detail of their programme, ensuring a smooth and seamless transition.

🤕 2. The Integration Challenges Headache

Your new CX supplier will need to integrate with your existing systems. CRMs, ticketing systems, chat tools, other feedback platforms… it’s a bit of a minefield and you might still be scarred from how painful it was to set everything up last time!

✅ Choose a supplier who can fit in with your existing tech stack. They should support native integrations as well as custom solutions where needed. Ask them for real examples of how they’ve made everything work for other clients just like you.

✅ Potential suppliers should also be able to provide clear API documentation before you commit. Share this with your technical teams so they can review to assess compatibility, spot potential gaps, and avoid nasty surprises down the line.

✅ Manage your implementation timeline accordingly. Even with the best intentions, technical set ups often take longer than anticipated so engage the right stakeholders early in the process and build in adequate contingency in case you encounter any dreaded bumps along the road!

💡 At Watermelon, we run complementary technical assessment sessions upfront and provide hands-on onboarding support from our technical team to expedite the implementation process and troubleshoot any issues in real-time.

🤕 3. The Service Continuity Headache

There’s sometimes a temporary dip in service levels during and shortly after the transition to a new CX platform. Beyond setting up the VoC programme itself, team members need time to get up to speed, workflows need ironing out, and unexpected issues can pop up.

✅ Preparation is critical to minimising disruption. A good VoC provider will work with you to build a feature equivalence matrix, helping you identify any functionality gaps between the old and new platforms and plan for any necessary workarounds and/or additional training required.

✅ They should also support the migration of historical data, ensuring that past feedback, scores, and insights are fully accessible from day one in your new environment.

✅ Your new platform should be fully set up before your existing contract ends, allowing you to test everything while your current service is still live. This overlap is crucial for spotting any setbacks and upskilling key stakeholders.

✅ When it’s time to go live, some downtime might be unavoidable so ask if your provider can schedule the final switchover outside of business hours to minimise disruption.

💡 At Watermelon, the pilot phase is baked into our implementation plan as standard. It’s when we fine-tune the programme, catch any issues early, and make sure everything runs smoothly before full launch.

🤕 4. Score Change Headache

Switching VoC providers often comes with unexpected side effects, and one of the trickiest to deal with is a shift in customer feedback scores. Changes in survey design, question format, timing, and methodology can all affect how customers respond.

For businesses where frontline teams are benchmarked (and bonused!) on these scores, even small fluctuations can have a big impact.

✅ Transparency can help to reduce anxiety and maintain trust. Before rollout, let the relevant teams know that score fluctuations are common during VoC transitions. Set expectations that initial results may not be comparable to the old system.

✅ To fully understand the impact, run both VoC systems in parallel for a few weeks. This will give you a baseline for comparison, help to validate changes and recalibrate baseline scores, resulting in a much smoother transition.

✅ If needed, establish fresh benchmark scores and adjust bonus targets, ensuring these are clearly communicated to the teams and individuals impacted.

💡 At Watermelon, we recognise the importance of understanding and explaining any score changes. We assess their statistical significance, identify root causes and contributing factors, and help communicate the impact to the wider business.

🤕 5. The Change Resistance Headache

Let’s face it, no one really likes change. It’s associated with disruption, increased workloads and a general sense of discomfort. Internal teams can have a hard time adapting to a new provider, particularly if they had a good working relationship with the previous partner.

✅ Aligning everyone on the business case is essential to gaining buy-in. Keep teams informed about what’s changing, why, and how it benefits them.

✅ Throughout the switch, listen closely to internal teams to identify pain points and make adjustments as needed.

✅ Ensure agents and managers feel confident using the new platform through tailored training sessions and easy access to support.

💡 At Watermelon, we know how important it is to get this bit right. That’s why we run culture sessions upfront to ensure we’re a great fit for your business. We involve stakeholders at the design stage to make sure their voices are heard and we hold regular check-in sessions throughout the programme’s lifecycle to make sure we continue to work together harmoniously.

To find out more about our migration process, go to https://www.watermelonresearch.com/voice-of-the-customer