Janna Pugh

In a world where speed often trumps depth, customer service is becoming one of the last places where businesses can truly stand out. As expectations rise for faster, more thoughtful support, contact centers face the challenge of doing more with fewer resources.

In today’s hybrid contact centers, where live agents work side-by-side with virtual AI assistants and agents, good phone etiquette basics are not just another tool: agent phone etiquette skills are a uniquely human skill that builds trust, solves problems faster, and creates the kind of customer experience people remember for all the right reasons. 

Over the past few decades, how businesses sell has changed more than you might think. Sure, back in the 1950s, door-to-door salespeople roamed neighborhoods, hoping to catch someone at home to pitch the latest products, like new plastic storage solutions. 

If you've been wondering how to automate your customer support efforts with AI virtual agents, you're not alone. Made possible by the power of generative AI, these more advanced agents have the potential to revolutionize customer service automation — as long as they're deployed in the right manner for the right purpose. 

Read on for the perfect starting points to implement AI today and build for what's next.