AI's Role in Contact Centres As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the contact centre industry, what impact does it have on business operations, customer service, and the evolution of human roles?

Ben Booth, CEO and founder of Manchester based contact centre software provider MaxContact, explores how AI is reshaping the core functions of contact centres. From automation and data-driven decision making to enhancing customer experiences, Booth highlights the future potential of AI in driving operational efficiency and business growth.

How do you see AI transforming the core operations of your business in the next 5-10 years?
In the past year, or so, AI has really taken off and is already changing the way we work, and that includes call centres. In fact, the AI revolution is really helping contact centres provide better customer experiences and make better use of agent time and expertise and that's something that we're really passionate about helping drive at MaxContact. Over the next 5-10 years, it is likely that we will continue to see AI transform the core operations of our business model in a number of ways. Firstly, AI will really help us to enhance automation across various functions of the business, from customer support to data analysis, log reading, and security awareness. Being able to do this will mean that less manual intervention is needed from humans, and processes will become more streamlined and efficient, so that team members can focus on building initiatives and working on the things that really matter rather than routine tasks that take up time.

It is also likely that in the next few years, or so, we'll see AI driving data decision-making. Even now, in 2024, AI can process vast amounts of data that businesses can then use to gain insight into customer experience and trends that are occurring within the contact centre. So, in a few years, this will become even more prominent, allowing for better informed decision-making and more agile responses to changing conditions. Not only that, but with the new insights AI can provide, we are likely to be able to develop a data-driven product roadmap and inform strategy, as well as better understand competitor trends and positioning.

Finally, AI will help us in the next 5 to 10 years to optimise resource and operational processes, which in turn will help us to reduce costs. This will cover everything from cloud management to predictive maintenance, ensuring that we use everything as efficiently as possible.

As with most technological advancements, it will help to make people more efficient in their roles while also optimising processes and resources. Really, job roles will not change; rather, they will simply evolve to be different from what they are now. For example, HR can ask chatbots questions about how they should implement policies and processes or how to speed up onboarding.

What AI tools or technologies are you currently using, and how have they impacted your business efficiency or growth?
Within MaxContact at the moment, the use of AI tools varies massively across the different departments and divisions that we have in business, which reflects the unique needs of AI. For example, currently we are using Copilot to help with management within the business. This is extremely useful, particularly during meetings, as it has aided in meeting summaries, note-taking, and determining what actions should be taken following a discussion. We also use Copilot within the sales department to save time writing up key points and actions following a demonstration. It also helps us to identify common trends and insights into our sales processes and what customers need from us, as well as competitor developments. Using Copilot in this way has helped MaxContact increase efficiency by 20% so far. In addition to Copilot, we are using large language models (LLMs) to assist with writing and rewriting any responses, social media posts, and emails, which has significantly reduced the time spent on communication, allowing them to focus on business initiatives. As well as this, we are also starting to incorporate the use of automation in our customer support processes. By automating responses to low-level queries and standardising workflow processes, we are ensuring consistent outcomes while freeing up our support staff to tackle more complex issues and evolve their role into more of a customer success experience as opposed to closing tickets. This not only improves efficiency but also enhances the overall customer experience. Looking ahead, we plan to experiment with additional AI technologies in 2025 to further optimise our operations and drive growth.

Do you believe AI will replace human jobs in your industry, or will it enhance human roles? Why?
I believe that at the moment we are witnessing the evolution of certain roles within the business rather than an outright replacement. For example, those who use AI technology to their advantage will likely find themselves in a better position than those who resist it. This pattern that we are seeing with AI actually mirrors past technological shifts, such as the transition from typewriters to computers and the move from on-premises solutions to cloud-based SaaS models. So it's likely that we'll see a similar shift the more that people use AI.

As well as this, as AI continues to advance, roles will inevitably adapt to leverage these new tools. I think that rather than eliminating jobs completely, AI will help to enhance human capabilities so that we can focus more on high-level tasks that require the creativity and critical thinking that AI cannot yet provide. For example, while AI can handle routine data analysis or customer inquiries, it cannot replicate the nuanced understanding and interpersonal skills that humans bring to complex problem-solving and relationship-building. In essence, in the near future it is likely that we will see a more collaborative environment where AI and humans work together, each complementing the other's strengths. Embracing this change will be crucial for individuals and organisations aiming to thrive in an increasingly automated world. I also see MaxContact becoming closer as a company and the culture improving because I will not have to spend part of my day doing admin, scheduling meetings, and writing up actions. Instead, I can spend time with teams, developing staff, coaching, and so on. I believe this will be true for many business leaders (not managers), and as a result, we will have more opportunities to interact.

What ethical concerns or challenges do you face when integrating AI into your business model?
There are a few key areas when it comes to AI that are both a concern within my business and using AI more generally. Firstly, data privacy is a big concern. At MaxContact we collect vast amounts of data about customers to enhance our services. So we have to be careful about the way that we handle data we have so that we comply with regulations and maintain customer trust by making sure we safeguard their information.

Another big concern I foresee as AI becomes more prominent is bias in algorithms. For example, if the data used to train our AI systems contains biases, it can lead to wrong outcomes, which could harm our reputation and customer relationships. AI in its current state will give you an answer even if it is incorrect, unless there are features in place to prevent this from happening. Smallers LLMs are better for this as they can be trained on your specific team or data, meaning that anything that doesn't fit within your business or general model will be rejected immediately. Not so much within MaxContact, but another source of concern is job displacement, for which AI has the potential to cause significant damage to global economies. As it becomes more common use, there needs to be regulations implemented to control the impact of AI on a global scale. Though AI can help with decision-making, it will still be important that human oversight remains a part of processes so that we don't become overly reliant on these technologies, and we still have some accountability for things, as right now AI isn't complex enough to be taking full autonomy and control for these decisions.

How do you envision AI shaping customer experiences and decision-making processes in the future?
With AI, it is likely that customer experiences will become hyper-personalised, with LLMs adapting language and communication based on the individual, and this is likely to become more common. However, as mentioned above, decision-making is something that we should be very cautious about. At the moment, AI can argue both for and against a human decision, but it cannot access the risk factors associated with those decisions or potential outcomes. Although this will improve, I believe it can be used for basic tasks such as data analysis and automation.