If you’re running a contact center today, you know that keeping a pulse on your customer is everything. But surveys and outdated speech analytics aren’t cutting it anymore.

Large language models (LLMs)—advanced AI systems trained on vast amounts of text data—are changing the game, bringing a level of insight we’ve never seen before. Now, it’s not just about handling calls better; it’s about contact centers gaining a real voice and influence across the business.

Let’s dive into how LLMs are making contact centers an essential part of the strategic conversation.

From Flimsy Surveys to Real Conversations

We used to rely on surveys for feedback—the classic “How did we do?” model.

But customers know how to game the system, and survey data just doesn’t cut it anymore. They’re marking 5’s to avoid callbacks or rating reps low out of frustration. It’s a shaky approach, and it doesn’t tell you what’s actually going on in your business.

With LLMs, we can skip all that fluff and get direct, honest insights straight from actual customer conversations. We’re moving from a curated, sanitized “voice of the customer” to a raw, real-time perspective that reflects what’s really being said. And that’s what businesses need if they want to move forward with confidence.

Speech Analytics? Sure. But Real Insights? That’s a Different Ballgame

Speech analytics used to be the big innovation—until you saw how often it missed the mark. These systems had a nasty habit of getting things wrong, picking up false signals, and leaving you with dashboards that either massively overestimated or downplayed trends. You’d see a spike in “urgent” calls, only to realize it was a setup error, not a real customer trend.

With LLMs, we’re finally getting accuracy. They understand context, they’re flexible, and they give us insights without that annoying margin of error. Now, contact centers are finally able to offer data that’s actionable, not questionable.

We’re shifting from the “trust, but verify” approach to insights that teams across the business can use without second-guessing.

From Call Handling to Cross-Functional Intelligence

The change is huge, and it’s impacting every part of the business. Contact centers aren’t just handling customer questions anymore—they’re delivering insights that drive strategy.

Want to know what messaging is clicking with customers? Or how they feel about your pricing? Or maybe where they’re struggling with your product? Now, those answers aren’t hidden in a pile of call data—they’re at our fingertips, and contact center leaders are sharing them across marketing, product, and customer experience teams.

We’ve become a powerful intelligence source, something every team wants a piece of. And for contact center leaders who step up and say, “We’ve got real insights to share,” this is an opportunity to make an impact well beyond the day-to-day calls.

Copilots: Giving Leaders a Faster Path to Real Insights

With copilot tools, contact center leaders are no longer stuck waiting for analysts or speech analytics specialists to dig into the data.

Now, if you have a question, you can go get the answer yourself. Need to know what’s driving a customer trend? Or want to validate an insight? Just ask, and the answer is right there, no configuration required.

This flexibility is huge. You’re no longer in a slow drip of insights where you have to ask one question, wait a week for the data, then ask a follow-up. LLMs make it possible to dig in real-time, one layer deeper with every question, so you’re not just scratching the surface—you’re pulling meaningful data out of your contact center that can shape strategy.

Tailored Insights for Sales, Customer Service, and Compliance Teams

The best part is this isn’t just about making everyone a generalist. Insights are segmented based on the focus of each contact center:

  • Sales contact centers are feeding insights on buyer behavior and competitor data back to marketing and product teams.
  • Customer service centers are helping improve the customer journey by flagging points of friction, whether it’s clunky billing systems or website dead-ends.
  • Compliance-focused centers are surfacing risks before they blow up.

While the insights differ by segment, the underlying trend is the same: the contact center is no longer just “the place that handles calls.” It’s now a data powerhouse that every department wants a piece of.

Avoiding the Echo Chamber: Focus on More Than Just the Complaints

Here’s a real risk to be aware of: if you only focus on customer complaints, you end up building your product around what your critics dislike, not what your biggest fans love. And that’s a problem.

LLMs give you both sides of the coin, so you’re not just focused on what’s broken; you’re also paying attention to what’s working. That balance is key if you want to keep your loyal customers happy while addressing areas for improvement.

LLMs let you see the whole picture, making sure that you’re not just constantly firefighting. They allow you to make decisions that reflect what’s working for your best customers, as well as what’s not working for the vocal minority.

The Bottom Line: LLMs Are Rewriting the Contact Center Playbook

This isn’t just about incremental improvements; it’s a total transformation in how contact centers operate and contribute to the business. With LLMs, contact centers have gone from reactive support centers to proactive strategy hubs. We’re talking about a team that now has the power to shape marketing strategies, inform product decisions, and influence how the whole business moves forward.

For contact center leaders ready to step up, this is your moment. You’re no longer just answering calls; you’re providing answers that matter across the organization. And that’s something every business should be paying attention to.