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Published On: 23rd Sep 2026 08:00
Automation has become one of the biggest talking points in customer service. So much so, the opportunities can seem endless!
However, deciding what to automate isn’t as simple as asking whether the technology can do it. It’s also about whether it’s the right decision for the customer.
That’s why we asked our panel of experts for their best advice on how to approach these decisions with care and precision – for maximum results!
Before identifying specific processes to automate, you first need clarity on why you’re automating at all.
So, instead of asking, “What can we automate?” and “How can we save money?”, leaders should strive to create a much stronger foundation for decision-making by asking:
Quite frankly, you need to be thinking beyond the default objective of cost cutting at any given opportunity, as it can do more harm than good.
“Almost every CX leader will start by saying they want to automate to reduce costs, but the real goals should be to improve the customer experience by reducing customer effort.
Because the more you reduce the customer effort, the more efficient you’re going to be, and ultimately still reduce costs!” – Adam Boelke, Founder of the Alignment Advantage Group.
Rather than relying on assumptions, use your existing data to identify opportunities.
High-volume, single-touch interactions are often ideal candidates here. For example, order-tracking requests, where customers simply want to know whether an item has been dispatched or when it will arrive.
Providing this information through self-service can save an advisor time without diminishing the relationship.
By reviewing intent data, resolutions, and disposition information, you can identify interactions that require minimal investigation and offer limited value when handled manually. These are often the easiest wins.
To make sure your data is ready for AI and automation, read our article: How to Centralize Your Data – Before Scaling AI
However, volume alone should not dictate decisions. The nature of the interaction matters just as much – as one of the biggest risks is assuming that every automatable interaction should be automated.
Of course, we all know that customer conversations can strengthen relationships, so be sure to still factor into your strategy how even a seemingly routine interaction may present an opportunity to reinforce value or personalize the experience. Even more so for higher-value customers.
“Don’t just automate everything because you can! A conversation with a customer is always a chance to build a relationship. It’s all about reinforcing the connection that a customer has with the brand.” – Siobhain Goodall, Customer Experience Specialist at Ventrica.
On the flip side, there are a lot of moments in the customer journey that typically don’t add value. Therefore, it’s well worth exploring friction-filled moments in your customer journey – such as lengthy security questions repeated across multiple teams, or waiting in queues for straightforward tasks.
These are ripe opportunities for voice AI to help identify intent and sentiment before the customer connects to a human, offering advisors summaries upfront and enabling them to begin solving problems immediately. When implemented well, the experience feels effortless too!
“Just picture an interaction where the customer is put through straight away to the right agent accompanied by a summary of what they’re calling about – with their security checks completed!
The agent can just jump straight into finding a resolution. And that is just magic compared to the alternative, isn’t it?” – Siobhain Goodall, Customer Experience Specialist at Ventrica.
Automation can also be used proactively to anticipate customer needs – rather than simply responding to requests.
“We’re already seeing great examples of automation being used to proactively support customers.
For example, there are airlines automatically rebooking passengers who miss connecting flights. So, instead of forcing customers to queue at a service desk, the airline identifies the disruption and provides an alternative before the customer asks.
As a customer, it’s great! You receive a text on your phone to say, “We know you’re going to miss your flight. Don’t worry, we’ve got you booked on this next one.” – Adam Boelke, Founder of the Alignment Advantage Group.
The same principle applies elsewhere and can be extended to anticipating next steps, recommending useful and complementary products, and more.
When done thoughtfully, this can all help to reduce effort, as well as create additional opportunities for revenue growth and customer loyalty.
Not all automation needs to replace customer interactions either! Some of the greatest benefits come from helping advisors perform their roles more effectively, for example:
These tools can all help to reduce the administrative burden and mental load, whilst allowing advisors to focus on what humans do best – solving problems and building trust! Importantly, they also reduce the likelihood of errors and delays caused by manual processes.
For advice on improving CX in your contact centre and reducing unnecessary advisor involvement, read our article: Everything You Need to Know About Level Zero Support
And it doesn’t stop there! The world of automation is changing, fast!
“Most automation decisions follow the same logic: if it’s repetitive, automate it. If it’s emotional or complex, keep it human. It’s sensible. It’s also about to become incomplete.
That framework assumes your company controls all the technology in the interaction. You decide what gets automated and the customer navigates it.
But customers are getting their own AI now. Personal assistants, task-completion tools, agents that can call your contact centre, pass security, explain a complaint, and get a resolution, without the customer picking up a phone. I’ve seen this in the wild. The human agent had no idea they were talking to a machine!
So, what happens to the interaction you deliberately kept human but the other side sends a bot? This is what’s being called the Dual CX Shift and it’s all about recognizing that both sides of the conversation have AI capability.
There are four possible combinations: human to human, human to AI, AI to human, and AI to AI. Most organizations are only designing for the first two. The real value isn’t deciding what to automate. It’s designing for every combination, including the ones not in your control.” – Maria McCann, Co-Founder of Neos Wave.
Click here to join our Readers Panel to share your experiences and feature in future Call Centre Helper articles.
With thanks to the following people for sharing their thoughts for this article:
If you are looking for more information on contact centre automation, read these articles next:
Megan Jones, Editor, Call Centre Helper
Megan interviews inspiring people across the contact centre industry to capture these amazing voices and turn them into best practice articles – covering all elements of what it takes to deliver truly outstanding employee and customer experiences.
Connect with Megan on LinkedIn
Read more by Megan JonesReviewed by: Jo Robinson
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