Level AI has released a new report, “AI’s Impact on the State of the Contact Center,” offering insights into the current challenges and tech trends in the contact center industry. The survey reveals that contact centers are under growing pressure to enhance customer experiences with fewer resources. While all are turning to AI and automation for support, many struggle with a lack of in-house expertise. To address increasing demands, adopting advanced AI is crucial for providing consistent, high-quality service across all channels.
“AI and automation are crucial for delivering high-quality service, but many companies struggle with implementation due to the complexities of customer interactions,” said Ashish Nagar, CEO of Level AI. “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.”
According to the survey of contact center leaders, nearly 70% (69.7%) report increased pressure on their operations compared to prior years, while only 3.9% say the pressure has lessened. With performance expectations rising, every leader surveyed confirmed they are considering adopting new AI tools for their contact centers to stay competitive. However, the survey also uncovered a significant obstacle: 43.4% of respondents said their teams lack the technical know-how and resources to effectively implement and manage these technologies, despite 36.6% naming technology adoption as their top priority.
- Survey Insights: Agent satisfaction improves when the primary focus is on customer-centric metrics like customer satisfaction (CSAT) and first-call resolution (FCR) rather than cost-driven metrics like cost reduction and average handle time (AHT).
- Positive Correlation: Agent satisfaction is strongly linked to increased coaching hours and the use of agent assist AI automation, which helps agents during calls, with 93.3% of QA managers stating that manual QA and coaching remain essential for agent improvement. Despite this, 79.3% of contact center agents receive less than four hours of coaching per month due to resource constraints, potentially impacting job satisfaction and customer outcomes.
- Shifting Communication Preferences: A notable 74.5% of agents now prefer text-based communication (chat, SMS, email) over traditional phone calls.
- Quality Metrics Take Priority: A significant 61.9% of contact centers prioritize customer satisfaction and first-call resolution, while 37.3% focus on revenue and cost goals.
“Agent Assist has been a game-changer for us,” said a leader in the quality assurance department at ezCater. “It surfaces relevant information in real-time and helps our agents handle complex situations more efficiently. This has improved both agent performance and customer loyalty, especially during critical business hours.”
