AI & the transformation of the ‘Call Centre’ industry.

Lately I have read quite a bit around the future of our industry in terms of AI and what will this mean for our employees and customers. There is no question that the advent of automation in the contact center industry has and will continue to change the role of the agent and the interactions that they handle.

While a wide range of technology - such as chat bots, analytics, workflow technology, automation, verification and so on - will be deployed to surge efficiency and enrich the customer journey experience, humans will still be required to deal with the most complex and emotive issues. The range of skills required by human agents will also broaden and change as they become problem solvers, co-creators of unique experiences, educators and brand-enhancing ambassadors. You will find many articles from industry experts agreeing that “AI is not good at dealing with complaints, sarcasm or emotions. It lacks human empathy and the emotional skills required to deal with complex issues like complaints.”

I believe that groundbreaking BPO organisations like Conduit Global have played a big part in our industries transformation over the years through innovation and knowledge gained through dealings with multiple clients. As we partner with organizations large and small to bring them world-class customer service where your usual KPIs are BAU with added focus on analytics and other advanced applications, we’ve done our part to help transform our industry from the call centers of the 80s and 90s to the modern contact center of today. We’ve seen our industry transition from voice to omni-channel recording, from simple to multi-skilled workforce management and from random to interaction analytics-based quality management. We’ve seen the introduction of performance management, desktop guidance & automation, voice of the customer, real-time authentication, customer journey analytics and many other additions to the range of solutions available to the contact centers of today.

And while so many changes have come and gone over the years, one thing remains the same: Our thirst for understanding and uncovering the underlying cultural and technological trends shaping our industry, and our firm commitment to continue to introduce visionary solutions that can help organizations leverage these trends to provide outstanding customer service.