The Impact of AI on Future Contact Centers
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the future of contact centers in how they operate, who works there, and how they serve customers. As customers expect faster, more personalized support, AI helps companies meet these demands efficiently. This shift is altering the role of human agents and the overall customer experience (CX) offered. Recently, industry experts gathered at All Access: Future Contact Centers 2025 to explore these changes and what they mean for customer support going forward.
AI is Changing CX in the Telecom Industry
Sharang Sharma from Everest Group and Suzanne Edmondson from Capita discussed Capita’s latest report on telecom CX. AI is maturing beyond experimental projects into practical applications. They highlighted the importance of journey mapping, which requires consistent data to improve over time. Journey analytics and hyper-personalization stand out as key AI uses. Edmondson advised leaders to start with a clear strategy instead of jumping straight to technology, focusing on high-impact use cases that deliver measurable results.
Turning Contact Centers into Profit Centers
Ebrahim Hyder of Michael Kors shared how integrating the retail experience into their BPO contact center creates seamless CX. Features like store-like decor, fashion runway videos, and physical product showrooms for agents help build brand pride, which improves service quality. Their attrition rate is impressively low at 3%, compared to the industry average of 13%. Early adoption of AI tools for agents has enhanced fraud detection, reduced handling time, and improved email consistency.
AI and Human Collaboration
Matthew Saskin of Genesys emphasized that AI won’t replace human agents but will empower them. Genesys categorizes AI capabilities into four areas linked to business value:
- Automation: Virtual agents and bots
- Augmentation: Agent assist tools and co-pilots
- Personalization: Using data for customized CX
- Optimization: Continuous improvement through analytics
Genesys’ Nicholas Smith added that AI’s value is measured by its real impact on outcomes, not just its capabilities.
Taking CX Beyond Basic Chatbots
Many companies struggle to balance speed and personalization in customer service. Agentic AI offers a solution by using multiple specialized AI agents, each handling specific tasks. Kevin McNulty from Talkdesk explained their Customer Experience Automation system moves beyond simple ticket handling to automating whole customer processes. The success of these systems depends heavily on high-quality, unified data feeding the AI agents.
AI Adoption in Financial Services
Harry Clapham from Tangerine Bank noted that the fear of not adopting AI is now greater than the fear of trying it. Max Black of ASAPP recommended starting with limited, low-risk AI use cases like FAQ bots to build trust and prove value. Tangerine followed this approach with an FAQ bot for credit card customers, which allowed them to expand AI use gradually and confidently.
Conversational AI in Practice
Virgin Money introduced an AI virtual assistant, Redi, initially for credit card customers and later for mobile banking. Laura MacLeod explained that both agents and customers responded positively. Agents appreciate Redi as a helpful teammate that provides context and facilitates smooth handovers to human agents for complex issues. Customers find it easier to interact using conversational AI rather than navigating traditional self-service options.
Embrace Strategic Value, Strengthen Relationships, Redefine the Agent’s Role
Brad Cleveland, expert in contact center management, identified three key value areas for contact centers: efficiency, customer satisfaction, and strategic value. He stressed strategic value by sharing how an insurance company used contact center insights to inform other departments about customer needs, helping improve market share and reputation.
Operational Resilience at Spirit Airlines
Vanessa Hardy-Bowen from Spirit Airlines described their “elasticity model” to handle sudden surges in contact volume during disruptions. By using AI-powered, flexible self-service flows, Spirit ensures consistent customer experience even when call volumes double unexpectedly.
Testing Ground for Digital Transformation
Mayo Clinic’s Innovation Contact Center, led by Courtnie Garteski-Bergler, serves as a testing space for new digital tools and workflows before full rollout. Their tests revealed, for example, that simpler text messages were better received by patients than longer, detailed ones.
Insights on Disney's Service Excellence
Barry Jacobson, former Disney executive, shared how Disney builds emotional connections with employees and customers. He explained the G.U.E.S.T approach:
- Greet everyone with a smile
- Understand everyone as individuals
- Exceed expectations
- Solve challenges
- Thank customers for their business
Jacobson also highlighted the “People + Purpose + Place + Pride = Profit” formula, showing how investing in employee experience directly boosts customer satisfaction.
For customer support professionals looking to deepen their AI skills and stay ahead, exploring specialized AI training can be valuable. Resources like Complete AI Training offer courses tailored to various roles in customer service and AI application.
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