Beyond the Call: How AI Task Automation Boosts Agent Productivity
August 15, 2025
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. That’s where automation earns its place: not as a replacement, but as a tool to increase agent productivity and help teams focus on what really matters.
The contact center has evolved from a support channel to a core part of the customer experience. It’s where insight, empathy, and efficiency come together — powered by data, guided by experience, and made more human through smart automation. When done right, automation doesn’t just make support faster, it helps make it better.
The Productivity Challenge
Let’s face it: most contact center agents spend a large part of their day on repetitive, manual tasks like confirming customer details, looking up answers, and writing up notes after each call. These steps are important, but they take time and distract agents from what really matters: connecting with customers and solving problems.
And the frustration is felt on both sides. Customers have to contend with slower service and frustrated agents have fewer chances to make a real impact.
AI-powered task automation can help break this cycle.
Empowering Agents by Removing Roadblocks
The best way to support agents is to take unnecessary work off their plates so they can focus on more rewarding and impactful interactions. With platforms like Five9’s Intelligent CX Platform, automation is built into the day-to-day workflow in ways that actually make a difference.
Tools like Agent Assist, AI Agents, and automatic call summaries help cut down on busywork, improve agent productivity, and give agents more time to spend on solving problems and connecting with customers.
Here’s what looks like:
Verification and Context Sharing: AI agents verify customers securely and pass on all the relevant information so human agents don’t have to repeat steps. It’s a small change that saves time on every call.
Real-time Support: Five9 Agent Assist offers helpful prompts and answers right when agents need them, so they’re never stuck searching for the right thing to say.
Automatic Summaries: Instead of writing up notes after every call, agents get clear, accurate AI-generated summaries that help them move to the next call faster.
This kind of support doesn’t just make work easier; it helps agents do their best work, every day.
The Proof: Real Business Impact
A recent study by Forrester, commissioned by Five9, highlights the real impact of AI-powered automation in contact centers. The numbers tell a clear story:
For every contact that reaches a live agent, brands save 120 seconds with Five9 by automating key activities.
Organizations see a 30% drop in agent turnover with Five9 as agents no longer struggle with laborious and repetitive tasks.
Over three years, the increased efficiency from task automation is worth $3.5 million.
Companies using Five9 see a 212% ROI over three years.
By cutting down on repetitive work, companies don’t just save money; they also create a better work environment. When agents are supported in their everyday work by smart automation, they stay focused, make fewer mistakes, and deliver better experiences for customers.
Growing Support without Growing Costs
One of the biggest benefits of contact center automation is scalability. With AI handling routine inquiries and streamlining workflows, businesses can accommodate higher volumes of support requests without adding headcount. This agility is especially critical in industries like retail, healthcare, and financial services, where seasonal surges or unexpected demand can overwhelm unprepared teams.
And it’s not just about scale; it’s about resilience. Cloud-based platforms like Five9 ensure uptime and reliability, helping contact centers avoid costly outages and stay responsive, even during peak periods.
AI + Humans = Better Together
There’s a common worry that automation will replace people, but the reality is far more collaborative. When AI is used to handle repetitive tasks, human agents are free to focus on complex, emotionally nuanced conversations — the ones that build brand loyalty and resolve high-stakes issues. This hybrid model isn’t just the future — it’s the present. And agent productivity is the clearest measure of its success.
Looking Ahead: Automation in the New CX
As customer expectations keep changing, being able to provide personalized, high-quality support at scale is more important than ever. Task automation offers a powerful way to boost agent satisfaction and productivity, lower costs, and create better experiences for both customers and staff.
With smart tools like Five9’s, contact centers can do much more than just answer calls. They can turn every customer interaction into a chance to connect, improve, and grow.
Want to see how contact center tech can help your team achieve more with less?
Learn how Five9 delivers $3.5M in productivity gains. Download the TEI Study today.
