Episode Summary

In this episode of the Player Driven Podcast, host Greg interviews Łukasz Cieślak, Senior Operations Manager at 5CA. Łukasz shares his journey from support agent to senior operations manager and provides deep insights into the role of BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing) in the gaming industry. He explains how companies like 5CA help gaming studios scale their player support, the essential KPIs that drive player satisfaction, and the growing role of AI in modern support operations. The episode also highlights career advice for those looking to grow from support agent to management roles and explores emerging trends like VIP support and hybrid AI-human models.

This conversation offers valuable lessons for gaming studios, support professionals, and anyone curious about the future of player support.

Key Takeaways for Indie Developers from the Podcast with Łukasz Cieślak

Outsourcing Player Support with BPOs

• BPOs like 5CA allow indie devs to scale support without hiring in-house teams.
• Outsourcing lets devs focus on core tasks like game development while ensuring players get timely support.

Essential Player Support KPIs to Track

• Track key metrics like service level, quality assurance, and player satisfaction (CSAT or NPS).
• Consistent support responses are crucial since players share their experiences on platforms like Discord and social media.
  

The Role of AI in Player Support

• AI tools can handle repetitive inquiries, freeing agents (or indie devs) to focus on complex issues.
• Hybrid models (AI + human support) are the future, offering faster, more efficient player support.

Career Growth and Leadership Lessons

• Łukasz's journey from agent to senior manager shows the value of proactivity and continuous learning.
• Indie devs can apply this approach by taking initiative, helping teammates, and being curious about better ways to operate.

Emerging Trends in Player Support

• VIP support is growing in popularity, offering white-glove treatment for high-value players.
• Personalization and proactive support can build community loyalty, especially for indie devs running Discords or Kickstarter campaigns.

These takeaways offer actionable insights on support outsourcing, key metrics, AI, career growth, and player experience trends.

Notable Quotes

"The companies that will be most successful will have a hybrid model, where agents are equipped with super-advanced AI tools to help them be more productive." – Łukasz Cieślak"If you’re a support agent and want to grow, focus on helping others — help your boss, help your colleagues, and stay curious about how things work." – Łukasz Cieślak"Players are vocal on social media and Discord, so if one agent gives one answer and another gives a different answer, it’s going to cause issues." – Łukasz Cieślak"AI is more than chatbots. It’s everything from data analytics to moderation to making workforce management more efficient." – Łukasz Cieślak"BPOs give game studios the ability to focus on their core competency, like building great games, while outsourcing the complexity of player support." – Greg