In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the impact of generative AI on customer service operations is a hot topic. To delve deeper into this subject, CRN India had an interaction with Phil Zammit, Vice President-APAC, Avaya, to explore how AI is transforming the industry. In this insightful conversation, Zammit shares his perspective on the adoption of AI in customer service, the balance between automation and human touch, the role of data security, and how Avaya is spearheading innovation with its cutting-edge platform. The interview also highlights how AI is shaping the future of customer experience and the crucial role India-based R&D teams are playing in this transformation.
How is generative AI posing a potential threat to the future of jobs in customer service operations, particularly in call centres?
It’s a topic that comes up in every conversation, isn’t it? And probably implied in that is the specific scenario, not just in India, but certainly accentuated in India around BPO BPM. My view is, no one can really predict what’s going to happen in the next few years. Things are moving really fast. In AI, we’re seeing clear patterns of utilisation around the world, which move away from the idea that you don’t need people anymore and can automate everything for an incredible service experience. I just don’t think that’s practical or realistic. What we are seeing is the use of AI in very common use cases. For example, AI can be used as a transcription tool to extract keywords and trendlines—why does Phil, a chocolate lover, always use the word chocolate in conversations that have nothing to do with chocolate? It’s powerful when it comes to identification and verification at the start of an interaction, which is something you don’t necessarily want a human agent to do monotonously, repeatedly, like 100 times a day. AI can do that.
At the end of an interaction, AI can also transcribe the call, summarise it, and put it back into the CRM for analysis. While some might argue that this reduces the need for human staff, what we’re seeing across the world—and in nearly all verticals, including government services—is an increasing focus on improved customer service and experience. Differentiation in today’s competitive market is increasingly based on customer service and experience. The barriers to switching service providers are much lower now than they were 5-10 years ago. Now, providing a compelling service experience is crucial. So, while automation makes sense in some areas, when it comes to complex, personal, or sensitive inquiries, a human touch is essential. Service excellence remains a key differentiator, and I don’t think we’ll see any major structural changes in customer service due to these drivers.
What is the current level of adoption of generative AI in customer service delivery across industries, and what are some notable trends or challenges observed?
The application of AI is straightforward, but the idea that you can replace humans entirely with AI-driven decision trees isn’t practical. Every customer is different, and sometimes bots don’t understand certain questions or issues. So, while AI can assist with tasks like transcribing calls, analysing them, and improving quality management at scale, it doesn’t eliminate the need for human agents. One notable trend is AI as an “agent assist” tool. For example, in a BPO scenario, AI can help an agent manage multiple systems by suggesting the next best action. If an agent is dealing with 32 different applications, toggling between them can be frustrating and time-consuming. AI can ease that burden by prompting the agent with relevant information or recommendations during a call.
Another powerful use case is proactive customer service. AI can analyse data and predict customer needs, such as sending a notification about a planned outage, which not only keeps customers informed but also reduces the likelihood of them calling in frustration. Globally, we’re seeing organisations increasingly use data to provide proactive, personalised service, which is a significant trend.
In customer experience, data plays a crucial role. How do you address security threats related to this data to ensure there are no vulnerabilities?
Avaya is uniquely positioned to offer customers flexible solutions based on the complexity of their environment, industry regulations, compliance needs, and security profiles. We give customers the option to choose their own journey. Whether they want to keep an on-premise footprint, go hybrid, or fully embrace the cloud, we support them with the Avaya Experience Platform.
For those concerned about security, privacy, or data governance, Avaya can deliver the platform in any modality, whether on-premise, private, or public cloud. We aim to provide innovation without disruption. In conversations with customers, some have expressed concerns about moving to the cloud due to security reasons, and we believe it’s essential to give them the choice to maintain control over their data. We offer a ubiquitous platform that can be customised to suit the customer’s preferences.
You mentioned your platform in relation to customer experience. Could you elaborate further on its features and offerings?
Avaya has a long history of developing innovative products, and as part of our business and strategic transformation, we’ve consolidated those capabilities into a simplified, common platform—Avaya Experience Platform. This platform is designed to enhance customer experience and includes solutions for unified communications and collaboration.
The Avaya Experience Platform leverages our strong expertise in complex routing and customer experience technologies. It offers not just voice routing but a true omnichannel experience, incorporating AI with an out-of-the-box agent. It unifies the customer journey, provides detailed reporting, and includes workforce management and optimisation features. Customers have the flexibility to integrate their own large language models, conversational AI, or analytics engines without penalties. The platform enables seamless transitions from AI-driven self-service interactions to human agents when necessary. For example, if a bot can’t handle a particular request, the interaction can be passed to a human agent without friction, ensuring a smooth experience for the customer. By unifying these interactions under a single platform, the Avaya Experience Platform enables organisations to analyse trends and optimise their service offerings efficiently.
In what ways are India-based techies at Avaya R&D coding the future of AI-powered customer experience and unified communications solutions?
A significant portion of our R&D and product engineering is based in India. India plays a crucial role in our ongoing innovation plan and roadmap. There’s an incredible talent pool here, and we have teams working on some of our most important developments. What’s fascinating is the level of innovation happening across multiple sectors in India. One example is financial services companies that have been using the Avaya platform for years to build bespoke applications aimed at improving their service experience. These companies are now applying their own innovations on top of the Avaya Experience Platform to create highly customised solutions.
Beyond development, a large portion of our support operations also runs out of India, supporting the global installed base. So, India isn’t just contributing to the coding and development but is also a key player in supporting our customers worldwide. This makes India a critical component of our overall technology and innovation strategy.
