Expert Insight: Michel Delfosse on cloud customer contact and the future of CX

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:

Michel Delfosse – Sales Director at Genesys

Michel in a nutshell

From business engineer to contact centre expert

Technology and business have fascinated Michel from an early age. His studies in Business Engineering were a natural fit, and after graduating, he joined Datapoint (now Sabio) in the early 2000s, working on Avaya contact centres. Five years later, he sought a new challenge and moved to NextiraOne (now NTT Data), a Genesys partner. As Business Unit Manager for contact centres, he further expanded his expertise.

A passion for customer contact

A move to Genesys was the logical next step. Michel joined in 2007 as a Sales Executive for Belgium and is now Sales Director for the Benelux, still as passionate as ever. His enthusiasm for customer contact plays a crucial role: being on the front line and making an impact both within and beyond the contact centre. “Without this drive, you won’t get far. It’s the combination of the right technology and a deep understanding of business objectives that convinces customers.”

Nature, history, and virtual speed

Michel loves long walks, often accompanied by his wife, who works in Roman archaeology. Together, they balance hiking in nature with visits to historical monuments. His grown-up children (24 and 22) occasionally take their dad to an escape room or a go-kart track. But once back home, Michel can often be found at his computer, especially since discovering ‘Virtual Sim Racing.’ Laughing, he says: “Racing from the comfort of your armchair – what more could you possibly want?”

Michel on changes in customer interaction

Focus on the employee

Over Michel’s years in the contact centre industry, much has changed, including how agents are viewed. Previously, employees were seen primarily as tools for maximum efficiency, but now their unique contributions are more often recognised. There is a growing understanding that happy employees are key to happy customers. By investing in employee well-being, development, and motivation, companies create not only a better workplace but also a stronger competitive edge.

The cloud transition through the eyes of an expert

Michel has witnessed the shift from on-premise contact centres to the cloud up close. He saw how the rise of SaaS dramatically changed the IT mindset. Many IT managers initially believed cloud telephony would be as manageable as a CRM application. Michel was sceptical: “Telephony is far more real-time. Even a slight delay has a noticeable impact. Fortunately, Quality of Service (QoS) has now improved significantly. Where SIP connections once posed challenges, the cloud is now highly reliable and stable.”

Modern speech recognition enhances CX

Speech recognition technology has evolved tremendously in recent years. Initially, customer expectations were often too high for the technology available, but advancements in sophisticated language models have improved its reliability. Michel is enthusiastic: “These models make speech recognition robust and dependable, helping businesses better meet customer needs, leading to greater convenience and an improved customer experience.”

Michel on cloud projects today

A shift in mindset

One of the major advantages of cloud solutions is that customers can immediately test the platform and its functionalities, which often leads to quicker adoption in smaller organisations. In larger projects, however, the complexity increases due to organisational impact. “Many large on-premise customers were content with their stable, internally managed platform. IT teams were often hesitant about cloud migration, fearing loss of control, while the business saw opportunities. In such cases, aligning everyone takes time.”

Technology vs. positioning

Has Michel’s role as a provider of customer contact platforms become easier with the cloud? He pauses before answering: “B2B sales projects remain complex because it’s not just about the technology but also about finding the right fit. What exactly does the customer need? How does the platform align with their specific challenges? While the cloud offers immense benefits such as scalability, flexibility, and long-term cost savings, it still requires careful alignment and tailored advice. This remains crucial in the sales process.”

Michel on the future of CX

The rise of virtual assistants

Virtual assistants are rapidly gaining ground in customer service. Thanks to their self-learning capabilities, they are smarter than traditional chatbots and, with Large Language Models (LLMs), better at conversation. However, they are not necessarily suitable for handling complex or sensitive issues, where human agents remain essential. Michel explains: “Companies need to differentiate themselves by resolving complex customer problems quickly, which usually requires human expertise. AI provides the space and support for agents to serve customers more effectively.”

The changing role of the customer contact agent

Michel predicts AI will have a lasting impact on CX. “The agent’s role is evolving: AI will take over more routine tasks, especially in After Call Work. The advantage is that agents can focus on more complex interactions. However, this is industry-dependent: telecom companies heavily invest in automation with virtual agents, while in financial services, personal contact remains crucial due to the nature of conversations and security considerations.”

Security above all

The rise of GenAI and self-learning bots has put data security and privacy firmly on the agenda for many CEOs – and rightly so. How can organisations maintain control? How autonomous should bots be? Where do you draw the line?

Michel states: “Genesys has deliberately developed GenAI in-house, ensuring full control over the technology. Additionally, we collaborate with Amazon Bedrock to integrate third-party AIs without compromising privacy or security. This sets us apart from companies relying on solutions like OpenAI, especially considering GDPR regulations.”

Despite technological advancements, control remains crucial. Michel is clear: “Virtual assistants will inevitably make mistakes. That’s why we always have a human team monitoring AI performance, ensuring it remains ethical and safe.”

Michel on Genesys’ unique strengths

Experience Orchestration powered by AI

Genesys’ Experience Orchestration helps organisations optimise customer interactions across multiple communication channels, departments, and management systems. Using AI and intelligent data analysis, it seamlessly connects systems, enabling swift and personalised service. This enhances both the customer experience and workplace efficiency.

Michel explains: “Orchestration has always been in our DNA. It’s one of the core strengths of our solutions, highly valued by our customers. Thanks to our unique AI token system, clients can easily leverage different AI solutions to support Experience Orchestration.”

Empathy in collaboration

Michel also highlights the importance of empathy. It is a key principle in Genesys’ solutions but, more importantly, a reason why he still enjoys working with the Benelux team. “Despite the size of our team, we maintain close collaboration with customers and partners. A company must never become arrogant but should continue investing in relationships.” A great example is the Community Days, where customers and partners come together to share experiences.

“Of course, there are occasional disagreements, but you work through them – just like in a good marriage,” he laughs. “Collaboration is key, no matter what. That’s what sets us apart.”