Automation has taken the easy tasks. The complex ones are landing on people and the capability gaps are widening.
As organisations double down on automation, The UK CX Report (Ipsos and Engage Customer) reveals that 77% of customers still prefer a human for complex issues, exposing a growing mismatch between customer expectations and where investment is going.
Against this backdrop, Elephants Don’t Forget has released analysis showing that the average frontline advisor retains just 54% of the knowledge required to perform their role optimally. These findings come at a time when advisors are facing more complex, emotionally sensitive and compliance-heavy conversations than ever, precisely because automation has removed the simple, predictable tasks.
This shift means frontline roles are becoming harder, not easier. From vulnerability handling to Consumer Duty, advisors are being asked to make decisions with significant regulatory, financial and reputational implications, often without the capability support these tasks require.
Adding further pressure, new analysis from Cavell predicts that global contact centre headcount will grow by 10% by 2029, despite widespread investment in automation. This signals that organisations will need more capable people, not fewer, to meet rising complexity and customer expectations.
Emerging evidence from the industry highlights the opportunity
Across several large contact centre operations, continuous competence reinforcement has delivered improvements in both performance and customer experience. One global organisation working with Elephants Don’t Forget reported stronger accuracy, fewer avoidable errors and higher QA scores after embedding targeted reinforcement into daily workflows, particularly in emotionally sensitive conversations.
These examples point to a wider trend: organisations that invest in capability are realising material gains in operational performance without expanding training hours or headcount.
Leaders caution that widening competence gaps pose a strategic risk
Adrian Harvey, Co-Founder and Chairman, at Elephants Don’t Forget, said:
“Automation has removed the easy work, leaving advisors to handle the conversations where the stakes are highest: vulnerability, bereavement, fraud and complex regulation. Our data shows that competence gaps are widening at the very moment organisations need advisors to deliver accuracy, empathy and consistency.
This is no longer a HR/training challenge; it is a clear operational, financial and compliance risk that directly affects the KPIs that matter most, from first-time resolution and error reduction to complaint levels, customer satisfaction and trust. The organisations winning today are the ones reinvesting in their people, not just their platforms.”
People capability: the industry’s next performance frontier
The analysis urges the industry to rethink its current balance of investment. While technology has transformed the front door of customer service, human capability remains the determinant of outcomes, especially in sectors where conversations carry emotional weight or regulatory risk.
Elephants Don’t Forget argues that organisations focused solely on platform upgrades risk missing the largest lever available to them: improving everyday frontline competence at scale.
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