They dig into the latest findings from the report, including some surprising — and sobering — trends:
📞 Voice is still king — 62.6% of all inbound customer interactions are still handled by live agents on the phone. Despite years of predictions, it hasn't budged much since the early 2000s.
⏱️ Average speed to answer has gone from 16 seconds to over 2 minutes — and it hasn't recovered post-COVID. Why? And should we be worried?
📈 Calls are getting longer and harder — average call duration has grown from 3 minutes to over 7. The easy, transactional stuff has moved to self-service, leaving agents handling the complex, emotional, high-stakes conversations.
🔥 Are we sleepwalking into agent burnout? — With idle time at a historic low of 7% and cognitive load rising, Steve makes a compelling case that the industry needs to wake up to what it's asking of its people.
🤖 Customers are suspicious of AI — Even the youngest age groups show significant concern about AI being used to block access to a human agent. 63% of 18-34s are concerned or very concerned. Ignore this data at your peril.
Whether you're a contact centre leader, a CX professional, or just someone who's ever been stuck in a queue, this episode is packed with data that will change how you think about customer service in 2025 and beyond.
🔗 Download the UK Contact Centre Decision Makers Guide for free at www.contactbabel.com
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Steve Morrell Background
00:42 The UK Contact Centre Decision Makers Guide – 23 Years of Data
02:13 Average Speed to Answer & Call Abandonment Trends
13:04 Rising Call Duration & Agent Cognitive Load
16:34 Agent Burnout & the Impact of AI on Workload
23:16 Voice Is Still the Gold Standard – Channel Data
24:51 Email vs. Web Chat & Failures of Alternative Channels
35:48 Customer Attitudes Toward AI in Customer Service
42:56 Customer Channel Preference by Interaction Type
46:12 The Future of Voice AI & Self-Service
49:27 Practical AI Advice & Wrap-Up
Connect with Steve Morrell:
🌐 www.contactbabel.com
💼 LinkedIn: Steve Morrell
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