OPERATE · KEEP IT RUNNING
The build is done. You're the backstop again.
Weekly status recaps, ticket queue upkeep, Zendesk configuration, reporting, knowledge base updates, quality monitoring. Somebody has to own these every week, not just during a project. Operate is that somebody, led personally by Ty and backed by a team that does the hands-on delivery, with a clear line between maintenance and new work, so scope never turns into a monthly negotiation.
WHY THIS EXISTS
I've watched what happens when nobody stays.
One client disengaged early against Ty's recommendation, confident an internal hire could cover the gap. The operation drifted in exactly the ways she'd flagged: the schedule fell out of sync, too many people making small admin changes undid parts of the build, and there was no real succession plan. They came back twice, each time asking for less than what actually would have fixed it.
"A system doesn't fail because the build was bad. It fails because nobody stayed to maintain it, and the gap gets filled by whoever's available instead of by design."
TY GIVENS, FOUNDER
WHAT'S INCLUDED EVERY MONTH
Nine things, running every week, not just during a project.
Weekly status recap
What happened, what's in progress, what's next, in writing, every week.
Weekly planning and project board maintenance
Internal prioritization so nothing falls through the cracks between touchpoints.
Monthly business review
Account health, trends, and what's coming next month, a level above the weekly recap.
Ticket queue and issue resolution
Unassigned tickets, broken triggers, business hours changes, holiday coverage.
Zendesk configuration and workflow maintenance
Triggers, macros, and workflows tuned as the business changes, proactively, not just when something breaks.
Reporting and dashboard maintenance
Keeping what already exists accurate and useful. Building something new is a different bucket, see below.
Knowledge base upkeep
Updating Help Center content, FAQs, and self-service resources already in place.
Quality monitoring
Ongoing quality checks against the standards already set for the account.
AI and automation flow maintenance
Tuning bot flows, macros, and automations already in production as volume and use cases shift.
WHERE MAINTENANCE ENDS
Every account eventually asks for something that isn't maintenance. Here's how Ty and her team draw the line, every time.
The rule Ty and her team use: if it touches a system already in production, it's maintenance. If it stands up something that didn't exist before, it's a new thing. Drawing the line by system, not by task type, keeps it consistent instead of turning into a monthly negotiation.
A trigger fix and a new bot flow can both look like automation work on the surface. One is upkeep. The other is new scope.
Every account gets a monthly allowance for new-thing work, so there's a home for reasonable enhancements without opening a new SOW every time. That allowance isn't a guess. Six months of logged hours on one active account averaged under 10 hours a month of new-thing work, with real swings depending on what was in flight. A typical starting allowance is around 10 hours a month, adjusted up or down based on account size and history at setup.
Two paths when the allowance runs out, decided before the work starts, not after: bill the extra hours at the standard rate, or if the ask is big enough to be its own project, scope it separately as an Automate engagement.
One flat monthly rate covers the maintenance work above, the new-things allowance, and account management overhead, led personally by Ty with her team doing the hands-on delivery. The only variable is overage past the allowance, and you'll know upfront which of the two paths above applies. Annual option available. Exact rate is set in a short conversation, not a price list.
DON'T NEED THE FULL RETAINER
Just need one discipline covered? Start here instead.
DFY Quality and DFY WFM skip the Assessment step entirely, through free tools, no prior engagement required. DFY Help Desk works a little differently, it starts with its own paid Help Desk Assessment instead.
DFY Quality
Ongoing QA scoring and coaching notes, without the rest of Operate. Start with the free QA scorecard on CX Collective Advantage to see where you stand first.
Try the free QA scorecard →DFY WFM
Ongoing workforce management adjustments, without the rest of Operate. Start with the free schedule builder on CX Collective Advantage.
Try the free schedule builder →DFY Help Desk
Ongoing help desk maintenance and platform upkeep, without the rest of Operate. This one starts with a paid Help Desk Assessment rather than a free tool, since there's no free version of this check yet.
Start with a Help Desk Assessment →WHY NOT SOMETHING BIGGER
A bigger Zendesk partner turned a client away for being too small.
One healthcare client called Zendesk's own listed implementation partners first. More than one told them the project was too small, and sent them here instead. That's not a coincidence, it's a gap in this market. The big, official partners aren't built for a 5 to 20 agent team, and they'll say so themselves.
I'm not a BPO selling headcount, and I'm not a software vendor with a product to push. If the right move for your team is more staffing, more software, or an outsourcing partner instead of what I build, I'll tell you that directly, before I take a dollar from you.
WHO'S ACTUALLY DOING THIS
I'm Ty Givens. 25+ years building support operations at places like See's Candies, Thrive Causemetics, and The Honey Pot Co. before founding CX Collective. I lead every engagement personally, backed by a team that does the hands-on delivery. That's the whole pitch.
25+ years in support operations
Not sure if Operate or Fractional Leadership is the right next step?
If you just finished a Launch or Scale engagement, this is usually the easiest yes you'll make all year. If you're not sure, Ty and her team will talk it through with you first.