CONNECTING THE CUSTOMERS
WHAT CHANGES, TRENDS, AND DEVELOPMENTS HAVE YOU SEEN EMERGE OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS THAT IMPACT CUSTOMER CONTACT, AND WHAT ARE THEIR DRIVERS?
SARITA FERNANDES
The organizations that are struggling most right now are the ones with fragmented systems; they can ' t deliver a connected experience because their data is scattered across tools that don ' t talk to each other.
The contact center used to be a cost center you managed. Today it can make all the difference in a competitive market. The leaders who recognize that are investing in platforms that unify the CX. The ones who don ' t are losing customers to competitors who have.
Over the past 12 months, customer contact has become much more dynamic. Organizations are moving away from fixed workflows and toward systems that can respond in real time, based on what’ s happening in the interactions.
Customer expectations are a big driver. People expect companies to understand their histories, intent, and context across every channel. At the same time, enterprises are trying to connect fragmented systems and make faster decisions with better data.
As a result, customer interactions are becoming a much more valuable signal for each business. Each conversation reflects customer sentiment, intent, and the state of the relationships at that moment.
That shift is increasing demand for technologies that can work with live data. Approaches like model context protocol( MCP)-enabling platforms allow AI systems to access and act on real-time context, making interactions more relevant and responsive.
We’ re also seeing more focus on how AI and human agents work together. The most effective models bring both into the same workflow, with AI supporting speed and scale while humans focus on judgment and customer experience( CX).
This is what we call“ tandem care”, a model of service where AI agents and human agents collaborate in real time, each amplifying the strengths of the other to improve outcomes.
This coordination allows for seamless transitions between self-service and human agent assistance, ensuring that full context and progress are preserved while delivering an effortless customer and employee experience.
LISA ORFORD
The biggest shift I ' ve seen is that customers have stopped being patient. They expect you to know who they are, remember what happened last time, and resolve their issues fast, regardless of which channel they ' re using. And when you can ' t deliver that, they leave. It ' s that simple.
What ' s driving it? AI has reset expectations. People have experienced genuinely helpful automated interactions, so now they hold every contact center to that standard.
SARIKA PRASAD
Over the past year, contact centers have shifted from AI hype to operational reality. Teams are no longer just experimenting with AI. They are implementing it at scale and across the full customer journey.
AI solutions now go well beyond managing simple FAQs. They power intelligent triage, real-time quality management, and end-to-end self-service. Voice AI has matured dramatically. Interactions that once felt robotic now feel fast, natural, and contextually aware.
At the same time, younger customers are raising the bar. Customers expect AI-powered service as standard, with a clear path to a human agent when needed.
Yet technology alone is not enough. CX has become the defining battleground for brand loyalty.
• Businesses must create experiences that feel effortless, personal, and deeply human.
• There is a growing recognition that AI must augment, not replace, human empathy.
• Trust and governance around AI deployment are now boardroom priorities, not afterthoughts.
This shift is being driven by a fundamental change in mindset. Contact centers are a growth engine, not just an operational cost. When organizations get this balance right, combining smart automation with genuine human connection, they will not just resolve issues. They will build lifetime customer loyalty.
" AI HAS RESET EXPECTATIONS. PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED GENUINELY HELPFUL AUTOMAT- ED INTERACTIONS, SO NOW THEY HOLD EVERY CONTACT CENTER TO THAT STANDARD."
-- LISA ORFORD
JULY 2026 25