THE DIFFERENCE COMES DOWN TO HOW WELL THE AI IS TRAINED AND HOW RELIABLE, WELL-STRUCTURED, AND CONCISE THE INFORMATION IN YOUR KMS IS.
Even small delays- a minute searching here, a hold there- compound quickly across hundreds of calls, turning knowledge friction into one of the biggest hidden drivers of AHT.
Modern knowledge management systems( KMS)- especially those designed for agent use during live calls- can dramatically reduce AHT by:
• Providing clear, step-by-step guidance.
• Retrieving the right information based on the call context.
• Reducing time spent searching or escalating inquiries.
Then again, to make things even easier on the agents, use AI chatbots trained on your KMS information. Here, an agent enters a question and receives a quick response, rather than trying to find the right page or quick reference guide( QRG). This supports the agent without interrupting the conversation.
But when implemented poorly, these tools overwhelm agents with too many suggestions or surface incorrect information.
The difference comes down to how well the AI is trained and how reliable, well-structured, and concise the information in your KMS is. Agents will only rely on knowledge tools they believe are accurate, current, and easy to use.
16 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
As one recurring sentiment from agent communities suggests: " If I trusted the knowledge base, I wouldn ' t need to put customers on hold."
Efficient KMSs reduce search time and build the agents ' trust in them. I explore this further in“ Unlocking the Call Center Possibilities With KMS”, where I discuss how structured knowledge supports both agent performance and customer satisfaction.
4. AGENT-FRIENDLY DASHBOARDS
In many contact centers, agents spend more time navigating the CRM than talking to the customer. Multiple tabs, slow load times, duplicate data entry, and unclear workflows quietly add minutes to every interaction. These minutes never show up on coaching dashboards, but influence handle time and agent frustration.
Agents often describe it bluntly in online forums:
" The call would be easy if the system didn ' t fight me the whole time."
An effective agent dashboard applies core user interface( UI) principles to reduce effort during live calls. This includes thoughtful use of color to draw attention to critical fields, a layout that follows the natural flow of the conversation, and intuitive placement of buttons and actions agents use most frequently.
Designing dashboards with agents in mind starts with a simple question: What information does an agent need at the exact moment they are helping a customer?
But rather than guessing, involve agents in the design: allowing them to navigate the dashboards, test workflows, and provide feedback. This hands-on input helps uncover what truly matters during live interactions and what gets in the way.
COACH’ S CORNER
A few high-level principles to keep in mind include:
• Single-screen views with customer histories, account details, and case status.
• Context is carried forward, so agents don ' t have to re-ask questions or re-enter information.
• Logical workflows that match real call flows: not idealized process maps.
• Fast performance, especially during peak call volumes.
WHAT INFORMA- TION DOES AN AGENT NEED AT THE EXACT MOMENT THEY ARE HELPING A CUSTOMER?
When dashboards are designed around real call flow instead of system logic, agents spend less time navigating and more time resolving. This theme carries directly into staffing and tool decisions that I will cover in Part 3.
Mark
Pereira is a certified Trainer and experienced On-Site Supervisor specializing in boosting retention and productivity through proven teaching methods. With an academic background in Business and Innovative Education, he provides coaching to agents with empathy and skill. He stays up-to-date with industry developments from his base in Indianapolis, Indiana.