AI that actually works in the contact centre as Enghouse Interactive explains
Every company asks the same question: “Where will AI move the needle without moving the risk?” In a recent interview, Enghouse’s Simon Adnett cuts through the noise and focuses on outcomes that matter: less failure demand, stronger agents, clearer returns. This article turns those ideas into a concise field guide for leaders who need results, not science projects.
The real cost of failure demand
If customers keep calling back, you don’t have a volume problem – you have a problem with resolution. AI helps when it removes ambiguity: detecting intent early, authenticating seamlessly, and steering customers to the right outcome the first time. That’s not about adding more channels; it’s about removing friction from the ones people already use. Think of AI as a precision tool that trims rework: smarter triage, cleaner data capture, and next-step guidance that prevents repeat contacts. The win shows up in fewer handoffs, tighter SLAs, calmer supervisors, and a team that’s less stressed.
Making contact centre agents stronger (not just faster)
The fastest path to value is augmenting the people you already trust. Real-world deployments start with agent assist that listens for signals and quietly does the heavy lifting: summarizing the last interaction, surfacing the right article, suggesting compliant phrasing, translating on the fly. The agent stays in control; the tech reduces cognitive load. Confidence rises, wrap time falls, and consistency improves – especially in complex, emotionally charged conversations. That’s “AI that actually works” at eye level on a Tuesday morning.
Trust is a feature
Adopting AI isn’t just a tooling decision; it’s a governance decision. Leaders who see durable gains treat transparency as a requirement: explainable suggestions, clear citations for content sources, and hard boundaries for PII handling in transcripts and analytics. Start with use cases where the risk is low and observability is high (summaries, coaching insights, knowledge suggestions). Earn trust with each release, then graduate to higher-impact automations.
A simple ROI lens
AI value appears in three line items long before you get to grand transformation:
– fewer repeat contacts (failure demand down),
– lower effort per resolution (assist + automation), and
– improved quality (better adherence, fewer errors).
Model those shifts against wage rates and volumes, add the knock-on effects in occupancy and shrinkage, and you have a board-ready business case. The point isn’t perfect precision; it’s disciplined, measurable iteration.
From pilots to permanence
Successful teams work in short, visible cycles. Start with one journey that’s noisy today – e.g., “Where’s my payment?” or “Appointment changes.” Introduce intent capture and authentication at the front door; roll in agent assist for edge cases; measure impact weekly. Publish what changed and why. When the data proves out, expand laterally (similar intents) before you go vertically (more complex journeys). Keep the backlog small, the telemetry rich, and the story simple.
What good looks like in practice
– Customers don’t repeat themselves when moving between touchpoints; the conversation follows them and agents are fully prepped.
– Contact centre agents spend less time searching and more time resolving; post-call summaries write themselves, not policy exceptions.
– Leaders can make informed decisions based on the AI data – because the system leaves detailed feedback, not just a score.
Final word
AI should feel like clarity: fewer loops, steadier performance, cleaner numbers. If your initiatives don’t reduce failure demand, strengthen agents, or make ROI easier to see, pause and recalibrate. Start where the stakes are manageable, prove value, and only then widen the aperture. That’s how you deliver AI that actually works – for customers, for contact centre agents, and for the business.
Your Next Steps
Choosing the right path for your contact centre is a journey. Enghouse Interactive is here to guide you every step of the way. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to optimise an existing system, we have the expertise and solutions to meet your needs.
Enghouse Interactive is a leading global contact centre and video solutions provider that has been serving thousands of customers for over 35 years. Enghouse Interactive (EI) solutions enable customers to deliver winning customer experiences by transforming the contact centre from a cost centre into a powerful growth engine. EI core values – Reliability and Choice – are key differentiators in the global marketplace. Reliability speaks to EI’s reputation for always honouring commitments to customers, staff, partners and investors.
Choice is reflected in the unparalleled breadth of its CX portfolio, which enables customers to choose from a wide array of solutions and consulting practices, whether deployed on-premise, in the cloud or on a hybrid platform. By providing a broad range of technologies and capabilities based on open standards, EI simplifies the advanced integrations that customers require.
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