A new report from Level AI shows the evolving demands facing contact centres, with nearly 70% of leaders reporting heightened pressure on their operations over previous years, while only 3.9% have experienced any reduction. The study highlights how AI and automation are key tools for maintaining high standards in customer experience despite limited resources.
According to the report, every contact centre surveyed (100%) is exploring or has already implemented AI and automation tools to meet these demands. However, many still face a significant barrier, with 43.4% of respondents indicating that a lack of in-house technical expertise hinders effective AI adoption, although technology implementation remains a top priority for 36.6% of centres.
“AI and automation are crucial for delivering high-quality service, but many companies struggle with implementation due to the complexities of customer interactions. Our solution simplifies that – our AI models are built specifically for CX use cases and our time to value for our customers is much quicker than competing solutions in the space,” said Ashish Nagar, CEO of Level AI.
Additionally, the report illustrates how customer satisfaction (CSAT) and first-call resolution (FCR) are becoming increasingly important metrics, with 62% of contact centres prioritising these over cost-centric measures. This shift has shown positive effects on agent satisfaction, as focusing on customer-centered metrics over cost-reduction metrics like average handle time (AHT) leads to improved morale.
Another issue is the lack of coaching time, with 80% of agents receiving less than four hours of monthly coaching. Despite the constraints, 93% of QA managers said that manual QA and coaching are critical for performance improvement. Moreover, communication preferences are shifting, with 74% of agents now favouring text-based options like chat, SMS, and email over traditional phone calls. As AI tools enhance in addressing these evolving preferences, companies can offer more targeted support, boosting customer and agent satisfaction.