Driving Real Business Impact with AI and Digital Channels

Published 10/11/25 under:

Contact centre AI and digital transformation projects aren’t merely operational upgrades; they’re strategic growth levers in a rapidly evolving CX arena where customer expectations for speed, convenience and personalisation are higher than ever. By combining automation, analytics and omnichannel intelligence, these imperatives deliver measurable value for customers, employees and the business. 

These topics were brought sharply into focus at the Kerv CX strategy event held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. Read on for all the latest tips and insights. 

 

AI for agent wellbeing: Addressing the unintended consequences of self-service 

Initial AI thinking has mostly been around improving customer experience (CX) and to good effect, with pretty decent results achieved using virtual agents and chat bots. Kerv Senior CX Consultant Paul Cox explained why this mindset is now shifting towards creating a more AI-assisted employee experience (EX). 

Bots have shown how effective they can be at identifying customer intent and solving simple repetitive tasks. However, the requests they hand-off often involve upset customers or complex situations, leaving agents struggling to catch a break. 

The human and financial costs are significant. 67% of frontline customer service employees report that continually dealing with frustrated, stressed customers has affected their mental health over the last 12 months – a worrying trend that’s costing the UK contact centre industry over £990 million in lost productivity annually^[1]. Additionally, a 30% attrition rate for a 200-agent contact centre equates to around £540,000 a year in additional recruitment and training expense alone^[2]. 

In response, Kerv clients are beginning to apply AI-enabled technology (see Figure 1) to effectively head-off these triggers.  

Figure 1. Reducing agent stress with AI.

When implemented correctly, solutions like Genesys Agent Copilot ensure that agents: 

• Always stay within their comfort zones. 
• Never feel out of their depth. 
• Don’t suffer cognitive overload. 
• Are protected from threats and abuse.
• Exert less time and effort on wrap-up tasks. 
• Take regular wellness breaks and exercises. 

However, that doesn’t mean agents have to be wrapped in cotton wool. They’re simply at less risk of burning out by being better equipped to handle stressful situations and emotionally charged conversations when they arise. 

Compete on experience or fall behind 

1. Joseph Pine II & James H. Gilmore​, The Experience Economy: Work is Theater & Every Business a Stage
2. Genesys report “The State of Customer Experience”, 2025​

AI and digital engagement isn’t only about automation; it’s also about creating a more intelligent, efficient and customer-centric culture. Genesys VP UK and Ireland Stuart Templeton described why this transition from service to the experience economy is happening and how Genesys is helping customers maximise opportunities. 

Business as usual – differentiating on product features, availability and price – is no longer an option. So, how can organisations compete on experience? 

Genesys Cloud CX offers an AI-powered experience orchestration platform with ready-to-go capabilities that can be easily activated to optimise all parts of the CX lifecycle (see Figure 2). 

The latest addition and evolution in Genesys generative AI-based solutions, Agentic AI, is another major leap forward. Autonomous agents within the Genesys Cloud CX platform can now decide, orchestrate and execute tasks – with minimal human intervention. Instead of reacting passively to customer prompts each time, these agents proactively choose the best actions based on context, goals and desired outcomes. 

AI and digital innovation in action 

West Lindsey District Council  

Customer Strategy and Services Manager Lyn Marlow shared her transformational journey partnering with Kerv and Genesys. Supporting 30 Council services and numerous departments, the contact centre operates a two-week intensive training programme for new joiners.  

Many residents in the West Lindsey area are vulnerable and require safeguarding. Prior to engaging with Kerv, they were largely limited to contacting the Council through phone calls (via a push-button IVR system) or in-person visits.  

However, customer experience and agent performance suffered due to an inflexible phone system that was hard to scale and no longer fit for purpose. As a result, customers were forced to endure long, repetitive IVR menus, while the Council lacked the necessary insights and digital capabilities to action service improvements. 

Since moving to Genesys Cloud several years ago, the Council has transformed its contact centre through a sustained programme of CX innovation. Game-changing capabilities introduced include: 

• Voice-enabled IVR guiding customers quickly to the right place with greater choice.  
• SMS messaging promoting self-service in high-demand areas and reducing call volumes.  
• Integrated scripts so agents start on the front foot when handling calls, emails and chats.  
• Single-screen workspace with call records and recordings directly linked to CRM profiles. 
• Lindsey, an FAQ bot, helping customers navigate the website and find information faster.  
• Live chat support providing real-time assistance for bespoke resident needs.  
• Smart call deflection for non-district queries using utterances and intent detection. 
• Automatic CRM callbacks for back office teams, ensuring no customer is left unheard. 

The Council has seen significant improvements in average handling time, first contact resolution, self-service adoption and customer satisfaction. Average call waiting time has reduced by 37%, while employees also enjoy a better experience, especially now they spend less time searching for information. 

Unlike before, the Council can identify demand patterns to assist with smarter workload distribution and resourcing. Other results achieved through new digital and AI tools include a total efficiency saving to date of 52 days, 2 hours and 51 minutes. 

Building on this success, the Council plans to expand its IVR and bot services, making it easier for customers to resolve issues such as missed bin collections and garden and food waste queries. Developing secure bot payment handling and helpful agent knowledge base articles are firmly on the agenda too. 

Scottish Widows 

The audience also heard firsthand about the financial services provider’s positive digital and AI experience using Genesys Cloud and their AI capabilities. 

Seeing is believing

 

These digital and AI capabilities were brought to life with a series of live product demos hosted by Kerv Group CT&SO, Rufus Grig, and Senior Principal Solutions Consultant, Sean Lindsay.

As the longest standing Genesys Cloud partner in EMEA, Kerv has successfully deployed Genesys Cloud to over 25,000 agents in 90+ customers. Drawing on our unrivalled technical support, 24/7 managed services and customer success practice, we obsessively ensure Kerv customers always get the greatest benefit from their Genesys investment. 

For further information on digital and AI solutions, or to register for forthcoming events, please contact sales.experience@kerv.com. 

 

[1] UK Contact Centre Forum survey, 2024.
[2] MaxContact UK Benchmarking Report, 2024.