Automation Forecasts (Gartner)
- •$80 billion agent labor savings by 2026 from conversational AI
- •10% agent interactions automated by 2026
- •25% organizations use chatbots as primary channel by 2027
- •80% customer service teams use GenAI by 2028
- •80% common issues resolved autonomously by 2029
PwC Forecast
By 2026:
80-90%
of customer interactions handled by AI across phone and chat channels
Industry Forecast
68% of customer service interactions handled by agentic AI by 2028
Call Center Market
Market Growth
2020
$340B
2027
$500B
Workforce Impact
- •20-30% service agents potentially replaced by 2026
- •Human teams remain essential for strategy, oversight, and relationships
Operational Improvements
Cost Reduction
20-30%
operational cost drop
Service Costs
25%
reduction in customer service costs
- •13.8% increase in inquiries handled per hour
- •Up to 30% e-commerce conversion rate with AI chatbots
- •12x cost difference: AI vs human agents
Customer Preferences
- •73% of interactions involve voice
- •54% prefer phone calls for issue resolution
- •62% prefer chatbots over waiting for human agents
- •89% more likely to choose brands with Voice AI capabilities
Voice Channel Gap - The Biggest Missed Opportunity
The Disconnect
73% of interactions involve voice, BUT contact centers prioritize digital channels instead
- •Voice channel remains largely untapped despite customer preference
- •53% handle support through email
- •Only 48% prioritize voice channel
The Opportunity
Voice-first automation represents the single biggest opportunity in customer service transformation
Key Takeaways
The call center industry is undergoing a complete transformation driven by conversational AI, with Gartner forecasting $80 billion in agent labor savings by 2026 and PwC predicting that 80-90% of customer interactions will be handled by AI across phone and chat channels.
While the market is growing from $340B in 2020 to $500B by 2027, operational improvements are substantial: 20-30% cost reductions, 25% decrease in service costs, and a 12x cost advantage of AI over human agents. Organizations are seeing 13.8% increases in inquiries handled per hour and up to 30% e-commerce conversion rates with AI chatbots.
The critical insight: despite 73% of interactions involving voice and 54% of customers preferring phone calls, contact centers continue to prioritize digital channels. Only 48% prioritize voice, while 53% focus on email. This voice channel gap represents the biggest missed opportunity in customer service transformation, especially given that 89% of customers are more likely to choose brands with Voice AI capabilities.
Transform Your Call Center with Voice AI
Don't miss the voice-first opportunity. Discover how Kalina AI can help you automate 80-90% of customer interactions while reducing costs by up to 30%.
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