Expert Insight: Stijn Van Rompaey on the cloud, AI, and Gen Z’s CX expectations

Customer service and contact centres have undergone irreversible change over the past ten to fifteen years. Cloud-based solutions, the use of bots, and AI have now become the norm. This shift offers undeniable new opportunities for customer contact, enhancing both the customer experience (CX) and the employee experience (EX).

In a new series of interviews, we invite various experts to share their insights. These are professionals, both from within and outside our organisation, who each have an impressive track record in customer communication. We introduce them as individuals and ask for their perspectives on developments in customer contact.

In today’s spotlight:

Stijn Van Rompaey – service manager at DDM Consulting

Stijn in a nutshell

Early connections

Driven by his passion for technology, Stijn studied Applied Informatics in Leuven. He started as a webmaster for the Flemish government and, two years later, entered the world of customer contact at Ideal Systems. During that time, a client introduced him to Steef, Leon, and Chris – connections that would later prove to be significant. After a stint at Newtel Essence, Stijn found his place at DDM in 2015.

Leaving his mark

He joined as a consultant, but after a few years, the opportunity for promotion arose. He took on the role of service manager and made his own mark. "I merged the separate regions into one international team. This created more flexibility and allowed us to utilise knowledge more broadly. It also enriched the company culture."

What Stijn enjoys most about his work is the variety. "No two days are the same. You’re constantly working on different tasks and with different clients. I also really enjoy motivating and coaching people," he says. Since the cloudification, there are fewer permanent staff members on the service desk, but Stijn involves colleagues with the right expertise when needed. "This makes the job even more dynamic."

Lego

Outside of work, Stijn spends as little time as possible with computers. "I’m a big Lego fan, although my children – a 14-year-old boy and twin 12-year-old daughters – have now moved on to other interests," he says with a laugh. His office proudly displays various Lego creations that he built himself. In addition, he enjoys looking after his freshwater aquarium. "It’s a way to completely escape from the digital world."

Stijn on cloud contact centres

A move to the cloud – the concerns

When transitioning to a cloud platform, organisations often have the same concerns. Stijn explains:

• Less customisation, more standardisation: "It’s true that cloud solutions are less customisable, but thanks to third-party apps, a lot is still possible."
• Availability and reliability: What happens if the cloud platform experiences a prolonged outage? What is the impact on accessibility?
• Security: "Security is essential but shouldn’t come at the cost of usability. You can’t lock everything down completely – it’s about finding a healthy balance."

So, organisations are mainly worried about potential technical challenges. However, in practice, the biggest change is usually organisational. Stijn explains: "Where IT teams used to play a central role, the business side is now more in control, which can sometimes cause friction. This shift requires a new mindset: previously, IT dictated the tools; now, the business decides what is needed to achieve its functional goals. The focus is much more on functionalities than on technical aspects."

Functional support

In his work, Stijn also notices that the emphasis is increasingly shifting from incident management to functional support. "Clients don’t just want something to work; they also want to understand the how and why," he says. "And because the direct link with the business is stronger, we are more frequently approached for operational changes."

Moreover, the line between projects and incidents is becoming blurred. Incident management is less about technical interventions and more about communication and coordination. "Our experts no longer have direct access to systems, so we manage the supplier to reach a solution."

Value for our clients

While the way of working is changing, DDM’s core value remains the same: delivering value to its clients. "We collaborate more closely with the business and actively contribute to their goals. This requires a different way of working, which is why I prefer to speak of ‘on-site colleagues’ rather than clients," Stijn says with a smile.

Thanks to the cloud, updates and improvements can be implemented more quickly. "Our role is shifting towards efficiently managing operational and functional changes. We can often implement these much faster than in-house IT teams," says Stijn.

Stijn’s tips for a successful cloud transition

For organisations making the move to a cloud platform, Stijn has three key tips:

1. Think in terms of possibilities, not just solutions – "Focus on what you want to achieve as an organisation and which improvements you aim for."
2. Choose a platform that suits your organisation – "Not every product works the same way, so select a solution that helps accelerate and simplify processes."
3. Let go of ‘how things have always been done’ – "Don’t cling too much to old processes. Instead, focus on how to make the most of new functionalities."

The transition to a cloud-based contact centre is inevitable. Organisations that embrace this change and remain flexible in adopting new possibilities will gain the most from their move to the cloud.

Stijn on AI and the future of customer interaction

The impact of AI on the service desk

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly significant role in support and contact centres, but Stijn emphasises the importance of seeing AI as a tool rather than the solution. "AI can assist in customer communication by quickly retrieving information and answering standard questions, but it’s not perfect. You can’t hold AI accountable for decisions that require human nuance and judgement."

A key limitation of AI is that the quality of its output depends entirely on the content it has access to. "If the underlying information is incorrect or incomplete, AI cannot provide reliable support. That’s why the human factor remains essential, especially for more complex issues that require empathy and critical thinking."