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Contact centers are expected to handle an increasing number of calls and chats, resolve issues faster, and deliver consistently great service (and often without hiring new agents). At the same time, customers’ expectations continue to rise, meaning your team is under pressure to work faster while maintaining professionalism.

That’s why more support and sales leaders are turning to automation and AI tools to help them scale. Not to replace contact center agents, but to give them better support with features like call routing to reduce wait times, live suggestions to help with tricky conversations, and quick summaries that cut down on reviews and admin.

In this guide, we’ll break down where AI (artificial intelligence) can make a measurable impact in contact centers. We’ll also show you how to calculate the ROI of contact center AI based on your own call volumes and contact center team size so you can get a clear view of what the technology could do for your business. 

Key takeaways

• Contact center AI boosts agent efficiency by automating tasks like summarization, smart routing, and real-time support. 

• Tools like voice agents and conversation intelligence help reduce handle times, improve FCR, and unlock measurable RO.

• Smart AI implementation starts with choosing tools that integrate into your existing tech stack and focusing on a few high-impact use cases first.

• Successful adoption depends on agent buy-in; position AI as an assistant, not a replacement, and invest in training to build confidence and trust.

• Aircall’s AI features are designed to empower human agents while delivering clear business outcomes like lower costs, faster responses, and improved customer satisfaction. 

What is contact center AI and why is it important now?

Contact center AI supports customer conversations behind the scenes, helping your agents keep pace whether they’re managing multilingual support, escalated conversations, or higher volumes of queries than before. It leverages:

• Machine learning, which picks up on patterns and improves output with time

• Natural language processing (NLP) to understand conversations and gauge customer sentiment

• Generative AI to power voice agents and write automated responses and summaries

When implemented well, AI call center solutions help teams work faster and more accurately without adding more pressure to already busy agents. They handle repetitive tasks, reduce mistakes, and make sure customers get quicker resolutions to their issues. 

AI features that deliver measurable ROI

If you’re investing in AI for customer service, you want to know you’re putting your budget to good use. Here are the top AI features that show measurable impact in real-world call center operations. These features form the backbone of an intelligent contact center, designed not just to respond to problems, but to anticipate and prevent them.

Call summarization and conversation intelligence

While manual post-call admin can surface valuable insights, it eats up time your team doesn’t have. Contact center AI solves that by generating summaries and action points straight after a call. 

That means agents don’t have to struggle to remember what they need to follow up on, which minimizes the risk of tasks skipping through the cracks. And managers get visibility into recurring issues without having to listen to dozens of recordings. For busy teams juggling multiple channels and high volumes of queries, these time savings add up quickly. 

Real-time agent assistance

Some calls go off-script, and real-time assistance helps agents handle those moments better. Contact center AI tools listen for cues, such as when a customer mentions payment problems or cancelling their subscription, and offers suggested responses or workflows instantly. 

For new hires, this cuts down on ramp-up time and makes onboarding easier. For experienced agents, it’s like a second set of ears to ensure nothing gets missed. Especially in high stakes conversations, AI becomes a safety net that facilitates the best possible response without slowing things down.

Empower your agents to hold better conversations with Aircall’s advanced AI features. Try Aircall AI Assist Pro for free. 

Smart routing

Smart routing gets customers to the right agent faster by quickly identifying the nature of their call and directing it accordingly. It reduces wait times by triaging simple, low-value queries like password resets, billing questions, or appointment scheduling, so they can be handled automatically or through self-service options. 

Deflecting these Tier 1 calls means agents can focus on more challenging issues that require their skills, which will boost overall contact center efficiency and help you minimize costs.

Voice agents

Voice agents keep your contact center responsive even when your team’s offline. They can handle common, repetitive queries and screen incoming calls to make sure agents spend time where it matters most. This can look like qualifying a potential lead, helping a frustrated customer, or resolving a complex issue. 

Then anything outside the voice agent’s scope can easily be transferred to a live agent. And since they take care of routine work, voice agents help reduce wait times, improve service levels, and give agents space to focus on high-value customer interactions.

Automate repetitive tasks without losing the human touch. Learn more about Aircall’s AI Voice Agent.

How to calculate ROI from call center AI

The formula for calculating ROI from call center AI is: 

(Net Gain from AI – Cost of AI Implementation) ÷ Cost of AI Implementation

Here, “Net Gain” includes both operational efficiency improvements and customer experience wins that contact center AI solutions deliver, such as: 

• FCR (First Call Resolution): AI that improves FCR means fewer overall calls.

• AHT (Average Handle Time): If AI cuts call time from 6 to 4 minutes, that’s a 33% agent productivity increase across your contact center.

• ACW (After-Call Work): Auto-generated summaries or CRM updates can shave off 1–2 minutes of ACW per call.

• Call volume: Multiply these time savings by your average weekly/monthly volume to calculate total hours saved.

• Staffing costs: Fewer agent hours means lower payroll or the capacity to scale without hiring.

• CSAT/NPS gains: These are more difficult to assign an exact dollar value to, but higher scores correlate with reduced customer churn and greater lifetime value.

Try it yourself: Interactive ROI calculator

You’ve seen the benefits; now let’s quantify them. Use this calculator to plug in your own data points and get a clearer sense of how contact center AI can help you cut costs and save time.

