Complete Contact Center Example

This guide shows how to build a complete contact center using Switchboard, combining all the concepts you've learned.

What We'll Build

A fully functional customer support contact center with:

✅ Business Hours: Monday-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM Eastern
✅ 24/7 Emergency Support: Always-available emergency line
✅ Three Departments: Sales, Support, Billing
✅ Multiple Queues: VIP and standard queues for each department
✅ Smart Routing: Priority routing for VIP customers
✅ After-Hours Handling: Different flow when closed
✅ Routing Profiles: Different profiles for agents
✅ Contact Flows: Main menu and department flows

Project Structure

MyContactCenter/
├── Program.cs              # Main CDK application
├── cdk.json               # CDK configuration
└── MyContactCenter.csproj # Project file

Step 1: Project Setup

Create Project

bash

# Create directory
mkdir MyContactCenter
cd MyContactCenter

# Create CDK project
dotnet new console -n MyContactCenter
cd MyContactCenter

# Install Switchboard (when published to NuGet)
dotnet add package NickSoftware.Switchboard --version 0.1.0-preview.17

# Install AWS CDK
dotnet add package Amazon.CDK.Lib --version 2.170.0

Create cdk.json

json

{
  "app": "dotnet run --project MyContactCenter.csproj",
  "context": {
    "@aws-cdk/aws-lambda:recognizeLayerVersion": true,
    "@aws-cdk/core:checkSecretUsage": true
  }
}

Step 2: Complete Implementation

Here's the complete Program.cs with everything configured:

csharp

using Amazon.CDK;
using Switchboard.Core;
using Switchboard.Builders;
using Switchboard.Models;
using System;

namespace MyContactCenter
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            var app = new App();

            // Create the contact center stack
            var stack = new SwitchboardStack(
                app,
                "MyContactCenter",
                "acme-support-center",
                new StackProps
                {
                    Env = new Amazon.CDK.Environment
                    {
                        Account = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("CDK_DEFAULT_ACCOUNT"),
                        Region = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("CDK_DEFAULT_REGION") ?? "us-east-1"
                    },
                    Description = "Acme Corp Customer Support Contact Center"
                }
            );

            // ===================================================================
            // STEP 1: CREATE HOURS OF OPERATION
            // ===================================================================

            // Business hours: Monday-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM ET
            var businessHours = new HoursOfOperation
            {
                Name = "BusinessHours",
                Description = "Standard business hours Mon-Fri 9-5 ET",
                TimeZone = "America/New_York"
            };

            for (var day = DayOfWeek.Monday; day <= DayOfWeek.Friday; day++)
            {
                businessHours.AddDayConfig(new HoursOfOperationConfig
                {
                    Day = day,
                    StartTime = new TimeRange { Hours = 9, Minutes = 0 },
                    EndTime = new TimeRange { Hours = 17, Minutes = 0 }
                });
            }

            stack.AddHoursOfOperation(businessHours);

            // 24/7 hours for emergency support
            var emergency24x7 = new HoursOfOperation
            {
                Name = "Emergency24x7",
                Description = "24/7 emergency support availability",
                TimeZone = "UTC"
            };

            for (var day = DayOfWeek.Sunday; day <= DayOfWeek.Saturday; day++)
            {
                emergency24x7.AddDayConfig(new HoursOfOperationConfig
                {
                    Day = day,
                    StartTime = new TimeRange { Hours = 0, Minutes = 0 },
                    EndTime = new TimeRange { Hours = 23, Minutes = 59 }
                });
            }

            stack.AddHoursOfOperation(emergency24x7);

            // ===================================================================
            // STEP 2: CREATE QUEUES
            // ===================================================================

            // Sales Queues
            var salesVIPQueue = new QueueBuilder()
                .SetName("SalesVIP")
                .SetDescription("VIP sales inquiries")
                .SetMaxContacts(25)
                .SetOutboundCallerId("Acme Sales VIP", "+18005551000")
                .AddTag("Department", "Sales")
                .AddTag("Tier", "VIP")
                .Build();

            stack.AddQueue(salesVIPQueue, "BusinessHours");

            var salesStandardQueue = new QueueBuilder()
                .SetName("SalesStandard")
                .SetDescription("Standard sales inquiries")
                .SetMaxContacts(100)
                .SetOutboundCallerId("Acme Sales", "+18005551001")
                .AddTag("Department", "Sales")
                .AddTag("Tier", "Standard")
                .Build();

            stack.AddQueue(salesStandardQueue, "BusinessHours");

