Autonomous Contact Centres: Are We There Yet?

The Question

As a parent of two impatient teenage kids, I often encounter the inevitable vacation question: “Are we there yet?” Recently, I found myself pondering this very question in a different context: Autonomous Contact Centres.

The Background

One of my personal benchmarks for determining if a technology has reached mainstream adoption is observing how many family members are using it. For instance, Google Maps has become an indispensable tool for almost everyone on our trips, and WhatsApp is the go-to app for staying in touch with friends and family. Typically, technologies take years, even decades, to reach this level of ubiquity. However, Generative AI (GenAI) has defied these odds, achieving widespread adoption in just a few months. My kids use it for their assignments, and my wife utilized ChatGPT to plan a memorable vacation by providing detailed context on our preferences and time constraints.

Witnessing such rapid technological advancement, it’s natural to speculate about the future and the impact of AI on various domains. In my field, this translates to pondering the future of Autonomy in Contact Centres—will we reach a point where call center agents are no longer needed?

The Journey

Just like my kids aren’t satisfied with a simple yes or no to their “Are we there yet?” question, I needed a detailed explanation for my inquiry about Autonomous Contact Centres. I envision the path to autonomy unfolding in a three-step process, akin to the evolution of the automotive industry from manual transmission vehicles to self-driving cars.

Step 1: Driver Assist: Agent Assist

In the automotive world, Driver Assist features like parking assist, lane keep assist, and collision detection provide crucial support to drivers. Similarly, in the contact center domain, Agent Assist technologies help agents by summarizing calls, looking up knowledge bases, and determining the next best action based on the call’s context. These features already exist in the market, including within our own contact centre solutions.

Step 2: Driver Monitored: Agent Monitored

At this stage, cars can drive themselves with minimal input from the driver. Similarly, Contact Centres will see bots interacting with customers, with agents providing oversight. This “Agent Monitored” model allows for a 1:1 or even N:1 mapping of agents to bots and customers. This approach offers two key benefits:

1. Real-time Oversight: Agents can intervene before conversations derail, enhancing the customer experience.
2. Bot Training: Agents can guide bots through text or voice prompts, accelerating the bots’ learning and performance.

Step 3: Full Autonomy: Autonomous Contact Centres

The final stage envisions full autonomy, where bots handle 100% of customer interactions without agent supervision. However, I believe this stage may remain theoretical. We will likely always have an “Agent in the Loop,” where agents act as bot supervisors rather than traditional call center agents. Similar to workers overseeing robots in a car manufacturing plant, these supervisors will possess the skills to monitor and guide bots effectively.

Conclusion

So, are we there yet? Will we ever reach full autonomy in contact centres? The answer is nuanced. The final state will depend on specific use cases, customer needs, and the adaptability of various solutions. It’s not just about the destination but the journey itself. Choosing the right technology partner is crucial to making this journey enjoyable and meaningful.

At Exotel, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey toward Autonomous Contact Centres. We’ll be with you at every step, ensuring your path to autonomy is both rewarding and impactful.