Check out our free guide: AI Planning for 2025.
AI is evolving at breakneck speed. If 2024 was the year of exploration, 2025 will be the year of real adoption.
In our recent webinar, “Top Contact Center Trends for 2025,” industry leaders Tom Wicker (COO at Health Plan One), Harley Allaby (Director of Operations at Exact Medicare), Rob Westervelt (VP of Customer Success at Balto), and Marc Bernstein (CEO & Founder at Balto) unpacked how AI is shaping the contact center landscape.
Here’s the key theme that emerged:
AI isn’t replacing humans; it’s powering them. AI voice agents, data analytics, and tools for coaching and QA aren’t here to remove people from the equation. They’re here to free up agents, supervisors, and leaders to focus on what humans do best—empathy, relationship-building, and strategic thinking.
Let’s dive into the big takeaways.
1. AI’s Rapid Evolution: Voice Agents Are Moving Beyond IVR
AI voice agents have come a long way. Forget the frustrating, robotic IVRs of the past. Today’s AI tools can understand, interact, and respond in ways that actually improve customer experiences.
“AI has been a super-powered IVR. Instead of pressing one to get routed, AI handles that call. And it’s a better experience because AI doesn’t get into a bad mood, doesn’t have a tough day, and can consistently answer straightforward questions.” — Harley Allaby
We’re talking about AI that doesn’t just answer calls but screens leads, prequalifies customers, and handles basic inquiries. Tom Wicker echoed Harley’s point, describing the impact on sales:
“If you can get a better, more qualified prospect in the hands of your agent, you explode productivity levels.” — Tom Wicker
The bottom line? AI voice agents are no longer a futuristic concept. In 2025, they’ll be a standard tool for handling tier-one customer needs—accurately, efficiently, and with better customer satisfaction.
2. Enhanced Efficiency: AI Automates the Routine, So Humans Can Focus on Value
There’s a simple truth we all know: not every customer interaction requires human touch. AI is perfect for automating the “heavy lifting” tasks—screening leads, collecting data, and answering basic questions.
“A few years ago, people hesitated to have screener teams because every lead felt like gold. But now, lead acquisition costs are up. If you can use AI to screen leads, you free up your licensed agents to focus on enrollments and relationships.” — Marc Bernstein
By offloading routine tasks to AI, agents are empowered to do what humans do best: connect with customers on a deeper level.
“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in efficiency. AI qualifies customers so agents are talking to people who are ready to buy. And that’s where the real value happens.” — Harley Allaby
3. Voice’s Resurgence: AI Brings Personalization and Scale to Voice Channels
For years, contact centers leaned into text-based communication because it was scalable and efficient. But there’s a limitation:
“Text feels customizable but isn’t truly personal. Until now, automated voice calls were terrible—clearly robocalls. AI changes that. It lets us deliver voice communication that’s personalized and tailored to the customer, at scale.” — Harley Allaby
The result? Voice is back—and it’s better than ever.
AI can now power voice channels with the same speed and personalization that made text communication attractive. Add in the cultural shift—where we’re all used to speaking to Alexa or Siri—and it’s no wonder voice is resurging.
“Technology has finally caught up. We can communicate more, faster, and with better results through voice. Voice is still supreme for conversations that require back-and-forth dialogue and trust-building.” — Marc Bernstein
The lesson for contact centers? Voice is no longer a cost center—it’s a strategic advantage.
4. Data as a Core Asset: Better Data, Better Decisions, Better Outcomes
If AI is the engine, data is the fuel. Without good, accessible data, you can’t deliver a personalized experience—whether it’s AI-driven or human-led.
“You can’t personalize anything if you don’t know anything about the person.” — Marc Bernstein
That’s the foundation of every conversation. Customer data needs to be:
- Accessible: No flipping between screens.
- Accurate: Clean, integrated, and trustworthy.
- Actionable: Ready to use in real time.
Here’s how Health Plan One rebuilt their data systems to create a single source of truth:
“You’ve got 10 people pulling 10 different numbers—no consistency. We built a snowflake platform to pull everything together. It makes a world of difference.” — Tom Wicker
Here’s where AI shines: cleaning, validating, and using data at scale:
“We’ve all asked an intern to clean up data. Now, AI can handle that classic task better, faster, and smarter. The result? Better data quality—and better decisions.” – Marc Bernstein
5. Empowering Supervisors: AI-Driven Coaching and QA Supercharge Performance
If agents are the frontline, supervisors are the engineers behind the scenes. Yet, they’re often overlooked—expected to coach, monitor performance, and drive results with minimal tools.
AI changes that. It gives supervisors the power to do more with less.
Here’s how AI-driven QA is transforming Health Plan One:
“Traditional QA is three to five calls a month. AI allows us to QA 100% of calls—consistently, accurately, and at scale. Supervisors get the data they need to coach better.” — Tom Wicker
And it’s not just HPOne:
“Before, you’d listen to two calls in two and a half hours with a glass of whiskey. Now, you’re getting insights from 10 calls in the same time. AI increases efficiency, so leaders can focus on coaching and impact.” — Harley Allaby
Here’s the big takeaway: AI doesn’t replace supervisors. It supercharges them—giving them the tools to coach smarter, identify trends faster, and drive better results across the board.
6. Humans + AI, Not Humans vs. AI: Empathy and Connection Still Win
No matter how advanced AI becomes, humans are irreplaceable for tasks that require empathy, trust-building, and judgment.
“AI can save and analyze information, but it can’t replace a story from a human who’s been in the same shoes as the customer. It can’t replicate that connection.” — Marc Bernstein
AI helps agents do their jobs better, not take them over:
“AI handles the nuts and bolts. The agent can focus on the relationship and bond that make the call successful.” — Tom Wicker
The future isn’t about replacing humans—it’s about augmenting human capabilities. The companies that thrive in 2025 will embrace AI as a co-pilot—automating what machines do best and empowering people to deliver the empathy and context customers need.
Final Thoughts: Preparing for 2025
The contact center of 2025 will look very different. AI will be everywhere, but the human element will be more important than ever.
Our advice:
- Invest in AI tools that make agents and supervisors more effective.
- Prioritize data quality—because good AI runs on good data.
- Balance efficiency and empathy—automate the routine, but keep humans where they add the most value.
AI is your partner—not your replacement. Start now, and 2025 can be your best year yet.
