Customer experience is changing fast, and contact centres are feeling the pressure to keep up. As AI continues to change the industry, CX leaders are preparing for times ahead—adopting new technologies, rethinking strategies, and finding smarter ways to deliver faster, more personalised support.
At Puzzel, we recently surveyed over 1,500 CX leaders and professionals across Europe to uncover the challenges, trends, and priorities that will define the years to come. If you're a CX leader preparing for what’s next, here's a breakdown of the trends to watch and how you can position your contact centre for success.
1. Empowering and upskilling agents
Empowering agents is now a top priority for CX leaders, and it’s easy to see why. Our survey reveals that contact centres' biggest challenge is a shortage of skilled personnel. This, combined with high turnover rates, makes investing in agent growth and support more critical.
AI is playing a key role here, not as a replacement for agents but as a way to make their roles more effective. Our research shows that 65% of CX leaders believe AI solutions, like virtual assistants, can significantly boost agent performance and reduce burnout. By automating repetitive tasks and optimising workflows, AI frees agents to focus on what they do best: connecting with customers.
However, the effectiveness of these solutions lies in proper training. Agents need to understand how to harness AI’s potential, from crafting effective prompts to interpreting AI-generated insights. Positively, agent training and development are seen as top priorities for CX leaders over the next two years.
Takeaway: Invest in upskilling and empowering your agents with the right tools and training. This will not only help them use AI effectively but also boost their productivity, job satisfaction, and long-term success.
2. AI is redefining efficiency
Reducing wait times and improving first-contact resolution (FCR) are top priorities for CX leaders in 2025. At the same time, they’re facing rising interaction volumes, limited resources, and ever-growing customer expectations.
For this, CX leaders are turning to AI. By automating repetitive tasks and providing instant insights, AI allows contact centres to handle high volumes more effectively, reduce response times, and increase FCR rates. In fact, 37% of CX leaders believe AI will enable 24/7 service in their contact centres, ensuring customers have support whenever they need it. For large enterprises, this figure rises to 46%.
Chatbots are also contributing to efficiency. Nearly half (45%) of CX leaders expect chatbots to significantly reduce wait times in their contact centres over the next 12 months. People are getting more comfortable with chatbots, too. Six in ten of leaders are confident in their accuracy and 57% believe customers are comfortable using them for complex queries.
Takeaway: AI can optimise workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and speed up service delivery, making it a powerful tool for improving operational efficiency and enhancing the customer experience.
3. Personalisation takes centre stage
Customers are raising the bar when it comes to expectations. They now demand interactions that feel uniquely tailored to their needs and preferences. And the more personalised the interaction, the more likely they are to choose your brand.
It’s no surprise, then, that personalisation is a top priority over the next two years. According to our survey, 77% of CX leaders believe AI will be key to delivering personalised customer experiences—a figure that rises to 88% for medium-sized businesses.
By using AI to empower agents with real-time data, personalising conversations based on past interactions, or incorporating generative AI, businesses are setting a new standard for customer engagement. This not only boosts customer satisfaction but also helps build long-term loyalty.
Takeaway: Use AI and data-driven insights to enable personalised interactions more efficiently and consistently.
4. Smarter decisions with conversational analytics
CX leaders are increasingly relying on conversational analytics to make smarter, data-backed decisions. By analysing conversations in real-time, businesses gain deep insights into customer behaviour, preferences, and pain points, empowering them to make proactive improvements. Our survey revealed that 68% of leaders consider conversational analytics essential for optimising service and improving customer experiences by 2025.
Not only does conversational analytics provide valuable insights into customer needs, but it also supports agents by offering real-time feedback during interactions. By analysing the conversation, AI can suggest next steps or improvements, helping agents resolve issues faster and more efficiently. This capability can enhance both customer and agent satisfaction by reducing the time spent on each call and ensuring customers get the help they need quickly.
Takeaway: Use conversational analytics to understand customer needs in real-time, enabling more personalised support and faster resolution times.
5. Blending technology with human empathy
Balancing AI with human expertise is more important than ever. A third of CX leaders cite their biggest concern with AI implementation as the potential loss of the human touch. That’s why blending AI with human expertise is so important. AI can take over repetitive tasks, while human agents focus on high-value tasks: meaningful, empathetic interactions that make customers feel valued and understood.
According to our survey, 43% of CX leaders believe that a hybrid model, blending AI with human empathy, is the future of customer service. This sentiment is even stronger for businesses with 500-999 employees, with 50% supporting this view.
This hybrid model is crucial for delivering exceptional service, particularly in emotionally sensitive or complex situations where human empathy is key. While AI can quickly resolve simple queries, human agents step in when a more personal approach is required—whether to address complex issues, show empathy, or build deeper connections.
Takeaway: The future of CX is hybrid. Equip your agents with AI-powered tools that complement and enhance their abilities, enabling them to deliver both efficient and empathetic service at every touchpoint.
Conclusion
As we look ahead, it’s clear that AI will continue to shape the future of contact centres. By empowering agents, personalising customer interactions, and leveraging data-driven insights, businesses can meet rising customer expectations while managing high volumes and tight budgets. However, success depends on not just adopting new technologies, but also ensuring seamless integration into existing workflows, continuous training for agents, and maintaining a focus on delivering personalised, efficient service.
By embracing these strategies, contact centres can not only meet the challenges of 2025 but also deliver exceptional customer experiences that drive long-term success.
Ready to prepare for the future? Download the full State of Contact Centres 2025 report to get an in-depth look at the key trends.
