Survey Finds Call Center Agents Concerned About Future of Automation

Living in the midst of a digital revolution is incredibly exciting from the perspective of business development. It seems that almost every day a new technological innovation is introduced offering companies new opportunities to increase efficiency and amplify productivity. Because these innovations are often so beneficial, advocates for advanced business tech seem to overlook the potential consequences.

This is clearly evident within the call center industry, as many call center agents have a somewhat paradoxical opinion of the recent developments in AI-based call center solutions. According to a recent survey conducted by AI customer service startup Asapp and the University of San Francisco’s Master of Science in Marketing Intelligence program, 41% of participating call center agents stated they would like AI to take over complex calls. That very same survey also found that 40% are concerned about AI taking over their jobs completely.

Business leaders are also in a complicated position, as both human agents and automated solutions have individual merits. Superior customer service supported by a knowledgeable, hard working human agent is always appreciated by customers. However, finding top-tier agents is becoming increasingly difficult, as the call center industry has one of the highest turnover rates in the business world. AI-based automated services can reduce the need for human agents, and can significantly cut costs and time spent on training. However, companies that rely too heavily on these solutions or use underdeveloped programs can cause frustrations for customers that prefer human interactions.

Artificial intelligence still has a long way to go before becoming capable of fully taking over human contact center responsibilities, but human agents have a legitimate cause for concern about the future of their positions.