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Amazon Connect and Amazon Web Services – My Journey into the World of Call Centers and Technology

Carter Stickler

By Carter Stickler, with Jess Vigorito



Amazon Connect is a cloud-based contact center service that empowers businesses to deliver superior customer service, driving digital transformation and reducing costs compared to traditional solutions. Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides a vast suite of cloud computing services, many of which integrate seamlessly with Amazon Connect. My journey into this world of call centers and technology began on April 12th, 2021, marking the start of a transformative chapter in my career.


When I was first tasked with building contact flows in AWS, I had little knowledge of the platform’s capabilities. Beyond a brief training session that I completed quickly with another new hire, I was starting from scratch. One of the first major challenges I faced was learning how to work within the constraints outlined in the statement of work. I quickly realized that solving problems wasn’t just about finding the best technical solution—it was also about navigating scope, ensuring scalability, and securing approvals before moving forward.


While working within constraints initially felt limiting, it taught me the importance of clear communication with project managers and staying aligned with project requirements. It’s a lesson I’ve carried with me throughout my career, and I have a deep appreciation for the project managers who make life easier by maintaining that alignment. Another early challenge came from the limitations of my role at the time. I wasn’t allowed to work on Lambda functions to integrate with my contact flows, even though I was fascinated by the programming possibilities they enabled. Lambda functions allowed for more advanced solutions, like custom holiday schedules, dynamic prompts, and overcoming the limitations of out-of-the-box functionality. Seeing the power of these functions sparked my interest in development, but the constraints of my role meant I couldn’t log time for that work on customer projects.


Eventually, I was given opportunities to work on coding tasks in a limited capacity when resources were stretched thin. While this slowed my growth as a Solutions Architect and Developer for a time, it deepened my appreciation for the development side of things. By the time I achieved my certification as a Solutions Architect (Professional) six months later, I had gained a solid foundation in the visual development of Amazon Connect and contact flows.


A New Chapter: Joining GTS

In 2022, I joined Global Technology Solutions (GTS), and it was a turning point in my career. My previous role, though foundational, had become repetitive and lacked opportunities for growth. At GTS, I finally had the freedom to innovate and fully apply my skills. No longer bound by rigid role limitations, I could work with any AWS service to solve problems creatively, all while keeping cost-efficiency in mind.


This newfound freedom, coupled with the incredible support of the GTS team, accelerated my growth as a Developer and Solutions Architect. I began working on cutting-edge projects, developing custom Contact Control Panels (CCPs) that integrated advanced features like live sentiment analysis, video escalation, and custom voicemail solutions.


Our team tackled dynamic prompting solutions, created front-end interfaces to manage them, and developed complex Lex bots, Q&A bots, Alexa skills, and integrations with third-party platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Google Cloud. Leveraging natural language processing (NLP) and advanced AI, these solutions didn’t just improve user experiences for agents—they also streamlined interactions and boosted customer satisfaction.


Building the Future of Contact Centers

At GTS, I’ve had the opportunity to create scalable, flexible Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions tailored to diverse customer needs. Together with our small but powerful AWS team, we’ve tackled challenges both new and old, proving time and again that there’s rarely a problem we can’t solve.


One of the most rewarding aspects of my journey has been using my certifications, knowledge, and experience to innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible. From modernizing customer engagement strategies to delivering transformative solutions, I’ve loved every minute of working in the AWS and contact center space. Each challenge feels like a puzzle waiting to be solved, and the solutions we create are a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation.


Looking back, what started as a simple task—building contact flows on an unfamiliar platform—has grown into a genuine passion for creating solutions that transform businesses. The breadth of possibilities with AWS, Amazon Connect, Google Cloud, and other cloud technologies continues to expand rapidly, ensuring there’s always something new to learn and achieve.


Partner with GTS


At GTS, we believe in harnessing the power of AWS, Amazon Connect, and other cloud technologies to drive real business transformation. Whether you’re optimizing your contact center or creating more engaging customer experiences, our team is here to guide you through the complexities of modern cloud infrastructure and deliver scalable, customer-centric solutions.


Ready to transform your contact center?


Contact GTS today at hello@GTSCX.AI to learn how we can help your business harness the power of Amazon Connect and AWS. From enhancing customer experiences to implementing advanced AI solutions, we’ll guide you every step of the way!





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