“The Age of Men is over”
From the perspective of human contact centre agents, it may feel like the technological hoards are at the gates of Minas Tirith. 96% of contact centres already see AI as a vital technology to assist in their ongoing operations. But note how we said ‘assist’ rather than something more damning like ‘replace all human agents.’
Contact centre leaders must find that balance between technology and the ‘human touch.’ The capabilities of AI alone are something that these leaders can’t pass up on, and agents need to stay as efficient and productive as possible. Only then can they provide the heightened levels of customer experience (CX) that customers deserve.
Through the insights provided in Contact Babel’s UK Contact Centre Decision-Makers’ Guide, we can see just how contact centre leaders can strike that precious balance. Collaboration between technology and human agents can be that driving force behind a more refined and optimised contact centre.
A little of that human touch
According to 60% of contact centre leaders, the most valuable skill an agent can have is empathy. Emotional intelligence is something that technology can’t replicate, and customers still need that reassurance and understanding. The human connection remains strong, especially when it comes to complex or more sensitive issues.
Those multi-layered customer concerns require critical thinking and a more nuanced approach. While automation is handy when looking to solve the most simple and repetitive of tasks, human agents are essential for that deeper understanding.
In 2013, only 5% of leaders saw the ability to understand complex issues as the most valued agent characteristic. By 2024, that had risen to 13%. While it’s only a small increase, it shows that, in a more tech-driven world, there’s still a place for the empathetic, emotionally intelligent agent.
Those human-to-human interactions also build a deeper sense of customer loyalty. 75% of consumers prefer to talk with a human agent when looking for support, which again stems from that perceived empathetic touch. Having a real person to listen to their issues and provide tailored solutions boosts customer satisfaction and delivers greater retention.
Of course, that’s just the human side of the equation. Even then, the more capable of agents need that extra layer of support to meet customer expectations and maintain a high level of efficiency. This is where we can establish that balance between technology and agents themselves.
The move to the cloud
In 2023, 73% of contact centres were expecting to have a remote working programme in place in the next two years. That upward trend in remote and hybrid working models has certainly continued; 92% of contact centres are expected to deploy such models by 2025. Both those statistics show just how popular these ways of working have become, and what contact centres need to do to support those remote workers.
Cloud-based contact centre solutions offer greater scalability and flexibility for contact centres. With operations now moving away from that traditional on-premises environment, support is needed to manage that shift. Having instant access anytime and anywhere means agents stay connected.
That flexibility is also key to improving agent wellbeing. Only 48% of agents think that their organisation takes their mental health seriously, which infers that more needs to be done. Introducing that flexibility through remote working allows agents to better manage their professional and personal lives that will improve long-term productivity.
The cloud is certainly on the mind of numerous contact centre leaders; only 1% of leaders, for example, aren’t considering using cloud-based call recording in the future. It has also made a considerable difference, with 73% of those leaders agreeing that the cloud has provided extended functionality. Taking contact centres to the cloud is clearly beneficial for contact centres and the agents themselves.
Cloud-based solutions are certainly commonplace in the modern contact centre, but that’s just the start for the tech/human balance.
Omnipotent omnichannel
Contact centre leaders have consistently placed omnichannel in their top 5 areas of IT expenditure. In 2024 alone, 49% of them were inclined to have omnichannel in their list of priorities. While this has dropped from the high of 56% in 2019, omnichannel is still a major focus for those contact centre leaders.
Omnichannel technology integrates multiple communication channels, including phone, email and chatbots, into one unified system. Having that instant access to customer history and past interactions provides a consistent experience across multiple platforms. Agent productivity can increase by 23% when an omnichannel contact centre is fully utilised.
By integrating with CRM and knowledge bases, agents can collaborate more effectively when looking to solve issues. Fostering those aspects of teamwork is a major factor towards strengthened agent morale, as everyone is working from the same suite of information. There’s no disconnect or silos between different teams and departments – everyone is in the same boat.
We can cover the full scope of AI later, but AI-driven analytics are crucial in an omnichannel set up. Agents can improve their decision-making capabilities and better anticipate the needs of customers. That kind of proactivity allows contact centres to boost their first-contact resolution (FCR) rates.
Customers appreciate having their issues resolved in good time, and omnichannel technology certainly helps with that. As already mentioned, there is one final piece in that wider technological puzzle to cover.
The AI angle
Honestly, we can’t stress enough how big a game-changer AI has been for contact centres. In 2015, 95% of web chat interactions were handled solely by human agents – in 2024, that had decreased to 47%. If we wanted to hammer home that ‘AI is crucial’ angle, that statistic alone is pretty much perfect.
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide that 24/7 support and guarantees round-the-clock coverage. Customers can then receive immediate responses outside of usual business hours. It goes a long way in improving customer satisfaction levels and contributing to those vastly superior FCR rates.
Those chatbots are also fully capable of handling routing inquiries and reducing customer wait times. Streamlining operations helps free up human agents to deal with more complex, time-consuming issues that require greater attention. That results in efficient, productive agents that have more control over their day-to-day activities.
Let’s quickly revisit those AI-powered data analytics. While it doesn’t have the full emotional range that human agents have, sentiment analysis helps detect negative behaviour that allows calls to be escalated appropriately. 81% of agents have experienced verbal abuse and will be thankful to avoid any more of those instances.
Remember, AI needs to be leveraged for efficiency, rather than as a direct replacement for human agents. In fact, that goes for all pieces of technology we’ve mentioned here.
Forging that balance
When asked what’s stopping their contact centre from achieving its aims, 59% of leaders agreed that technology was holding them back but couldn’t yet be replaced. Uprooting legacy systems can be seen as a back-breaking process, but it’s vital for those improved agent performances. That all comes down to the balance between technology and human agents.
Automated solutions are certainly a great asset to have, but agents will need to continue honing their emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills. Human agents should be trained to work alongside those tools, avoiding the viewpoint that they’re being implemented to replace them. The collaboration between agent and technology must be sustained.
Providers like Gamma are perfectly situated to harness that collaboration. A blend of innovative cloud-based technology with that agent-centric mindset is an important stepping stone towards better CX. Balancing technology and human agents may look like a difficult task, but it’s one that can be easily achieved.
For contact centres, there may be a time in the future when “the age of men comes crashing down”. But it is not this day.