Contact centres across Australia and New Zealand are racing to adopt artificial intelligence in the name of speed, efficiency, and around-the-clock service. However, as bots become smarter, faster and more capable, a critical human factor risks being overlooked: the trust, wellbeing and long-term value of the contact centre agent.
The State of the Contact Centre 2025 report paints a clear picture of an industry undergoing major transformation. AI is now embedded or being considered in 98 percent of contact centres, used for everything from automating routine queries to predicting customer needs. Leaders in our region are bullish on AI's ability to elevate customer experience, with 83 percent believing it will enable true omnichannel support and 78 percent saying it will drive proactive, predictive service.
But there's another side to the story - one where agents are left to shoulder the emotional and cognitive load of increasingly complex customer interactions, without the training, support, or sense of security they need to thrive.
A matter of trust and support
One of the more concerning findings in the report is that nearly a third (32 percent) of contact centre leaders cite agent distrust in AI as a significant issue. This lack of trust doesn't just reflect uncertainty around the technology, it signals deeper anxieties about role relevance and job security in a workplace rapidly being restructured by automation.
Really, it's no wonder. As bots handle more basic requests, human agents are now dealing with the edge cases: the emotionally charged, nuanced, and often high-stakes conversations that require not just product knowledge but empathy, patience and problem-solving. In short, the more difficult interactions that machines handle. Yet only 36 percent of organisations in the study say they are prioritising training in emotional intelligence or social interaction, despite acknowledging that empathy is the most lacking agent skill.
Even more striking - 59 percent of contact centres are not providing ongoing coaching and support to help agents navigate their new AI-enhanced workflows. That's a missed opportunity, not just for agent engagement, but for customer outcomes as well.
The emotional toll of always-on expectations
As customer expectations rise, especially in areas like 24/7 service, personalised support and proactive outreach - agents are under mounting pressure to perform. When only 36 percent of contact centres in the ANZ region offer a true omnichannel experience, it's often the contact centre agent who's left to bridge the gap between siloed systems and seamless service.
In the past year alone, 61 percent of contact centres report that customer interactions have become more challenging, not less. That's a red flag for organisations that have invested in automation but neglected to invest equally in the people expected to manage its consequences.
Without adequate support, these pressures can lead to burnout, high attrition, and low morale, issues that ultimately impact customer satisfaction and business outcomes.
Bridging the trust gap
Rebuilding agent trust in AI begins with a shift in mindset. Instead of viewing automation solely as a cost-saving measure or productivity booster, contact centres must treat it as part of a broader workforce strategy - one that centres on human enablement, not displacement.
That means:
- Transparent communication: Be clear with agents about how AI is being used, what decisions it's making, and how their roles will evolve. Transparency builds trust.
- Skill development: Invest in training for soft skills like emotional intelligence, resilience and adaptability - essential for handling the complex interactions that AI can't solve.
- Ongoing coaching: Move beyond onboarding and provide regular, personalised coaching to help agents grow withthe technology, not in spite of it.
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Career progression: Show agents a future beyond the headset. Map out new career paths that align with emerging roles in quality assurance, AI supervision, customer experience design and more.
A human-centred future
AI is not the enemy of the contact centre agent, it's a tool that, when deployed thoughtfully, can make their work more meaningful and less repetitive. However, this outcome isn't guaranteed. Without a deliberate focus on agent experience (AX), the benefits of AI could come at too high a cost.
The State of the Contact Centre 2025 report makes it clear: technology alone won't determine success. The most resilient organisations will be those that use AI to not just serve customers better, but to support, upskill and empower the people delivering that service.
In a market like ANZ where customer loyalty is hard-won and workforce expectations are changing, businesses that take a human-centred approach to AI adoption will have a clear competitive edge. After all, behind every great customer experience is a well-supported agent. Plus, behind every smart bot, there needs to be a smarter people strategy.
