How AI Is Turning Contact Centers Into Guest Experience Engines

In the contact center world, unpredictability is the norm.

Thousands of guest interactions flow through email, chat, and phone channels every day, each with its own emotional tone and operational complexity.

For many leaders, that chaos feels overwhelming, but for longtime operators like Barbara Edwards, Vice President of Customer Care and Contact Center Operations at ComOps, it’s home.

As she puts it, the contact center has always been her “happy place.” And like many seasoned professionals, she once pushed back against the idea of outsourcing or integrating AI into frontline operations.

That changed when she realized what modern AI could actually unlock.

Reducing Cost Without Reducing Quality with AI in Contact Centers

 For operators navigating tight margins and rising expectations, AI offers a clear financial advantage. “AI can significantly reduce costs by automating routine requests,” Barbara explains.

Intelligent chatbots and voice assistants now handle FAQs, process simple service needs, and even manage updates to reservations or housekeeping requests. These capabilities free frontline team members to focus on complex, high-value interactions that require empathy, nuance, and time.

Predictive analytics adds another level of efficiency. AI can forecast call volume patterns and staffing needs with surprising precision. “It helps managers schedule just the right number of agents at the right times,” Barbara notes, reducing both idle time and expensive overtime.

Driving Consistency and Continuous Improvement

Service consistency remains one of the most difficult challenges for contact center leaders. Historically, quality monitoring relied on sampling — sometimes as few as three calls per agent each week. Today, AI quality tools can analyze every single interaction, flagging issues and automatically generating personalized coaching notes.

Barbara highlights the benefit: “Every frontline team member receives the same insights, the same opportunities to improve, and the same guidance.” The result is a higher and more reliable standard of service aligned with brand expectations.

Elevating the Team Member Experience

The value of AI extends far beyond cost savings. Real-time agent assist tools provide prompts, policy reminders, suggested responses, and tailored recommendations based on guest context. These features make team members feel supported rather than scrutinized.

Sentiment analysis adds another layer by detecting guest emotions in real time. This helps agents adjust their own tone or escalate when necessary, leading to faster resolution and more satisfying interactions. As Barbara emphasizes, “AI is not replacing people. It’s empowering them.”

Shifting From Cost Center to Experience Center

When implemented thoughtfully, AI turns the contact center into a strategic asset rather than a financial burden. Lower operating costs, more consistent service delivery, better coaching, and more confident agents lead to a stronger guest experience—one that elevates the entire brand.

Barbara puts it simply: AI is “reducing cost, improving performance, and providing a consistent approach.” And as for outsourcing? She prefers to call it “partnering,” and her journey from skeptic to advocate is still evolving. More insight on that is coming later this week.

For leaders ready to explore what AI-powered transformation could look like in their own operation, Barbara invites you to connect at www.comops.ai.