The study of 250 contact centre agents in the UK, conducted by Norstat, sought to understand how technology can empower agents to deliver upon omnichannel strategies in the post-Covid world.
94 per cent of respondents said artificial intelligence will support them in their role, with 57 per cent believing AI will help solve customer queries faster, 56 per cent feeling it will provide them with more information on the customer and 56 per cent saying it will enable them to focus on more challenging tasks.
Jason Roos, founder and CEO of Cirrus, explained, “The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of change in the contact centre world, with increasing numbers of businesses looking to adopt cloud solutions to enable their agents to work remotely with no loss of service. In the stampede, there is a fear that the needs of agents are not being considered during the decision-making process.
“We strongly believe that technology is only as good as the agents using it. What this study shows us is how those operating on the frontline of customer service believe technology should be deployed to help them provide a superior experience.”
When asked what contact centre agents can do that automated systems, such as chatbots, cannot, the respondents said agents can provide a more personalised service, handle complex queries, and show empathy.