Harnessing AI In Call Centers: Challenges, Concerns, And The Path Ahead
Improving Agent Experience In Call Centers: Expert Insights On Supervisor Support, AI, And Personalization
By 2030, 70% of contact center leaders believe agents won’t handle any simple task, according to CMP research. What will do it instead? You guessed it… AI.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is both an asset and a source of concern for call center employees and managers. And as the balance between technology and human interaction shifts, the pressing question remains: How can businesses and their employees adapt and thrive?
In partnership with CMP Research, Pathstream delved into this topic during a webinar, "The secret to transforming AI from threat to opportunity for your agents and supervisors."
Learn more about the CMP Research x Pathstream partnership here >
This discussion demystified the evolving narrative surrounding AI, providing leaders with actionable and research-backed strategies to view AI as a tool to empower their teams. Read on for actionable highlights from the webinar.
Key Webinar Takeaways On Improving Agent Experience
1. Enhancing Frontline Supervisors Experience: Nicole stressed the importance of improving the experience of frontline supervisors as a fundamental step to bolstering agent engagement.
2. Opportunities In Contact Centers: Eleanor highlighted that contact centers, with their deep understanding of customer experiences, are uniquely positioned to apply similar principles to improve both agent and manager experiences.
3. Supervisors Utilizing Technology: Gordon emphasized the crucial role of supervisors in using data and technology to support agents and underscored the significant impact of contact centers in driving business success.
4. Balancing Technology And Humanity: Brian, the host, encapsulated the conversation by emphasizing the balance between technology and humanity. He suggested that AI should augment human interactions, maintain our core human values, and scale performance.
5. Addressing Diverse Needs: The panelists discussed the necessity of addressing today's agents' diverse needs and expectations and aligning organizational practices with these evolving requirements.
6. AI As A Scaling Tool: The consensus? AI is most powerful when used to scale human potential—enabling more personalized, customer-focused, and high-performing call center teams.
Ready to start harnessing AI for your call center agents and managers? Get in touch with the Pathstream team to learn how we can help. Or, keep reading for more details and commentary from the webinar panelists.
Crafting A Superior Agent Experience In Today’s Call Centers
The ripple effects on customer expectations have shifted the dynamics of customer service. Agents today are expected to handle more intricate and complex customer issues, making the role of a well-trained and adaptable agent more critical than ever.
Building an experience tailored for agents and supervisors that matches these growing demands is essential.
Managing Director of CMP Research Nicole Kyle emphasized the need for companies to cultivate nurturing environments for their agents, citing that, "...the reason [CMP] has spent so much time and energy studying agent experience is because the stakes are so high.
Nicole highlighted three key agent engagement and retention drivers that organizations must prioritize:
- Supportive Supervisors: CMP's findings revealed that supervisor support significantly affects an agent's job satisfaction. Their guidance and understanding are pivotal in the agent's professional journey.
- Clear Career Paths: Agents want to see a growth trajectory in their roles. It's not merely about the present but the potential for growth and future advancement.
- Flexibility: The evolving work landscape means flexibility is essential. Today's agents crave flexibility and mobility.
Evolving Manager-Agent Relationships In Flexible Work Environments
Gordon Schleffer of Molina Healthcare highlighted how remote work has reshaped communication. Gone are the impromptu desk chats—supervisors must now be intentional in building connection and trust across screens.
It’s truly about nurturing a connection. Supervisors need to ensure conversations are not only about metrics, but also about personal growth and well-being.
In remote settings, it’s easy for supervisors to be perceived as micromanagers. To avoid this, Gordon recommended focusing on positive feedback, transparency, and real-time check-ins that help empower agents and improve retention.
Flexibility And Purpose: Key To Agent Engagement
While flexible scheduling is important, agents also want to feel a sense of purpose. Eleanor Cooper and Gordon agreed: to retain top talent, leaders must provide opportunities for development and impact.
AI is not replacing agents. It’s removing repetitive tasks so they can focus on problem-solving and meaningful customer interactions," Gordon explained.
This shift allows agents to move from box-checking to high-value tasks. It also frees supervisors to provide coaching rather than oversight. When agents are trained to think critically and adapt to new tools, they bring more value to the contact center and are better equipped to resolve issues on the first call.
