Bringing generative AI tools to the contact center can have significant implications for staffing. Agents may be worried about losing their jobs to AI-driven bots, while companies may look for potential cost savings. But in an industry characterized by high turnover rates and staffing shortages, the explosive growth of AI tools offers a great opportunity to improve the customer experience (CX).
“The future for humans in the contact center is really bright,” said Steve Brock, senior director, solutions marketing, Avaya. “Right now, much of the conversation is about labor savings, but we need to focus more on the lifetime revenue benefits from delivering a better CX.”
Brock was a panelist at an Enterprise Connect 2024 session, “Job Shifting: Where and How AI Is Eliminating and Adding CX Positions,” moderated by Robin Gareiss, CEO and principal analyst, Metrigy. In her presentation, Gareiss said a recent survey indicated that enterprises plan to increase positions like data analysts, security analysts, programmers, data scientists and content managers because of their AI strategies. “We all have more data than we know what to do with, so we need to hire people who can analyze that information to improve the customer experience.”
But at every level of hiring, organizations need to be clear about their CX goals, Gareiss said. For instance, one company might want to deflect incoming calls to AI-driven assistants, while another might direct more callers to human agents because that strategy generates more business.
Shifting roles of agents
Looking at survey results, Gareiss said about 38 percent of companies are currently experiencing a shortage of agents, particularly in growing organizations. “AI is helping to fill that talent gap,” she added. “It’s a good example of leveraging technology to maintain your CX.”
Andy Traba, NICE, agreed, adding, ““You want customers to be happy whether interacting with a machine or a human.”
But as gen AI tools streamline the handling of easy contact center transactions, agent roles will also change. That may mean taking on greater responsibility for resolving customer issues or becoming “supervisors” for their virtual assistants. “Now, organizations will need to hire people with more experience,” Gareiss said. “But the pay levels are higher and there is more competition for people with those backgrounds.”
The human factor
When recruiting, IT leaders will need to focus more on interpersonal skills, such as active listening, empathy and follow-up questions to be sure customers are satisfied with CX outcomes. At the same time, agent training on AI tools and problem-solving skills will be essential steps for moving agents into strategic, rather than tactical, roles, said Brock. “AI will not replace human agents,” he added. “When tragedy strikes, the last thing you want to do is talk to a soulless bot. We need to look at customer contacts as driven by AI, but answered with heart.”
While 52 percent of companies now struggle with agent burnout, Gareiss said AI can help reduce turnover by providing different kinds of support, such as giving agents a break after a series of difficult calls. “AI can detect burnout better than most supervisors, but you have to be transparent and consensual when using these tools,” said Brock.
Avaya has been prototyping new tools to support agent well-being, Brock added. “But don’t discount even the small things, like giving agents the right monitors. That can be very powerful for agents who just want to help their customers.”
