BY DEVON MYCHAL , CRESTA
Investment in AI technology can help contact center leaders amplify best practices across their workforce and dramatically improve retention rates . With AI they can ultimately drive down onboarding costs and ensure every agent is equipped with the knowledge they need to provide excellent customer service at every turn .
Here are three ways AI in the contact center is helping deliver stronger and more meaningful experiences to customers through their agents . And at the same time simultaneously driving bottom-line results for the business .
1 . IMPROVED ONBOARDING AND COACHING
Nearly tripling that of other industries at rates of 30 % to 45 % or more from our research of other studies ( Ed . note , e . g ., Nextiva ), attrition in the contact center is remarkably high .
With the cost to replace an agent averaging $ 10,000- $ 21,000 as per our data , attrition can significantly impact the bottom line while also contributing to negative customer interactions and perceptions .
Our research also shows organizations can reduce their new agent onboarding time by 50 % or more through the use of real-time hints and knowledge . This is especially important as less than a third of agents reported their training and onboarding were excellent .
The benefits don ' t stop once agents are fully ramped up ; AI can also deliver improved and real-time tailored coaching . The survey found that :
• Those agents who experienced more personalized coaching through Generative AI technology reported that it is nearly 3x more effective than those who go through a “ one-sizefits-all ” coaching process .
• Of those receiving optimized coaching , 91 % reported satisfaction at work compared to 57 % without .
2 . INCREASED JOB PERFORMANCE , CONFIDENCE , AND SATISFACTION
While prevailing narratives surrounding AI in the contact center imply that it ’ s something agents should fear , our survey results suggest that many agents feel otherwise .
• Nearly two-thirds of agents ( 65 %) report wanting to use real-time AI hints and suggestions during the course of their customer interactions .
• Additionally , 95 % of agents currently using AI report being able to more rapidly and competently resolve customer queries .
• Of those using AI , 89 % felt their organizations were prioritizing investment in technology that better supported them at work .
• Meanwhile , of the cohort of agents not using AI , only 57 % reported they felt their organization was prioritizing investment in technology that eased pain points in their day-to-day work .
When asked to indicate their degree of happiness in their roles , those who were unhappy were nearly twice as likely to say that their company ’ s lack of investment in new technology is inhibiting their overall success .
There has been a strong correlation between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction , as happier agents create happier customers . Therefore , investments in agent-supporting tools impact customers directly .
NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF AGENTS ( 65 %) REPORT WANTING TO USE REAL-TIME AI HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS ...
3 . INCREASED “ SERVICE-TO-SALES ” OPPORTUNITIES In the past few years , the impetus for contact center leaders to transition toward a " service-to-sales " model has grown significantly , effectively converting “ cost centers ” into " profit centers .”
In practice though , this shift can be incredibly daunting for agents who may not have past sales experience , especially without the assistance of supportive AI technology .
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