The Importance Of Personalized Agent Experiences
Eleanor emphasized that improving agent performance isn’t just about systems—it’s about seeing agents as individuals.
Agents need to see a future—not just in internal growth, but in how their roles are evolving alongside technology.
Despite offering benefits like upskilling or career coaching, many organizations struggle to make these resources visible or relevant. Eleanor stressed that a personalized experience, grounded in each agent’s strengths and goals, is the key to long-term call center agent performance.
It’s about connecting the dots between what the agent wants and what the company needs. Many organizations have robust benefits and resources, but individuals often don’t know where to find them. We need to assemble these pieces into a meaningful, achievable personalized experience where we recognize individual strengths and potential and align the resources to help them grow in a way that benefits both parties goals.
Leveraging AI In Contact Centers To Support Agents And Supervisors
As call centers continue to evolve and AI becomes more embedded in daily operations, the question remains: How can businesses ensure that their AI investments genuinely benefit their agents and supervisors?
Our experts shared how the right strategy empowers teams, boosts customer service, and supports better decision-making.
1. Activating AI Tools Effectively:
Despite the hype, only 11% of organizations are actively testing AI in their call center operations, according to CMP Research. Nicole Kyle emphasized that AI tools must be activated by people—not just implemented.
Supervisors play a critical role in guiding agents through tool adoption, integrating AI into the team’s workflow, and using real-time insights to improve call outcomes and agent effectiveness.
2. Balancing AI With Training:
The panel warned of the "GPS effect"—over-reliance on automation that erodes agent judgment. Instead, AI should support, not replace, agents by clearing repetitive tasks and enabling them to focus on more complex customer issues.
Agents are no longer just following workflows—they need to think critically, build relationships, and adapt on the fly. It's really more about developing these fundamental skill sets that will help them have the right foundation to be nimble in a conversation, to deeply listen, and to build those relationships. - Eleanor Cooper
To meet this shift, organizations must update training programs to focus on skills-based competencies like time management, deep listening, and empathy—capabilities that AI can’t replicate.
3. Shifting Training Resources To Build Engagement:
Eleanor stressed that agents thrive when they feel supported and successful. Investing in programs that offer skills-based training, certificate pathways, and tailored development can boost engagement and retention.
When someone feels like they’re succeeding, they want to keep learning. That creates a positive feedback loop and drives better call center agent performance.
This shift also helps agents feel more confident handling complex customer interactions, rather than just following scripts or guided tools.
The Evolving Role Of Supervisors In Call Center Success
Supervisors have always been essential—but in the AI era, their role is even more critical. Nicole noted:
The tool is the tool. It’s the supervisor or manager who activates it.
Supervisors now wear many hats: performance coach, tech navigator, and team culture leader. Their ability to use real-time insights and align team behavior with company goals is key to creating a high-performing contact center.
Addressing Supervisor Challenges And Providing Support
Gordon summed it up best:
“The supervisor has the hardest job in the call center.”
They’re caught between top-down expectations and frontline needs. To succeed, they need structured support.
Eleanor shared Pathstream’s three-part approach to developing strong supervisors:
- Identifying and preparing potential managers
- Providing continual support and training
- Leveraging real-time insights for strengths-based coaching
Small investments here go a long way,” Eleanor said. “It’s where the biggest performance gains are hiding.
Redefining Supervisor Competencies In The Age Of AI
Nicole delved into the need for personalizing experiences for supervisors to better engage agents, especially in remote working scenarios. She introduced CMP’s innovative agent persona segmentation model, a nuanced approach to understanding and supporting agents based on intrinsic traits and environmental characteristics.
Nicole also highlighted the blurring line between work and life, necessitating a more holistic understanding of agents as individuals.
When that line between work and life blurs, you need to understand your direct report as a full person."
An effective supervisor, she noted, needs to comprehend this reality and adapt accordingly.
Energize And Equip Your Frontline Team To Achieve Exceptional Results
Pathstream is purpose-built to serve frontline teams and leaders.
We founded Pathstream with a vision to unlock the unrealized human potential of the frontline workforce.
Today, we partner with business leaders to help their team members unlock everyday wins that drive success for their careers, customers, and companies.
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