Where Heart Meets Tech: Elevating Human Potential with AI in the Contact Center
- Cass Ferris
- Oct 20
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 21
AI and automation are revolutionizing contact centers, promising a future where efficiency
and an extraordinary customer experience go hand in hand. According to a recent study, the AI in contact centers global market is projected to reach $10.4 billion by 2027, highlighting the growing reliance on these technologies.
In today’s contact center, AI can be used to power virtual agents and chatbots, assist human agents in real time, analyze customer sentiment, automate quality assurance, summarize interactions, route calls intelligently, forecast customer behavior and streamline workflows.
Despite all the advancements in AI, customers still value human interaction in their contact center experiences. A recent study found that 75% of customers prefer human agents for complex issues, and nearly half (48%) of consumers say they do not trust information provided by AI bots, underscoring the irreplaceable value of empathetic human interaction.
Although AI and automation enhance operational efficiency, it is the empathy, adaptability and relationship-building abilities of human agents that are essential for ensuring customer satisfaction. By exploring the synergy of AI efficiency and human understanding, we can empower agents to be advocates for their customers and truly enhance the human element within the contact center.
| EFFICIENCY REDEFINED FOR AGENTS AND CUSTOMERS
In today’s fast-paced customer service environment, operational excellence begins with intelligent efficiency. Efficiency is the cornerstone of AI’s disruptive impact on contact center operations. By intelligently automating routine tasks, optimizing agent workflows and delivering real-time insights, AI enables contact centers to handle higher volumes with greater speed and accuracy.
According to industry research, AI can reduce average hold times by up to 50%, and 80% of companies using AI in contact centers report faster resolution times, underscoring the efficiency gains possible through automation.
When AI handles routine inquiries and administrative work, agents are free to focus on more complex customer needs. This shift not only streamlines workflows but also ensures that agents have immediate access to relevant information and solutions, empowering them to deliver real-time support.
MORLEY EXPERIENCE:
During customer interactions, AI-driven insights assist Morley agents with recommendations, suggestions for optimal next steps and provide comprehensive post-call or post-chat summaries. All in real-time.
Using MS Copilot integration with Outlook, agents benefit from actionable insights and tailored suggestions for managing tasks and responding to emails, further boosting productivity.
Innovations have contributed to a consistent reduction in average hold time (AHT). For instance, in July 2025, the organization achieved nearly a 10% decrease in AHT through the combined use of automation, targeted coaching, best practice sharing and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Insight 1: AI and automation can significantly improve contact center efficiency, enabling agents to focus on complex customer needs, resulting in reduced hold times, faster resolutions and enhanced customer experiences.
| A MORE EMPATHETIC CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
While AI delivers notable improvements in efficiency, leading research and advisory firm, Gartner, cautions organizations not to depend too heavily on automation. By 2027, it’s expected that half of the companies aiming to downsize their customer service teams because of AI will reverse those decisions.
In emotionally charged customer interactions, AI equips agents with real-time insights into tone, sentiment and behavioral cues, allowing them to respond with greater sensitivity and relevance. Further, automation minimizes the need for multitasking and allows agents to focus on empathetic communication and problem-solving.
According to Gartner’s research, 95% of service leaders plan to keep human agents in place to help shape how AI is used. Gartner recommends a hybrid approach, where AI works alongside human agents rather than replacing them, preserving the essential role of human empathy and judgment in customer service.
MORLEY EXPERIENCE:
Morley believes that technology is only as good as the humans utilizing it. Agent assist technology streamlines operations, but it’s people who truly set the tone with the customer. While AI handles routine tasks and supports agents behind the scenes, live agents deliver genuine care and personal connection, particularly in stressful situations like a vehicle repurchase. It takes a live agent to go above and beyond and turn a challenge into a positive experience. By blending advanced technology with compassionate service, we increase the likelihood that every customer feels valued and supported.
Insight 2: While AI can enhance key customer interactions that require deep understanding, compassion and emotional intelligence, the irreplaceable value of empathetic human interaction remains essential.
| ELEVATE CX BY DOING WHAT IS RIGHT FOR AGENTS
Contact center agents face significant cognitive demands. Juggling multitasking, retrieving information and managing emotional interactions can quickly become overwhelming, impacting both their efficiency and job satisfaction. Fortunately, AI technologies are reshaping this landscape. Tools like automated call routing, real-time transcription, sentiment analysis and predictive analytics lighten the load by handling routine tasks and surfacing relevant insights when agents need them most.
With AI managing repetitive work, agents gain immediate access to customer details and troubleshooting resources, allowing them to resolve issues swiftly and accurately. This shift frees agents to focus on complex or emotionally charged conversations – the kind of work that can be both rewarding and lead to greater long-term job satisfaction.
Empowered with the right tools, training, and autonomy, agents can act confidently and deliver personalized service. AI-driven insights and automation enable agents to quickly access information, make informed decisions and provide tailored solutions that truly meet
each customer’s needs. By supporting agents in this way, organizations create an environment where doing what’s right for both the customer and the agent becomes the norm.
MORLEY EXPERIENCE:
Prior to implementing an Automated Quality Management (AQM) program, Morley’s analysts previously spent up to an hour manually reviewing, analyzing and providing feedback on call samples. With AQM, they now pull more comprehensive data in as little as 10 minutes, enabling faster and more frequent coaching for a larger amount of agents. This implementation has shifted their role, allowing them to spend more time coaching than they do analyzing.
Further, agents appreciate the AQM dashboard, which gives them real-time visibility into their performance and fosters a sense of ownership. The system’s unbiased, holistic view builds trust and makes coaching sessions more effective, as agents are aware of their challenges before feedback is given.
Insight 3: Leaders empowering contact center agents with the right tools, training and autonomy enable agents to act with confidence, deliver personalized service and consistently do what’s right for the customer.
Summary
Integrating AI and automation in contact centers offers organizations a powerful way to boost efficiency and customer experience, but technology alone cannot replace the human connections that define exceptional service. By using AI to support and empower agents, handling routine tasks and providing valuable insights, companies can strike a balance between technological advancement and empathetic, personalized interactions. This approach ensures customers benefit from fast, accurate solutions and the compassion of human agents, especially during complex or emotionally charged situations, positioning organizations to thrive in a competitive landscape.
Sources:
United States Artificial Intelligence Institute: How does AI Optimize Performance in Contact Centers
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