AI is changing how businesses operate, and contact centres are no exception. Right in the middle are contact centre agents—juggling rising customer volumes, increasing demands, and brand-new technologies.
Here, we’ll explore why upskilling your agents is key for adapting to the AI revolution, and how it can lead to better efficiency and customer support, and how it creates happier, more engaged teams.
The growing skill gap
Contact centres are evolving fast, and with change comes challenges. Puzzel’s latest research shows that 29% of contact centres struggle with a lack of skilled personnel, and in larger businesses, that figure jumps to 34%.
Agents are expected to navigate complex AI-driven platforms and hybrid workflows, yet training often falls short. This skills mismatch not only affects performance but also impacts job satisfaction and employee retention.
As AI continues to shape contact centres, agents need to know how to use these tools effectively—whether it’s crafting the right AI prompts or interpreting AI suggestions to offer a more efficient and personalised service. By equipping your agents with the right knowledge and tools, you’re creating a tech-savvy workforce that’s resilient, confident, and motivated.
The benefits off upskilling your CX team
Companies that prioritise closing the skills gap will gain a significant advantage. When agents are confident in using AI effectively to enhance their work, it creates a ripple effect: agents become more efficient and satisfied, which in turn positively impacts the customer experience and business outcomes. That’s why upskilling is so important: it helps agents understand how to use AI tools to complement their abilities. Here’s why upskilling should be a priority:
- Boosting efficiency: AI tools are designed to make your agents’ work easier, from automating routine tasks like data entry to providing real-time suggestions during customer interactions. However, to unlock the full benefits of these AI capabilities, agents need to know how to use these tools effectively. And when they do, businesses can significantly increase productivity and agent satisfaction, and therefore handle high volumes of customer queries more efficiently.
- Delivering better customer service: When your agents know how to use AI insights, they can deliver more personalised and accurate responses. For example, AI can analyse past interactions and provide agents with tailored recommendations, helping them resolve issues faster and with greater precision. Upskilling agents to interpret and apply these insights ensures customers receive the high-quality support they expect.
- Increasing agent satisfaction: One of the key benefits of AI in the contact centre is that it helps reduce agent stress by taking on repetitive, time-consuming tasks. With proper training, agents can focus on higher-level tasks, leading to greater job satisfaction. By providing your agents with the tools and training they need, you’re also investing in their professional growth, which can lead to improved retention rates and a more engaged workforce.
- Staying competitive in a tech-driven market: The contact centre space is evolving fast, and businesses that fail to adapt risk falling behind. Upskilling agents ensure that your organisation remains competitive by staying at the forefront of technology adoption. With a skilled and AI-savvy workforce, your contact centre can handle emerging challenges and deliver standout customer experiences that set your brand apart.
How to upskill your contact centre agents for AI integration
Now that we’ve covered why upskilling is crucial, let’s look at how to go about it effectively:
Start by asking your agents
Not sure where to begin? Ask your agents how they feel. This could be through a survey or 1:1 conversations. Identify any skill gaps and prioritise areas that need attention.
Make training hand-on and practical
Beyond initial onboarding, plan regular training that dives into specific AI tools and how they help with daily tasks. Workshops, interactive tutorials, and scenario-based training are all effective ways to help agents become familiar with new tools. It’s important to make training engaging and accessible so agents feel confident using AI in real-world situations. Here, you can work with the vendors of your AI solutions to make sure your team gets the training they need. Puzzel, for example, offers comprehensive training to help agents get the most out of our tools.
Emphasise AI as a support tool, not a replacement
Make it clear that AI is there to make life easier for your agents, not to replace them. While AI brings automation and efficiency, it cannot replace the empathy, creativity, and critical thinking that humans bring to the table. By showing how AI can support their work, you can help overcome any fears or resistance to the technology.
Promote continuous learning
AI is constantly evolving, and so should your agents’ skills. Create a culture of continuous learning ensures that agents stay up to date with the latest advancements in AI and customer service best practices. Regularly update your agents on new AI features, functionalities, and product updates. This helps ensure they’re always aware of how to maximise the tools at their disposal. Providing brief but frequent training sessions or information on new updates can ensure your team remains well-equipped and confident.
Encourage collaboration between AI and agents
Encourage collaboration between your agents and AI. Create opportunities for agents to share feedback on how AI tools are working in practice and how they can be improved. Highlight how mastering AI tools can enhance agents’ future career prospects. By becoming skilled in AI technologies, agents can position themselves as valuable assets in the customer service industry. This not only benefits your organisation but also supports agents’ long-term professional growth and employability.
Empowered, tech-savvy agents drive long-term success
By investing in upskilling, you’re not just preparing your team for the future—you’re creating a team that’s more agile. With the right training and tools, your agents will be more confident, efficient, and motivated to succeed. And as a result, your contact centre will be better equipped to meet customer expectations and drive long-term success.
