"Revolutionizing the Contact Centre: How GenAI is About to Change the Game"
The era of human agents is over. At least, that’s what leading industry experts are saying. With the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), the traditional contact centre is on the brink of a major transformation.
According to Tom Byrd, Director of Marketing Insights at Amdocs, GenAI is the solution to many of the challenges faced by human agents. "While human agents are amazing, there are challenges and frustrations associated with them," Byrd noted. "Long wait times, limited operating hours, and the need for customers to switch to human agents – GenAI is the answer to many of these barriers."
Byrd should know. His company has been conducting research on the matter, and the results are eye-opening. According to a 2023 study, customers are increasingly open to using self-service digital channels, but only if the experience is seamless. "The good news is that customers are willing to use digital tools, but the bad news is that the digital customer journey is often broken," Byrd said.
So, what’s the solution? GenAI. "GenAI is setting the stage for enabling contact centres of the future," Byrd said. "It will enable AI-powered customer service, automating routine tasks and providing off-hours customer support."
But don’t just take their word for it. Industry experts are already predicting major disruptions in the traditional business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. With GenAI, employees may be concerned about the future of their jobs. Will they be replaced by machines? The answer, according to Byrd, is no. "GenAI will enhance customer service roles, rather than replace them."
So, what’s the takeaway? Companies need to refocus their digital customer engagement strategy and invest in upskilling their human agents. The future of the contact centre is here, and it’s GenAI. Get ready for the revolution.