Embed ROI calculator

4 implementation tips for maximizing ROI from contact center AI software

AI won’t succeed if your agents don’t trust or use it. Before diving in, think about how to bring your contact center team along for the ride. “Don't underestimate the human factor,” says Valentin Radu, CEO and Founder of Omniconvert. “Commit to equipping your team so they can maximize the collaboration between AI systems and human representatives.”

These tips will help you increase adoption from day one, so it actually makes a difference to your bottom line.

1. Choose a tool that integrates with your existing tech stack

If your AI communications tools can’t communicate directly with your CRM, helpdesk, or other key platforms, you risk creating data silos where crucial customer info gets stuck or lost. This disconnect means your team might miss vital context during calls or customers get passed between agents without anyone having the full picture. 

Native integration of AI tools with your other essential software ensures call data, history, and customer interactions flow freely and automatically across all systems in real time. This breaks down barriers between teams, keeps everyone aligned, and transforms your tech stack into a streamlined, efficient system rather than a patchwork of disconnected tools.

Aircall’s AI-powered platform integrates with over 200 software tools, from CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce to helpdesks like Intercom and Zendesk. Learn more.  

2. Focus on key use cases, then expand

You don’t need to overhaul your entire contact center with AI overnight. A smarter approach is to pick a few clear, impactful use cases to start with, such as automating simple queries with an AI agent. This gives your contact center a chance to get comfortable and see results without disruption. 

Once you have that foundation, you can gradually layer in other features, like real-time agent support or conversation intelligence. Taking AI step-by-step lets you customize the rollout to what works best for your business and your customers.

3. Make sure your people are on board 

Involve your agents early, especially during the tool selection phase. Gathering their input and feedback helps them feel heard and included in the process, which can significantly reduce anxiety or resistance later on.

Position AI as a tool designed to help lighten their workload, streamline repetitive tasks, and make their jobs easier, and not as a replacement or a threat to their job. Reinforce that AI is there to assist, not take over, so agents feel supported rather than sidelined. 

4. Set aside time for agent training

Don’t rush AI adoption without giving agents the training and support they deserve. It’s important to carve out dedicated time to onboard them fully, not just focusing on how to use the new AI tools, but also explaining why you’re adopting AI in the first place. 

Helping agents understand both how to use the technology and the purpose behind the change makes a big difference in their mindset and openness to AI. Remember, when agents view AI as a partner rather than competition, they’re far more likely to embrace the technology, engage actively with it, and use it to its full potential. 

Why Aircall? Powerful AI, tangible ROI

Implementing AI in customer communications can lead to tangible results, like better agent performance, happier customers, and significant cost savings. But getting there requires a solution designed for real-world challenges.

Aircall delivers powerful AI call center solutions that drive smarter, more efficient operations. The platform is built around the idea of human-AI synergy, using AI to complement and empower agents rather than replace them with features like: 

• AI Assist Pro, which gives agents continuous support before, during, and after calls, automating tasks like pre-call research and post-call documentation while providing real-time suggestions. This helps reduce manual work and improve agent confidence.

• A 24/7 AI Voice Agent that handles routine inquiries around the clock, ensuring customers get quick answers while freeing up agents’ time so they can focus on more complex cases.

• Seamless CRM integrations to keep your customer data accurate and accessible across systems, streamlining workflows and improving collaboration. 

And rest assured: security and compliance are foundational to Aircall, so your customer data is protected every step of the way.

We asked one of our customers, Accademia Italiana, to share their experience using Aircall’s AI tools: "I frequently use Aircall's sentiment analysis to prioritize calls, and I have to say that the AI has been incredibly accurate in its analysis."

If you’re ready to see quick ROI on your contact center AI investment and implement a tool that creates a better experience for both your agents and your customers, turn to Aircall. 

Discover a voice-first conversational AI platform that provides deep insights and leads to better call outcomes. Get started with Aircall for free. 

Frequently asked questions about contact center AI

What is an AI solution for call centers?

Contact center AI software uses technologies like machine learning, NLP, and automation to help handle customer interactions more efficiently. It can assist with routing calls, answering common questions through chatbots or voice agents, and supporting human agents in real time by providing prompts or summarizing conversations. 

How is AI used for call centers?

AI is used in contact center operations in a few key ways, such as: 

• Automating routine tasks like answering frequently asked questions through voice or chatbots

• Intelligently routing calls to the right agent for quicker time to resolution (TTR)

• Helping agents during calls with real-time suggestions and sentiment analysis

• Reducing administrative work by automatically generating call summaries and key takeaways

• Supporting after-hours service with 24/7 AI agents so companies can offer faster, more consistent customer experiences without increasing staff

When should you use AI in call centers and when shouldn’t you?

You should use a contact center AI platform when you want to reduce repetitive tasks, cut wait times, and give agents smarter tools to improve their performance and productivity. These tools are great for handling common questions, helping manage high call volumes, and scaling service efficiently. 

However, avoid relying solely on AI for complex or sensitive issues where empathy and human judgment are critical. AI should complement your agents, not replace them, especially in situations requiring nuanced understanding or emotional connection.

Published on September 19, 2025.