4th March marks the first ever National Contact Centre Day, championed by the Contact Centre Management Association to give professionals in the sector a chance to shine and spotlight the work they do day in, day out.
With AI fundamentally changing the profession, there is arguably no better time to implement such an initiative than now. So, it is no surprise that the theme of the day is ‘Contact Centre as a Career’ to focus on the new opportunities within the sector as AI increasingly takes on the supporting role.
But what does the future have in store for the customer experience profession? We spoke to four industry experts to find out.
Changing tides
Contact centres have changed a lot over the past couple of decades. They have shifted from solely handling telephone enquiries to managing omnichannel, personalised customer journeys across various contact methods, including social media, email, and chat – and providing a seamless experience whilst doing so. But despite this evolution, public perception of the industry is stuck in the past. Richard Buxton, Technology & Innovation Director – Collaboration at Node4, explains how, for many, customer support still “evokes visions of the packed call centre offices of the past, full of ringing phones and clamouring voices. Even modern contact centres with their omnichannel capabilities are sometimes seen to be quite repetitive.”
Paul Thomas, SVP EMEA at Aiphoria, agrees, recognising that previous attempts at digitalisation and automation have had varying levels of success:
“For decades, companies were vigorously trying to automate every single step of the human-to-human interaction to optimise costs and squeeze as much as possible from the call centre operators. Layers of rigid old school automation made it nearly impossible for a customer to get through to a real human, while operators were stripped away of any agency and creativity of problem-solving in order to follow strict guidelines. What resulted was service that was mediocre at best, and a job that was not at all fulfilling.”
Yet AI is set to change that – and this time, for good.
Friend, not foe
AI has dominated the headlines since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, which accelerated the technology into the mainstream and made it accessible to all. Customer service has been considered the perfect use case for generative AI, given its ability to provide 24/7, instant, and personalised support using natural language.
However, alongside its huge growth within contact centres has come widespread fear about job replacement.
Ru
ssell Attwood, CEO of Route 101, recognises this but provides reassurance that “AI actually has the potential to deliver huge benefits for contact centre workers.
It can provide additional support for agents when complex requests come in, providing key information as and when it’s needed to help reduce research-induced wait times while on calls. With this, and the automation of simpler tasks, agents are able to focus on the more engaging and complex cases that require the human touch. This leads to the job becoming a more skilled and interesting role.”
Node4’s Richard Buxton adds that “human agents will transition to ‘exception handlers’, trusted with supporting on more complex issues. These will require the depth of knowledge and empathetic approach that makes human agents invaluable – and provide a key opportunity for agents to level up their skills and expertise.”
However, AI adoption doesn’t just provide the opportunity to upskill, but also has the potential to create new job roles that don’t yet exist. Aiphoria’s Paul Thomas reflects on how “each technological leap, from the PC to the smartphone, creates new professions at scale. AI will do the same, with human oversight remaining as crucial as ever before. In fact, we are already seeing new roles emerging alongside AI agents, including AI trainers and prompt managers. The question is not ‘Will AI take our jobs?’, but rather ‘How will AI transform our jobs?’”
What’s next?
The pace of AI development is extraordinary, leaving contact centre managers struggling to keep up and left unsure of where to start or what to do. Route 101’s Russell Attwood warns that “implementing AI technology is not a blanket fix-all solution, and must be done with care. Businesses cannot just add AI into their existing infrastructure and hope it sticks. Organisations should completely overhaul their operational strategies, updating performance metrics to provide support to employees so they can work effectively alongside AI.”
Jay Fitzhenry, Technology & Innovation Director – Digital at Node4, draws from his experience speaking to customers and recognises that many contact centre leaders remain uncertain about AI, especially if they don’t have a strong background or expertise in technology. “There is still mixed sentiment around the technology, with many organisations concerned about the potential customer or employee backlash from AI implementation,” he explains.
However, he urges business leaders to not bury their heads in the sand but to embrace the opportunity. “Those who lack the same capabilities as their competitors will not be able to provide the same levels of support, resulting in reduced engagements, damaged brand reputation and loss of customers,” Fitzhenry warns. “These companies will also risk losing their most skilled workers to other contact centres that offer agents the opportunities to work with the latest technologies, build their skills and, ultimately, have a more exciting career. The lack of skilled agents coupled with a declining customer base will cause those who fail to embrace AI to fall behind and fade into obscurity.”
He concludes: “Starting out on an AI journey can be a daunting task, but they don’t have to go it alone – with the right technology partner to guide them, they can fully upgrade their systems and upskill their workforce to ensure they are operating on a competitive level. When it comes to AI, the situation is clear – the risks of non-adoption are simply too high to overlook.”