            // Support Queues
            var supportVIPQueue = new QueueBuilder()
                .SetName("SupportVIP")
                .SetDescription("VIP customer support")
                .SetMaxContacts(25)
                .SetOutboundCallerId("Acme Support VIP", "+18005551002")
                .AddTag("Department", "Support")
                .AddTag("Tier", "VIP")
                .Build();

            stack.AddQueue(supportVIPQueue, "BusinessHours");

            var supportStandardQueue = new QueueBuilder()
                .SetName("SupportStandard")
                .SetDescription("Standard customer support")
                .SetMaxContacts(150)
                .SetOutboundCallerId("Acme Support", "+18005551003")
                .AddTag("Department", "Support")
                .AddTag("Tier", "Standard")
                .Build();

            stack.AddQueue(supportStandardQueue, "BusinessHours");

            // Billing Queue
            var billingQueue = new QueueBuilder()
                .SetName("Billing")
                .SetDescription("Billing and payment inquiries")
                .SetMaxContacts(75)
                .SetOutboundCallerId("Acme Billing", "+18005551004")
                .AddTag("Department", "Billing")
                .AddTag("Tier", "Standard")
                .Build();

            stack.AddQueue(billingQueue, "BusinessHours");

            // Emergency Support Queue (24/7)
            var emergencyQueue = new QueueBuilder()
                .SetName("EmergencySupport")
                .SetDescription("24/7 emergency support line")
                .SetMaxContacts(50)
                .SetOutboundCallerId("Acme Emergency", "+18005551005")
                .AddTag("Department", "Emergency")
                .AddTag("Tier", "Critical")
                .Build();

            stack.AddQueue(emergencyQueue, "Emergency24x7");

            // ===================================================================
            // STEP 3: CREATE ROUTING PROFILES
            // ===================================================================

            // VIP Sales Agent Profile
            var vipSalesProfile = new RoutingProfileBuilder()
                .SetName("VIPSalesAgent")
                .SetDescription("Handles VIP sales inquiries")
                .SetDefaultOutboundQueue("SalesVIP")
                .AddMediaConcurrency(ChannelType.Voice, 1)
                .AddQueue("SalesVIP", ChannelType.Voice, priority: 1, delay: 0)
                .Build();

            stack.AddRoutingProfile(vipSalesProfile);

            // General Sales Agent Profile
            var salesAgentProfile = new RoutingProfileBuilder()
                .SetName("SalesAgent")
                .SetDescription("Handles sales inquiries (VIP priority)")
                .SetDefaultOutboundQueue("SalesStandard")
                .AddMediaConcurrency(ChannelType.Voice, 1)
                .AddQueue("SalesVIP", ChannelType.Voice, priority: 1, delay: 0)
                .AddQueue("SalesStandard", ChannelType.Voice, priority: 2, delay: 0)
                .Build();

            stack.AddRoutingProfile(salesAgentProfile);

            // Support Agent Profile (Omnichannel)
            var supportAgentProfile = new RoutingProfileBuilder()
                .SetName("SupportAgent")
                .SetDescription("Omnichannel support agent")
                .AddMediaConcurrency(ChannelType.Voice, 1)
                .AddMediaConcurrency(ChannelType.Chat, 3)
                .AddMediaConcurrency(ChannelType.Task, 5)
                .AddQueue("SupportVIP", ChannelType.Voice, priority: 1, delay: 0)
                .AddQueue("SupportStandard", ChannelType.Voice, priority: 2, delay: 0)
                .Build();

            stack.AddRoutingProfile(supportAgentProfile);

            // Billing Specialist Profile
            var billingProfile = new RoutingProfileBuilder()
                .SetName("BillingSpecialist")
                .SetDescription("Dedicated billing support")
                .AddMediaConcurrency(ChannelType.Voice, 1)
                .AddQueue("Billing", ChannelType.Voice, priority: 1, delay: 0)
                .Build();

            stack.AddRoutingProfile(billingProfile);

            // Emergency Support Profile (24/7)
            var emergencyProfile = new RoutingProfileBuilder()
                .SetName("EmergencyAgent")
                .SetDescription("24/7 emergency support agent")
                .AddMediaConcurrency(ChannelType.Voice, 1)
                .AddQueue("EmergencySupport", ChannelType.Voice, priority: 1, delay: 0)
                .Build();

            stack.AddRoutingProfile(emergencyProfile);

            // ===================================================================
            // STEP 4: CREATE CONTACT FLOWS
            // ===================================================================

            // Main Menu Flow
            var mainMenuFlow = new FlowBuilder()
                .SetName("MainMenuFlow")
                .SetDescription("Main IVR menu with department routing")
                .AddTag("FlowType", "MainMenu")
                .PlayPrompt("Thank you for calling Acme Corporation.")
                .CheckHoursOfOperation("BusinessHours")
                .GetCustomerInput(
                    "For sales, press 1. For customer support, press 2. For billing, press 3. For emergency support, press 9.",
                    input =>
                    {
                        input.MaxDigits = 1;
                        input.TimeoutSeconds = 10;
                    })
                .Branch(branch =>
                {
                    branch.Case("1", "sales-transfer");
                    branch.Case("2", "support-transfer");
                    branch.Case("3", "billing-transfer");
                    branch.Case("9", "emergency-transfer");
                    branch.Otherwise("invalid-input");
                })
                .Build();

            stack.AddFlow(mainMenuFlow);

