Contact Center Performance

What is the GigCX and how can it help my business? | ShyftOff

author
Trevor Clark
date
25 September 2025
read time
4
min

Key takeaways

  • GigCX applies gig economy principles to modern customer service operations.
  • The model gained momentum during economic disruption and remote work shifts.
  • GigCX offers flexibility that attracts experienced, highly educated customer service agents.
  • Microshifts keep agents engaged while improving service quality and responsiveness.
  • Paying only for productive time lowers costs compared to traditional full-time staffing.

Despite the fact that some may label it a newfangled fad, the concept of the “gig economy” has been around for more than a decade. Beginning its ascent in popularity around the height of the financial crisis in 2008-2009, task-based labor has definitely seen its fair share of evolution.  

While more traditional gig-based jobs for musicians, photographers, food workers and drivers still exist within the framework of a gig economy, one emerging take on the model is benefitting the worker and the business alike. It’s called GigCX—or gig customer service—and today, I will explain how it can help your business.

What is the GigCX model?

In short, GigCX is the application of utilizing gig-based workers to handle a company’s customer service efforts. This model can be deployed in a variety of ways, including both in-house, through a third-party agency or a combination of both, and most often through an online platform and telephony services.

With businesses navigating uncertainties related to COVID-19, the GigCX model proved to be a beacon of hope for those who struggled with keeping an entire customer service staff active in the throes of a pandemic.

The model has become so popular in recent months that McKinsey & Company, one of the world’s foremost management consulting firms, penned a lengthy article singing its praises. In that piece, “An on-demand revolution in customer-experience operations?” the author notes that decades-old outsourcing strategies once used simply to cut costs have been replaced with GigCX approaches that are bringing the business a bounty of benefits.

How can the GigCX model help your business?

If you’ve spent much time on our blog, you know we’re big fans of the GigCX model because of the many ways it benefits the businesses we work with. The word most associated with the GigCX model is flexibility. That’s because it caters to workers who no longer wish to do the same job 40 hours a week by providing an alternative.

At ShyftOff, we take the GigCX model a step further by instituting 30-minute microshifts that agents can self-select for businesses they are certified to handle. This format keeps agents fresh, engaged with your business and providing a better form of customer service.

And because our agents aren’t necessarily beholden to a 40-hour customer service schedule, many of our agents are accomplished professionals interested in making a few dollars outside of their day jobs. About 80% of our agents are college-educated, which means your business is improving the quality of its workforce and expanding its talent pool.

Lastly, the GigCX model can save you money. Unlike traditional full-time models that pay workers for inactivity, ShyftOff only pays agents for the time they spend actively working on your account, a valuable point of differentiation that becomes especially important during off-peak times. And since agents use personally owned devices, your business can save money on its capital expenditures.

Would you like to learn how ShyftOff can improve your customer service efforts and substantially save you money along the way? Reach out today, and let’s chat.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the GigCX model work?

The GigCX model can be deployed in-house, through a third-party agency, or a combination of both, using gig-based workers instead of traditional full-time customer service staff.

What are the main benefits of GigCX for businesses?

GigCX offers flexibility, cost savings by paying only for active work time, access to college-educated professionals (about 80% of agents), and improved customer service quality through engaged agents.

How does ShyftOff's GigCX model differ from traditional customer service?

ShyftOff uses 30-minute microshifts that agents self-select, keeping them fresh and engaged, and only pays for time spent actively working on your account rather than for inactivity.

Can GigCX help my business save money?

Yes, GigCX saves money by eliminating payment for agent inactivity during off-peak times and reducing capital expenditures since agents use personally owned devices.

What types of workers are available through GigCX?

Many GigCX agents are accomplished professionals with college educations who work outside their day jobs, expanding your talent pool beyond traditional 40-hour-per-week customer service workers.

Is GigCX suitable for businesses during uncertain times?

Yes, the GigCX model proved to be valuable for businesses navigating COVID-19 uncertainties, helping those who struggled with keeping entire customer service staffs active during the pandemic.

About the author
Trevor Clark

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