Summarising calls takes time – anywhere from 10-30% of the call. And agents are almost always under pressure to get the task completed in as little time as is humanly possible to meet AHT and wait targets. This often translates to errors or even missing data. Which not only makes it hard for future agents to follow the story, it can be a regulatory challenge too.

AI-driven autowrap and summarisation tools are helping to alleviate this burden by automating the process, allowing businesses to cut handling times and improve CRM accuracy. According to Jimmy, it’s one of the easiest applications of AI a contact centre can implement.

What is the AI doing in autowrap?

Autowrap and summarisation technology uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to transcribe customer calls in real time. As calls progress, key details such as issues raised, resolutions, and next steps are captured automatically. This eliminates the need for agents to manually document call details, both reducing errors and freeing up time for more customer-centric tasks.

Key Benefits: Time and Cost Savings

By reducing the time spent on manual transcription, businesses can lower wrap times by 50%, which translates to reducing handling times by 5-15%. For a contact centre with 200 agents, taking the mid-point of 10%, this could result in a reduction of up to 20 FTEs, and delivering a 2-3X ROI from day one.

How you take this benefit is then your choice:

a) A productivity gain, even through natural attrition

b) A service improvement by reducing wait times or improving service, with longer call times to allow for better first contact resolution

c) Reinvest in more value driving AI use cases to build maturity

Call Summary Accuracy

With manual transcription, there is always the risk of errors or omissions. AI-driven solutions eliminate these risks by automatically capturing the most relevant data from each conversation, improving both the consistency and quality of CRM records.

Increased accuracy has a number of benefits, whether you run a regulated business or not. First is in future contacts, whether you met a first contact resolution goal or not. Any future calls where a customer refers to a previous call – and reasonably expects there to be some level of ‘corporate memory’ – can be shortened by avoid any lengthy re-explanations of what has gone before. Not only does this provide a future productivity gain, it makes for a far better customer experience too. So even at use case 1, we are already facilitating value generation through slick customer processes that avoid typical customer frustrations, as well as productivity.

What’s more, the data is clean, reliable and available for future analysis and QA. Look out for an article on use case 2, Auto QA, for more on that subject.

When building a business case, these are important considerations; it’s important to remember that your baseline probably isn’t perfection. And so your quality uplift may be greater than you have otherwise anticipated.

Easy Integration: No Overhaul Required

While it is undeniably desirable to integrate Autowrap technology into CRM or policy admin systems, it’s not a pre-requisite to start making these gains. An agent – dubbed the ultimate API in our recent whitepaper– can easily check through the summary, make any necessary amendments if you require it (your benchmark of what is good enough will depend on your business) and copy and paste it in. They’re already used to connecting disparate systems and will be working where you want to capture it anyway.

This means that businesses can buck the trend of AI project failure and quickly adopt the technology with minimal disruption to existing workflows. Once the ‘short, sharp’ solution is working, of course you can consider and implement the deep integrations to automate the task, but you will be most of the way there without it.

Enhancing Agent Experience and Customer Outcomes

As alluded to earlier, the benefits aren’t just about reducing operational costs—they also enhance both the agent and customer experience. By automating mundane, and often poorly executed tasks like call transcription, agents are free to focus on more valuable work, such as problem-solving and building customer relationships.

This not only boosts job satisfaction – which in itself may then also translate to tenure, sickness and recruitment gains – it also contributes to higher-quality customer interactions. Look out for use case 5, ‘Agent Assist’ for more on this topic.

 

Measuring Success

For any AI implementation, it’s important to measure its success as this will build the case for future implementations. Whether that’s headcount, resource allocation or the gamut of other contact centre KPIs.

In summary, the benefits are:

1. Immediate productivity gains of c. 10% of agent all handling time

2. Improved accuracy of note taking

3. Customer satisfaction gains from better corporate memory and more attentive agents

4. More time available for valuable conversations

5. Employee satisfaction gains – happier agents, longer tenures, less sickness, reduced recruitment

6. Regulatory compliance improvements

7. Easy and scalable implementation to shorten implementation timescales and increase AI success

8. Ability to re-invest gains in building AI maturity

Ultimately, accurate (enough) autowrap is an obvious win in any contact centre.

To find out more about how CCP can help you make the right technology choices, read more here or get in touch.

This series of articles is drawn from our webinar with Jimmy Hosang, CEO and co-founder at Mojo CX. We explored seven key use cases for AI in contact centres, starting from the easiest productivity gains to value generating applications. You can find a summary of all seven use cases here, or watch the webinar in full here. 

Outbound contact centres still play a vital role in sales and customer engagement, but are they truly performing at their best? Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide a framework for success, yet the real question is: Are your managers equipped to interpret and act on them effectively?

Are KPIs Being Used to Drive Improvement?

