TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE, CONTACT CENTERS WILL HAVE TO REIMAGINE THEIR FRONTLINE POSITIONS SO THEY ADD EVEN MORE VALUE.
This is supported by a UJET study,“ Critical State of Automation in Customer Experience,” which found that 80 % of customers had increased levels of frustration after an interaction with a chatbot.
As I’ ve stated before:
“ Customers still crave human interaction, particularly when dealing with emotionally charged issues or situations that fall outside predictable parameters.(...) Human agents also serve as the moral compass of customer service.”
" They can make judgment calls, navigate gray areas, and build trust in ways that machines cannot. In industries like healthcare, finance, and legal services, this human touch is indispensable.”
Even beyond CX, contact centers benefit from entry-level roles that build a talent pipeline and support ongoing workforce mobility. To remain competitive, contact centers will have to reimagine their frontline positions so they add even more value.
A hybrid approach is recommended. Entry-level positions can be enhanced by AI without replacing humans altogether, a Forbes article explained. Tedious admin tasks can be automated by technology, for example, freeing up humans to do what they do best: be human.
REIMAGINE ENTRY-LEVEL ROLES FROM RECRUITMENT
In a recent interview, I said:“ As automation and self-service systems handle simpler interactions, organizations need agents with stronger interpersonal and problem-solving skills to handle complex or emotionally charged situations.”
Agents that have the right skills are able to solve multifaceted problems and apply critical reasoning or empathy when needed. These are the types of interactions that can help a brand build loyalty.
Contact centers need to reimagine what the role of their frontline agents looks like and consider hiring based on the right skills.
Hiring agents based on the strong presence of proven CX soft skills, like acknowledgement and empathy, will help contact centers select the right agents and set them up for success before day one.
Aside from soft skills, agents and other entry-level positions will be required to have AI skills. A recent report from the World Economic Forum predicts that in just five years ' time, AI will have created 170 million new jobs.
And so even though it will have replaced about 78 million jobs, there will actually be a 7 % increase in employment compared to the workforce today.
CONTACT CENTER EMPLOYMENT
In a hybrid frontline role, where humans work with AI, the technology has the potential to enhance the employee experience. Imagine the following scenario:
“ Imagine an AI HR assistant in the pocket of every frontline manager or supervisor, guiding them in the flow of work. It provides instant policy guidance, supports staffing decisions, offers coaching prompts, auto-generates recognition messages, and answers HR questions in seconds. Weekly pulse checks feed insights on morale, recognition gaps, fairness, and burnout, with the AI suggesting the next best actions.”
When AI is put to good use, organizations can get the efficiency gains they crave, while keeping humans in the loop. But whether every organization and contact center will be able to afford to do so in the near future is another story.
THE FUTURE OF THE FRONTLINE
AI is undeniably reshaping entry-level employment for the time being by taking over routine tasks. But this shouldn’ t be a reason to eliminate human roles, at least for customer service.
Human agents are essential for building trust, handling nuanced situations, and serving as the empathetic face of the brand.
In contact centers, fully replacing humans at the frontline risks harming customer satisfaction, long-term retention, and increasing operational costs in the long run.
Organizations and contact centers must rethink and elevate their frontline jobs, revamp how they recruit and screen talent, and reorient roles toward complex problem solving and CX excellence.
The customer service frontline can still become more efficient with AI and keep their jobs. Done right, this evolution not only preserves human involvement but strengthens it, ensuring that humans and AI complement each other to deliver superior service.
Stéphane Rivard is a visionary entrepreneur on a global mission to transform workforce performance through innovative, skills-based hiring and training. As Co-founder and CEO of HiringBranch, he has dedicated his career to matching talent with roles where they can truly excel.
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