Contact centres are experiencing the same grievances today as years before with rising call volumes, high levels of employee attrition and talent shortages the major challenges.
But a new wave of innovation is poised to disrupt the status quo: Agentic AI.
Agentic AI is no longer just about creating content – it’s about AI that acts, delivering real-world solutions. Multimodal Agentic AI, which combines audio, visual, and text inputs, is revolutionising customer interaction. This technology doesn’t simply respond to commands; it takes meaningful actions, driving more efficient and impactful customer service.
It’s no longer enough for AI to generate responses – AI must drive outcomes.
Customer retention is a crucial metric for any business, and is largely driven by positive customer experiences. For contact centres, good experiences are predicated on a swift and comprehensive conversation which solves the caller’s query, all the while keeping the average handle time as compact as possible.
With 66% of people still relying on phone calls to solve their queries, this is still where the bulk of action takes place, and where efficiencies are most vital.
Long, inarticulate and uninformative calls deter customers, increase negative feedback and precipitates a vicious cycle of complaints, low staff morale and a deterioration of confidence in the business, from both its workforce and customers.
This is where Agentic AI steps in. Unlike traditional text-based bots, Agentic AI agents can ‘see’ through cameras, ‘hear’ through voice recognition and ‘read’ customer concerns in real time. These AI agents take charge of low to mid complexity issues, such as diagnosing broken machines from visual inputs, extrapolating insights from thousands of similar issues to present a custom-fit resolution, and passing on concise information to human agents – all while reducing customer effort.
By leveraging multiple sensory inputs, Agentic AI minimizes the need for customers to repeat details again and again, making problem-solving quicker and well-received. Most importantly, all of this occurs in a fraction of the time, leaving staff to focus on other priorities they otherwise wouldn’t have had time for.
When two out of every five callers claim they will take their business elsewhere after a disappointing experience on a customer service call, Agentic AI has the capability to prevent this exodus. Investing in automations which complement the human-customer interaction is how a notoriously frustrating experience can be transformed.
The impact of Agentic AI is felt by all stakeholders. For contact centre staff, AI agents are taking the strain from the deluge of routine calls, even outside of regular business hours. With fewer avoidable calls, the workforce can concentrate on the more complex customer requests as well as pursuing training and development opportunities – which is essential to upskilling employees. Upskilling not only enhances staff expertise but also optimizes the integration and effectiveness of AI, ensuring humans and AI work together seamlessly.
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For the consumer, the advantages of Agentic AI are evident. Visual inputs allow for a clear demonstration of the issue, and for the AI agent to triage it immediately, drawing on its reservoir of intelligence about the problem and the caller. This eliminates ambiguity and makes for rapid resolutions.
Beyond daily customer support, Agentic AI fosters innovation. By identifying recurring issues, AI provides businesses with insights that can inform process improvements and proactive resolutions, while also enhancing agent performance. As a result, companies are equipped with tools that improve not just problem-solving, but also overall business operations.
Agentic AI is more than just a customer support tool – it’s a catalyst for growth. It mimics a skilled technician, providing a hands-on, immersive experience that resolves issues quickly and effectively. This unique, multi-sensory experience positions businesses at the forefront of AI-pioneered problem-solving, helping not just to close issues, but introducing a whole new dimension to the customer experience.
The impact of Agentic AI extends far beyond operational efficiencies. By reducing call handling times and improving staff retention, companies can reallocate resources to high-value areas and drive business growth. The key to this transformation is embracing the full potential of Agentic AI, which allows for smarter, faster, and more human-centric customer service.
Businesses that adopt Agentic AI won’t just solve their contact centre challenges – they’ll discover a new dimension of customer experience that drives growth. With actionable, sensory-powered intelligence, Agentic AI is not just the future of customer service, it’s the key to unlocking operational efficiencies and long-term business success.
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