How AI can help contact centers retain top talent

‘Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes’ as legendary singer-songwriter Billy Joel famously put it in his 1976 hit Say Goodbye to Hollywood. 

In the contact centre world, those hellos and goodbyes tend to come thick and fast. Answering questions, resolving issues and listening to customer complaints can be wearing work and agent burn-out is all too common. Callers aren’t always patient or polite, the answers or resolutions they demand may be tricky to determine or effect, support from supervisors and managers can be variable and the pressure to hit KPIs is a constant stressor.

Little surprise then that staff attrition is consistently cited as one of the major worries of contact centre managers, according to the Auscontact Association’s The 2023-24 Australian and New Zealand Contact Centre Decision Makers’ Guide which surveyed 118 contact centre managers and directors in Q2, 2023.

Respondents cited a mean attrition rate of 20 per cent for the year, although in some segments of the market that figure can be doubled or tripled.

The high price of continual hiring 

Revolving door recruitment isn’t only disruptive and expensive although it certainly is the latter, with the average cost per hire for Australian companies now sitting at $8000, according to the 2023 HR Industry Benchmark Report produced by Elmo and the Australian Human Resources Institute.

A high staff churn rate also has a deleterious effect on the quality and speed of the service organisations are able to deliver to their customers. Depending on the nature of their operations, and the range and complexity of enquiries they receive, it may take rookie recruits several weeks or months to get up to speed. In the meantime, these new starters can be a drain on productivity, a source of additional work for the experienced agents and supervisors charged with supporting them and, through no fault of their own, the cause of hundreds of sub-par customer experiences.

Given the contact centre has become a critical customer touchpoint in today’s digital times, the latter is an issue businesses would do well to address, and fast.

Turning the tide with AI technology

So, what exactly can Australian organisations do to make it more attractive for their contact centre agents to stick around long term?

A competitive salary or hourly rate is a must but it’s not the only thing that keeps agents on their game and on the job.

Empowering them with tools that help them get to grips with customers’ needs and deliver the resolutions they’re seeking faster is every bit as important, according to latest research from Kore.ai.

Its 2024 study of contact centre workforce pain points found agents who had access to AI-powered automated assistants were more engaged in the workplace and more satisfied in their jobs.

From automatically summarised interaction histories and the instant retrieval of relevant customer information to the provision of real-time personalised context-based suggestions and the automation of the wrap-up process, agents are saying a resounding ‘yes’ to tools that help them understand customers’ requirements and solve their problems quickly and effectively. 

It’s not hard to see why this enabling technology is so popular with the users it’s designed for. Harnessing the power of AI turns number punchers into problem solvers and brand ambassadors; strategic assets who can take pride in the contribution they’re making to their employers’ prosperity and growth. 

Towards a stronger future

In today’s times, the contact centre is the beating heart of many businesses. It’s the first – and very often the only – point of contact for customers and the experiences they receive when they call, email or message for information or assistance will shape their perceptions of your organisation.

A team of experienced, high performing agents who’ll stay with your business long term is a powerful asset; one that can provide your organisation with a competitive edge. That’s why investing in AI-powered technology that enables your team to operate more effectively and enjoy greater job satisfaction is one of the smartest moves you can make.

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