Five9 International Study Finds 9 out of 10 Contact Centers Have Increased Focus on Agent and Employee Experience

Rhea-AI Summary

Five9, a cloud contact center provider, released its 2022 International Customer Service Index, revealing key trends in customer engagement and workplace dynamics. The survey, conducted with Zogby Analytics, highlighted that 86% of businesses experienced increased call volumes, and 90% are prioritizing agent and employee experiences. The report also noted a growing reliance on AI, with 73% of contact centers using it to enhance operations. Additionally, 91% of respondents observed a rise in non-voice interactions, projecting a significant shift towards self-service by 2024.

Positive

• 90% of business leaders are prioritizing agent and employee experience.
• 73% of contact centers are utilizing AI, which is expected to enhance customer service.
• 91% of survey respondents noted an increase in non-voice channel interactions.

Negative

• 54% of respondents face challenges with employees' reluctance to return to the office full-time.

50% are focused on reducing agent/employee turnover and 44% are focused on implementing AI and automation to assist agents

SAN RAMON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVN), a leading provider of the intelligent cloud contact center, today announced the results of its 2022 International Customer Service Index (CSI) Business Decision Makers Survey, which revealed new customer engagement and contact center workplace trends. Five9 partnered with Zogby Analytics to survey business leaders across 17 different industries to assess their views on the state of customer and agent experience, and for the first time, the CSI Business Decision Makers Survey expanded internationally, into Europe and Canada, to identify global attitudes and trends.

The survey found significant changes in the role of customer service representatives, with 86% of respondents reporting a massive increase in call volumes, 53% flagging the need for more emotional intelligence and empathy during customer interactions, and 43% indicating agent calls are longer and more complex. As a result, 90% of business decision makers are focusing more on their contact center agent and employee experience.

"The global pandemic has forced companies of all sizes to place new emphasis not just on customer loyalty, but on employee loyalty and retention as well,” said Blair Pleasant, President & Principal Analyst of COMMfusion LLC and author of the report. “Where ‘customer experience’ was once the rallying cry for many organizations, ‘employee experience’ has come to the forefront as well.”

, Additional Key findings from the CSI survey include:

• The changing workplace: More than half of respondents noted challenges related to returning to the office, including employees not being willing to go into the office full time (54%) and a lack of flexible work options such as hybrid workforce/shift scheduling (42%). Employee preference against going to the office full-time is by far the biggest challenge faced by businesses in North America (65%, 20-40 percentage points higher than in each of the European countries surveyed), while lack of flexible work options (45%) and agent engagement/productivity (43%) are more of a challenge in Europe.

• Use of Digital and Non-Voice Channels Grows: 91% of respondents noted an increase in email, chat, and messaging as a percentage of interactions. More than two-thirds of respondents expect non-voice channel interactions to exceed 40% by 2024 (70% globally, 68% in North America, 73% in Europe). Similarly, 69% expect that over 40% of customer support interactions will be fully handled via self-service by 2024 (67% in North America, 72% in Europe).

• Artificial Intelligence Emerging: Approximately three out of four contact centers currently use AI (73% globally, 67% in North America, 80% in Europe). Globally, 93% of decision makers agree that AI can enhance self-service so agents can focus on more complex or sensitive issues; and 91% agree that it can provide agent assistance such as knowledge and guidance. Of the 73% using AI, 79% use conversational AI or IVA for customer self-service.

“AI technologies are now part of the overall contact center arsenal, providing assistance to agents, customers, and contact center operations,” said Scott Kolman, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Five9. “By embracing collaborative intelligence, where AI and agents work together to enhance each other’s strengths, organizations can improve both customer and agent satisfaction, leading to better business outcomes.”

Since 2017, the Five9 Customer Service Index consumer and business decision maker surveys have provided data and insights to help businesses meet their customers' ever changing needs and expectations. The 2022 results were revealed and discussed during Five9 CX Summit, which took place Aug. 9-11, in Las Vegas.

Read the full report to see how priorities and attitudes vary across regions, industries and company size.

About Five9:

Five9 is an industry-leading provider of cloud contact center solutions, bringing the power of cloud innovation to more than 2,500 customers worldwide and facilitating billions of call minutes annually. The Five9 Intelligent Cloud Contact Center provides digital engagement, analytics, workflow automation, workforce optimization, and practical AI to create more human customer experiences, to engage and empower agents, and deliver tangible business results. Designed to be reliable, secure, compliant, and scalable, the Five9 platform helps contact centers increase productivity, be agile, boost revenue, and create customer trust and loyalty.

For more information, visit www.five9.com.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220811005084/en/

Suzie Linville

720.951.2717

Suzie.linville@five9.com

Source: Five9

FAQ

What are the key findings from the Five9 2022 International Customer Service Index survey?

The survey found an increase in call volumes, with 90% of businesses prioritizing agent experience and a significant rise in the use of AI in contact centers.

How does the Five9 survey address employee turnover and engagement?

The survey highlights that 50% of businesses are focused on reducing employee turnover and enhancing engagement practices.

What trends does the Five9 report predict for non-voice interactions by 2024?

The report indicates that over 70% of respondents expect non-voice interactions to exceed 40% by 2024.

What percentage of contact centers are using AI according to the Five9 survey?

Approximately 73% of contact centers are currently utilizing AI technologies.

When and where was the Five9 CX Summit held?

The Five9 CX Summit took place from August 9-11 in Las Vegas.