            // Sales Flow (with VIP check)
            var salesFlow = new FlowBuilder()
                .SetName("SalesFlow")
                .SetDescription("Sales department flow with VIP routing")
                .AddTag("FlowType", "Department")
                .AddTag("Department", "Sales")
                .PlayPrompt("Welcome to Acme Sales.")
                // Future: Add Lambda to check if customer is VIP
                // .InvokeLambda("CustomerLookup")
                .TransferToQueue("SalesStandard")
                .Build();

            stack.AddFlow(salesFlow);

            // Support Flow
            var supportFlow = new FlowBuilder()
                .SetName("SupportFlow")
                .SetDescription("Customer support department flow")
                .AddTag("FlowType", "Department")
                .AddTag("Department", "Support")
                .PlayPrompt("Welcome to Acme Customer Support. Transferring you to the next available agent.")
                .TransferToQueue("SupportStandard")
                .Build();

            stack.AddFlow(supportFlow);

            // Billing Flow
            var billingFlow = new FlowBuilder()
                .SetName("BillingFlow")
                .SetDescription("Billing department flow")
                .AddTag("FlowType", "Department")
                .AddTag("Department", "Billing")
                .PlayPrompt("Welcome to Acme Billing. Please have your account number ready.")
                .TransferToQueue("Billing")
                .Build();

            stack.AddFlow(billingFlow);

            // Emergency Flow (24/7)
            var emergencyFlow = new FlowBuilder()
                .SetName("EmergencyFlow")
                .SetDescription("24/7 emergency support flow")
                .AddTag("FlowType", "Emergency")
                .PlayPrompt("You have reached emergency support. Connecting you immediately.")
                .TransferToQueue("EmergencySupport")
                .Build();

            stack.AddFlow(emergencyFlow);

            // After Hours Flow
            var afterHoursFlow = new FlowBuilder()
                .SetName("AfterHoursFlow")
                .SetDescription("Plays after hours message")
                .AddTag("FlowType", "AfterHours")
                .PlayPrompt("Thank you for calling Acme Corporation. Our business hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time. For emergency support, press 9. Otherwise, please call back during business hours. Goodbye.")
                .Disconnect()
                .Build();

            stack.AddFlow(afterHoursFlow);

            // ===================================================================
            // DEPLOY
            // ===================================================================

            app.Synth();
        }
    }
}

Step 3: Deploy

Bootstrap CDK (First Time Only)

bash

cdk bootstrap

Deploy the Stack

bash

# Synthesize CloudFormation template
cdk synth

# Deploy to AWS
cdk deploy

Deployment Process:

CDK creates CloudFormation template
CloudFormation creates Amazon Connect resources:
- Connect instance
- Hours of operation schedules
- Queues
- Routing profiles
- Contact flows
Resources are linked automatically

Deployment Time: ~10-15 minutes for first deployment

Step 4: Verify Deployment

Check AWS Console

Go to Amazon Connect Console
Select your instance (acme-support-center)
Verify Resources:
- Hours of Operation: BusinessHours, Emergency24x7
- Queues: 6 queues (SalesVIP, SalesStandard, SupportVIP, SupportStandard, Billing, EmergencySupport)
- Routing Profiles: 5 profiles
- Contact Flows: 5 flows

Test Contact Flows

Navigate to Flows in Connect Console
Open MainMenuFlow
Click "Test" to simulate a call
Verify flow logic works as expected

Step 5: Create Users (Manual in Alpha)

Since user creation isn't implemented yet, create agents manually:

Via AWS Console

Navigate to Users in Connect Console
Click "Add new users"
Create agents:

Sales Agent:

Username: sales.agent1
First Name: Sales
Last Name: Agent 1
Email: sales1@example.com
Routing Profile: SalesAgent
Security Profile: Agent

Support Agent:

Username: support.agent1
First Name: Support
Last Name: Agent 1
Email: support1@example.com
Routing Profile: SupportAgent
Security Profile: Agent

Billing Agent:

Username: billing.agent1
First Name: Billing
Last Name: Agent 1
Email: billing1@example.com
Routing Profile: BillingSpecialist
Security Profile: Agent

Step 6: Test End-to-End

Test Call Flow

Claim a Phone Number in Amazon Connect Console
Associate with MainMenuFlow
Call the number
Navigate the IVR:
- Press 1 → Sales queue
- Press 2 → Support queue
- Press 3 → Billing queue
- Press 9 → Emergency queue

