Executive summary
COVID-19 didn’t just shake contact centers, it changed them in lasting ways. Over the past five years we’ve seen hybrid staffing become the norm, cloud contact center platforms move from “someday” to “standard,” and AI assistants move from pilot projects into daily use. The positives are clear: more resilience, faster innovation, better analytics, and new opportunities to drive revenue from service. But there are still real challenges: higher volumes, more complex calls, agent burnout, and rising customer expectations. The companies that are winning are the ones that combine humans and AI effectively, modernize their workforce management, and focus on customer outcomes rather than just cost.
1) From emergency response to everyday operations
Hybrid and remote work are now the baseline. About a quarter of U.S. employees still work remotely in some capacity, and contact centers reflect that trend. Roughly half of all agents are now working in hybrid or fully remote setups.
Cloud platforms have become the default. The push to the cloud that started in 2020 is now well established. Most leaders rely on cloud-based contact center platforms for flexibility, speed of updates, and integrated digital channels.
AI is no longer a side project. What started as small pilot programs is now central to how contact centers run. Many interactions are either fully automated or supported by AI, though sensitive or emotional cases still require experienced agents.
Voice remains essential. Even with digital adoption, voice continues to account for more than half of interactions in most centers. Customers still turn to the phone when the issue is urgent or emotional, and AI is helping agents handle those calls more effectively.
Workforce management has moved to the forefront. The combination of hybrid work, volatile demand, and multi-skill routing has made modern workforce management tools essential.
2) What improved
More resilient operations. Cloud platforms and hybrid staffing make it easier to scale up or down quickly, respond to disruptions, and update systems faster than before.
Smarter coaching and agent assistance. AI copilots now give agents real-time suggestions, knowledge prompts, and automated wrap-ups. Supervisors can review 100 percent of calls and focus coaching where it matters most.
Better channel orchestration. Contact centers are using messaging, chat, and self-service to deflect simpler issues while making sure escalations to agents are smooth and well prepared.
More meaningful metrics. Leaders are looking beyond handle time and average speed of answer. Today, there’s greater focus on first contact resolution, containment rates, customer effort, and even revenue impact.
Productivity gains from remote work. Studies show that remote and hybrid setups, when done well, reduce costs and improve overall efficiency.
3) What got harder
Call volumes and complexity. Even years later, many contact centers are still seeing higher demand and longer handle times. By the time an issue gets to an agent, it is often complicated.
Burnout and turnover. Agent turnover remains high, with burnout one of the main drivers. Hybrid work provides flexibility but can also make agents feel isolated if culture and coaching are not strong.
Technology sprawl. The rush to adopt AI, digital, and knowledge systems has left many companies with overlapping tools and messy integrations. Without good planning, this creates friction for both agents and customers.
Customer expectations. As simple issues are handled by automation, the cases left for humans are the tough ones. These interactions are higher stakes and mistakes are more costly for the brand.
4) The new model: Humans and AI working together
The model that is emerging looks like this:
- -Automate the simple front-door tasks but make it easy for customers to reach a person when they want to.
- -Give every agent an AI copilot and every supervisor AI-powered visibility and coaching tools.
- -Run the operation on cloud infrastructure with modern workforce management to handle hybrid teams and unpredictable demand.
- -Focus on outcomes like resolution quality and customer retention, not just effort or speed.
5) What leading companies are doing
Voice excellence. Rather than trying to reduce voice, the best companies treat it as their premium channel. They invest in real-time support for agents and design digital channels to hand over context seamlessly when calls are escalated.
Streamlined systems. Leaders are consolidating their tools and creating single sources of truth for analytics and coaching.
Modern workforce management. AI forecasting, intraday scheduling, and agent self-service are cutting waste and improving the employee experience.
Human-centered AI adoption. The best programs balance automation with investment in agents, providing career paths and coaching to handle the more complex work.
Service as a revenue driver. Forward-looking leaders measure service not only as a cost but also as a source of retention, upsell, and customer lifetime value.
6) Looking ahead (2025–2027)
- Agents will handle more skilled work. With automation taking on the easy tasks, agents will spend more time solving complex, regulated, or emotionally sensitive issues.
- AI rules will get clearer. Expect new standards around disclosure, handoffs, and oversight of AI-driven interactions.
- Platforms will consolidate. Buyers will look for tighter suites with fewer vendors, integrated workforce tools, and measurable impact.
7) A practical checklist for leaders
- -Map the customer journey and understand where automation helps and where human support is essential.
- -Invest in making voice interactions excellent, not just cheaper.
- -Centralize data so supervisors and coaches have a complete picture.
- -Modernize workforce management for hybrid teams.
- -Measure results in terms of resolution and customer impact, not just handle time.
- -Make agent well-being and skill development a top priority.
Bottom line
The pandemic didn’t just disrupt contact centers, it accelerated their transformation. Operations are now more digital, more distributed, and more data-driven, but also more complex. Success today comes from designing a human-plus-AI system with the right foundation: clear channel strategy, strong workforce management, integrated platforms, and a focus on outcomes. When those pieces are in place, AI becomes a true multiplier rather than another tool to manage.