  1. Call Pickup Rate – Low pickup rates may indicate poor dialling strategies or incorrect customer data. Are managers addressing these issues to improve connection rates?
  2. Average Call Duration – Longer calls may suggest engagement or inefficiencies. Do managers have the available insight to help distinguish between productive interactions and wasted time?
  3. Average Handling Time (AHT) – Balancing efficiency with quality is crucial. Are managers optimising processes to reduce delays without compromising service?
  4. Answering Machine Detection Rate – High voicemail rates waste agent time. Are contact centres adjusting their approach to minimise this?
  5. Rejection Rate – A high volume of unanswered calls may point to poor targeting or dialling strategies. Are managers refining their approach based on this data?
  6. Agent Wait Time Between Calls – Excessive downtime signals inefficiency. Are workflows optimised to keep agents engaged and productive?
  7. Conversion Rate – Success is measured by call outcomes. Are managers analysing why some calls convert while others fail, and adjusting strategies accordingly?
  8. Occupancy Rate – Are agents being overworked, leading to burnout, or underutilised, resulting in wasted resources? Do managers have the right data and leadership skills to balance their team members’ workloads effectively?
  9. Data Accuracy – Poor data leads to inefficiencies and failed connections. Are managers ensuring databases remain up to date?
  10. Right Party Contact Rate – If agents aren’t reaching the intended recipients, performance suffers. Are managers taking steps to improve contact accuracy?
  11. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) – A positive customer experience is essential. Are managers prioritising training to enhance service quality?

Are Managers Equipped to Act on These KPIs?

Having KPIs is one thing—using them effectively is another. Many contact centres face challenges such as:

  • Lack of real-time performance insights.
  • Insufficient training for managers to interpret and act on KPI trends.
  • Inefficient processes that fail to align with data-driven improvements.
  • Gaps in technology preventing optimal call routing and workflow automation.

The Bottom Line: Data-Driven Success Requires Action

Outbound contact centres may track the right KPIs, but without effective leadership, performance will suffer. Are managers investing in the right tools, training, and strategies to ensure their teams operate at peak efficiency? The data is available—are they making the most of it?

At Customer Contact Panel (CCP), we’ve witnessed first hand how these factors are influencing decision-makers, especially CX leaders and CFOs. If you’re in the midst of making an outsourcing choice, you’ve probably got one of the following on your mind. 

Growing Customer Demands: Meeting High Expectations 

It’s not just about answering calls anymore. Customers want fast, personalised, and empathetic interactions that feel seamless and aligned with your company values. This means businesses must be more careful than ever when choosing an outsourcing partner. A BPO’s cultural fit with your company is crucial—they need to speak your tone, align with your brand, and uphold the level of service your customers expect – all of which take time which you don’t have. So, companies are scrutinising potential partners more closely, ensuring they’re a perfect match. 

Technology: The New Wild Card 

Right now, you’re being asked to do more with less or deliver a better service with the same budget. With inflation, high interest rates, and currency fluctuations, offshoring doesn’t feel like a financial guarantee anymore. Add in automation—think AI tools and chatbots – and CFOs are starting to wonder if tech could be the silver bullet to that beast of a budget. Whilst AI and Automation can scale fast, they can come with hefty initial costs. Businesses are now weighing their options: 

  1. Do they stick with outsourcing (onshore, nearshore, or offshore)? or
  2. Do they double down on tech?

It’s a tough decision. Get it right, and they could boost customer loyalty; get it wrong, and it might lead to a backlash.  

ESG: Outsourcing in a Politically Charged World 

Outsourcing is no longer just about cutting costs; it’s also about navigating complex ethical and political waters. With Keir Starmer pushing for stricter ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) standards, businesses are questioning their outsourcing partners, especially if those countries are known for poor labour practices or environmental issues. Throw in political instability and outsourcing now feels like a risky gamble. Operations could grind to a halt at any time, and businesses can’t afford that. 

On top of that, data security is tighter than ever. With the UK government’s more stringent regulations, especially for industries like finance and healthcare, outsourcing is becoming bogged down in compliance red tape. A single data breach could ruin a brand’s reputation and customers’ trust—so finding a partner who understands data security is more important than ever. 

Lastly, with the UK’s £22 billion budget shortfall and a focus on reshoring jobs, companies are balancing cost savings against their political and ethical responsibilities. 

How CCP Makes Your Life Easier 

At CCP, we get it – outsourcing feels complex. But we’re here to simplify it for you. We help businesses make smart, informed and equitable choices through services such as: 

  • Partner Matching: We connect businesses with a handpicked network of pre-vetted outsource partners (220+ partners infact), cutting down on the time and risk of finding the right partner.
  • Cultural Fit Analysis: We ensure your outsourced team aligns with your brand’s values and service style, so there’s no misstep in tone or approach.
  • Technology Sourcing: We know how difficult it is to cut through the sales patter and find the right tech for your customer contact needs. Well look no further, we have a network of 120+ pre-vetted and audit technology partners – who will get right to the point.

The Bottom Line 

Outsourcing decisions are taking longer now because the stakes are higher. Customers expect nothing less than excellent service, and businesses are being much more careful about who they partner with. But with the right approach, outsourcing remains a powerful tool. 