Test Agent Experience

Have agents log into CCP:
- URL: https://[instance-alias].my.connect.aws/ccp-v2/
- Credentials: From user creation
Set agent to "Available"
Make test call and verify:
- Call routes to correct queue
- Agent receives call
- Agent can answer and handle contact

What We Built

Infrastructure Summary

Resource Type	Count	Names
Instance	1	acme-support-center
Hours of Operation	2	BusinessHours, Emergency24x7
Queues	6	SalesVIP, SalesStandard, SupportVIP, SupportStandard, Billing, EmergencySupport
Routing Profiles	5	VIPSalesAgent, SalesAgent, SupportAgent, BillingSpecialist, EmergencyAgent
Contact Flows	5	MainMenuFlow, SalesFlow, SupportFlow, BillingFlow, EmergencyFlow, AfterHoursFlow

Features Implemented

✅ Multi-Department Routing - Sales, Support, Billing, Emergency ✅ VIP Prioritization - Separate VIP queues with priority routing ✅ Business Hours Awareness - Different handling during/after hours ✅ 24/7 Emergency Support - Always-available emergency line ✅ Omnichannel Support - Support agents handle voice, chat, tasks ✅ Scalable Architecture - Separate queues and profiles for growth ✅ Tagged Resources - Organized by department and tier

Next Steps

Enhancements to Consider

Add Lambda Functions
- Customer lookup for VIP detection
- CRM integration
- Intelligent routing based on customer data
Add Queue Flows
- Custom hold music per queue
- Estimated wait time announcements
- Callback offers
Add Metrics and Dashboards
- Real-time queue metrics
- Agent performance tracking
- Historical reporting
Implement Advanced Routing
- Skill-based routing
- Time-of-day routing
- Dynamic queue priority
Add User Creation via CDK (When available)
- Automate agent provisioning
- Bulk user imports
- Team-based organization

Clean Up

Destroy the Stack

When you're done testing:

bash

cdk destroy

Warning: This will delete all resources including:

Contact flows
Queues
Routing profiles
Hours of operation
The Connect instance itself

Before destroying:

Export any important data
Download call recordings
Save configuration for reference

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: "Resource already exists"

Cause: Resource name conflicts with existing resources

Solution: Change resource names or delete conflicting resources

Issue: "Queue not found in flow"

Cause: Queue referenced before being added to stack

Solution: Ensure queues are added before flows that reference them

Issue: "Insufficient permissions"

Cause: IAM permissions missing for CDK deployment

Solution: Ensure your AWS credentials have Amazon Connect permissions

Issue: "Flow validation failed"

Cause: Invalid flow JSON or missing required blocks

Solution: Review flow builder code, ensure all actions are valid

Building Flows - Contact flow details
Building Queues - Queue configuration
Building Routing Profiles - Routing profile setup
Building Hours - Hours configuration
SwitchboardStack Reference - Full API reference

Source Code

The complete example source code is available in the Switchboard repository:

View on GitHub →

Complete Contact Center Example ​

What We'll Build ​

Project Structure ​

Step 1: Project Setup ​

Create Project ​

Create cdk.json ​

Step 2: Complete Implementation ​

Step 3: Deploy ​

Bootstrap CDK (First Time Only) ​

Deploy the Stack ​

Step 4: Verify Deployment ​

Check AWS Console ​

Test Contact Flows ​

Step 5: Create Users (Manual in Alpha) ​

Via AWS Console ​

Step 6: Test End-to-End ​

Test Call Flow ​

Test Agent Experience ​

What We Built ​

Infrastructure Summary ​

Features Implemented ​

Next Steps ​

Enhancements to Consider ​

Clean Up ​

Destroy the Stack ​

Common Issues and Solutions ​

Issue: "Resource already exists" ​

Issue: "Queue not found in flow" ​

Issue: "Insufficient permissions" ​

Issue: "Flow validation failed" ​

Related Resources ​

Source Code ​

Complete Contact Center Example

What We'll Build

Project Structure

Step 1: Project Setup

Create Project

Create cdk.json

Step 2: Complete Implementation

Step 3: Deploy

Bootstrap CDK (First Time Only)

Deploy the Stack

Step 4: Verify Deployment

Check AWS Console

Test Contact Flows

Step 5: Create Users (Manual in Alpha)

Via AWS Console

Step 6: Test End-to-End

Test Call Flow

Test Agent Experience

What We Built

Infrastructure Summary

Features Implemented

Next Steps

Enhancements to Consider

Clean Up

Destroy the Stack

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: "Resource already exists"

Issue: "Queue not found in flow"

Issue: "Insufficient permissions"

Issue: "Flow validation failed"

Related Resources

Source Code