At CCP, we guide businesses through the process, ensuring they find the right fit, reduce risks, and build lasting partnerships. In fact, 93% of CCP’s clients maintain long-term relationships with their outsourcing providers – proof that our approach works. 

With CCP by your side, navigating the increasingly complex outsourcing landscape is much smoother, helping you make the right decisions for today’s customer demands and tomorrow’s success. 

I always think back to a certain Benjamin Franklin quote when we talk about learning, that being “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” For a quote that is over 300 years old, it certainly does resonate today.

However, with recent challenges in the industry, be that COVID-19, the cost of living and other hardships, opportunities for employees to learn and experience personal growth have been somewhat limited. Surely something needs to change?

What do the stats tell us?

Recent studies underscore the importance of continuous learning and development for call centre professionals:

Quite telling stats don’t you think?

What is clear, is that the numbers collectively highlight the critical nature of proactive upskilling and reskilling in the service sector. Businesses that prioritise and act on this will not only safeguard their employees and customers but also realise enhanced profitability and future-readiness.

Making it personal

It’s always important to remember that no two employees are the same. Businesses need to ensure each employee’s learning journey is highly personalised. There needs to be a departure from the ‘one-size fits all approach’ that many standard training and induction courses deliver.

AI-powered, learning and development solutions help with personalising a learner’s journey, as these platforms can identify and close knowledge and skill gaps whilst giving managers the analytics to see exactly where those gaps are.

Rather than having to redeliver training on a whole subject, they can focus on the content that is performing the lowest, thus freeing up time and budget.

Solutions that are bucking the trend

Such solutions are helping to quash these stats by embracing the principles of continuous engagement and development, helping to create a deep sense of ownership in each employee’s learning journey.

I recently sat down with Georgia Harbison, Head of Sales at Cognito Learning, to discuss her thoughts on these statistics:

“The statistics speak for themselves. Investing in L&D and upskilling for contact centre staff is not just a nice-to-have; it’s imperative. As the nature of customer interactions shifts and the role of call centre professionals evolves, continuous learning will be critical to success. Businesses that recognise this and invest in their employees’ growth will not only see improved customer satisfaction, but, will also benefit from improved staff loyalty and productivity as well as enhanced profitability.”

Sound familiar?

If you too are going through a renaissance with your learning & development strategy, then give us a shout. We can help to supercharge your employee’s learning journey.

What Winter does highlight is the vice like grip the cost of living still has on us Brits, and it’s no wonder why we are all worrying about money.

Whilst some are trying to tackle the gap in pay in their own way (overtime or 2nd jobs), over two-thirds (68%) of UK employees with money worries do not tell their employer about their concerns [Wagestream]. Of this 68%, most cited the feeling of shame and embarrassment, or a cultural belief that you shouldn’t talk about your finances with others. Some cited a lack of trust in their employer – or a fear of discrimination or job loss once their issues had been divulged.

Tackling the mental health stigma

Whilst progress has been maintained in tackling the mental health stigma as a society, people are much more likely to talk about their mental health in the workplace. If we want to open the conversation so people can improve their financial wellbeing, we need to do the same with money.

3 ways employers can tackle the money stigma at work

  1. Train money champions to signpost and be visible: There’s been progress on the mental health stigma and one of the reasons is the success of the Mental Health First Aiders and similar schemes. Without training, it can be hard for managers and colleagues to know what should and shouldn’t be said, but this type of training gives confidence that makes people approachable but also more likely to open a conversation.
  2. Never waste an opportunity to talk about money: It’s not only societal trends that offer opportunities to talk about money. Internal changes, such as promotions, are good opportunities to encourage employees to review their short-term and long-term financial goals. The same is true of external changes in an employee’s life: for example when people apply for mortgages they often talk to their HR department. o Don’t waste these opportunities to start a dialogue – it’s a great way to build trust with employees. In fact, nothing says you’re more open to having a conversation than by clearly showing you’re interested in starting one. If you have money champions, using them to start conversations within their departments or cohorts can be an easy way to take action at scale.
  3. Celebrate Talk Money Week throughout your organisation: Talk Money Week is a yearly campaign aimed at encouraging conversations about money – it’s not limited to the workplace, but it’s an ideal existing initiative that organisations can use as a catalyst for their own plans. In 2023, Talk Money Week begins on November 6th. Spearheaded by the Money and Pensions Service, Talk Money Week offers a participation pack for employers looking to take part, that includes various useful materials and insight so you can get off to a good start. It’s a great way to start a conversation internally and provides a yearly date for your diary.

Are there ready-made solutions out there?

We have seen some innovative solutions out there that are tackling this issue head on. However, the best solutions we’ve seen at CCP work with some of the top brands in the UK to provide in-depth financial education materials to help staff with budgeting. One includes the use of an intuitive app which provides employees with an easy way to help manage finances all in one place.

Such solutions have seen huge improvements, with one UK business citing the following since introducing said programme and app:

By rolling out such a programme, the business in question has been able to retain good people, who are doing a great job in looking after their customers.

That feels like a win-win to me!

Looking for help?

Need help in planning a better financial future for your employees? Let us know,