Solving Contact Center Agent Challenges with AI

Contact center agents are tasked with providing exceptional customer service swiftly and accurately, while adhering to increased compliance and security requirements. But that’s no easy feat. Working at a customer service contact center presents constant challenges, from the moment an agent logs in to the last call of their shift. During this time, they manage continuous client calls amidst noisy settings. Not surprisingly, with surging call volumes, the global market for contact center software is expected to grow from $52.17 billion in 2024 to $218.31 billion by 2032. 

Challenges faced by contact center agents

Typically, agents dedicate about 31.8 minutes per hour to customer conversations. Handling a high volume of calls is one of the most challenging tasks for contact center agents. Endless requests can strain their time-management skills. They are required to multitask in real time, managing omnichannel communications while tracking CRM dashboards and domain-facing software. The situation becomes more complex when they handle specific verticals where data privacy is crucial. 

For instance, when working in healthcare contact centers, agents handle sensitive data, such as protected health information, to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations. They also manage PII and your account details in the banking and finance sectors, adhering to regulatory guidelines set by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The challenges don’t stop there. Research reveals that two-thirds of consumers find the most aggravating part of customer service to be either being put on hold for a long time or needing to repeat their issue to several different agents. Your customers seek immediate assistance. When this requirement is not fulfilled, they are likely to abandon your service and take their business elsewhere. So your agent has to establish immediate rapport and empathize with frustrated callers. 

But this is easier said than done. Guiding a customer through complex workflows over the phone can be deeply challenging. The situation becomes even more stressful in a noisy environment. Your contact center's hardware and software infrastructure must be robust and integrated. Otherwise, issues like poor connectivity, system outages, and software bugs can disrupt the audio quality of customer conversations. 

Another issue in contact centers is overcoming communication barriers posed by agents’ diverse accents. Navigating language and cultural barriers can evoke accent bias, a prejudice stemming from difficulties in speech comprehension, which may lead to stress and emotional setbacks for your agents. 

However, advanced technologies are now available to overcome these challenges. These AI-powered solutions use advanced speech conversion models to maintain the tone, pitch, and natural rhythm of the speaker’s voice during communication. Paired with noise-cancellation tools, they offer superior sound quality. As a result, agents can concentrate more on effectively engaging with customers without concerns about being heard clearly.

Humanizing contact center operations

Reports indicate that 59% of contact center agents are at risk of burnout. So contact centers employ several noise cancellation strategies to improve agent and customer experiences. These include sound masking, rearranging workstations, installing soundproofing equipment, relocating noisy devices like printers, using "white noise" with less disruptive frequencies, and incorporating porous or fibrous materials for sound absorption.

Background noise can lead agents to not entirely focus on customer conversations, resulting in misunderstandings. Furthermore, agents may raise their voices to be heard over the noise, compromising customer privacy as conversations become more audible to others in the office environment. If your agent works from home, ambient noises like household chatter, barking dogs, or street traffic can interfere with client calls. Your agents need a high-quality microphone to speak hands-free with clear and intelligible sound. They need a quieter workspace to communicate with customers clearly.

Future-facing noise cancellation apps integrated with your existing infrastructure can cancel background noise by filtering audio in real time. Headsets with built-in microphones and AI-powered noise cancellation can help improve call clarity. The cutting-edge technology establishes a seamless connection, ensuring customers feel appreciated and receive exceptional service. The AI algorithms eliminate background noise and background voice, ensuring clear communication for agents. That’s not all. The solution stack also introduces a natural soundscape.

The result?  Greater focus, faster decision-making, and improved resilience under stress. So your agent’s day starts well and ends well. 

Beyond background noise cancellation, your agents also need to be understood without sacrificing their unique voice and manner of speaking. Accent translation solutions can help you here. They leverage a powerful generative AI model combined with advanced audio processing to enhance voice quality significantly. Diverse accents can create communication barriers that limit your talent pool despite potential candidates possessing excellent professional skills. By deploying AI-driven accent translation technologies, enterprises can mitigate operational inefficiencies and boost team morale.

Such tech stacks also reduce operations costs by eliminating accents as hiring criteria and the need for accent training. Businesses can now hire agents from diverse backgrounds, open more locations, and improve their key business metrics. AI-driven accent translation solutions like Sanas utilize speech-to-speech neural networks to capture the subtle nuances of human speech, such as tone and emphasis. Trained on an extensive dataset, the intelligent core of the accent translation solution tailors itself to the agent's vocal characteristics. This ensures messages are delivered with natural warmth and authenticity, resulting in a 22% improvement in CSAT scores. It can also reduce average handle times by 18%. Benefits to your company? Greater efficiency, employee satisfaction and retention, customer loyalty, and overall cost savings.

Additional tips: Optimize call routing and prioritization systems to efficiently resolve calls and minimize wait times, ensuring high-priority calls are directed to the most qualified agents. Provide timely training on customer handling and contact center technologies through regular sessions and access to knowledge bases for continuous skill development. 

Call quality and Sanas

Real-time Speech AI solutions by Sanas help enterprises and contact centers improve CSAT and address agents' challenges, thereby enabling them to build genuine customer rapport. As customer expectations evolve, our advanced solution portfolio facilitates real-time accent translation and eliminates background noise. The Sanas platform offers straightforward documentation for self-service, operates without geo-restrictions, and requires no training for agent onboarding. It simplifies contact center communications.

Request an Accent Translation demo to see how Sanas can transform your contact center’s operations.

Why Authenticity Matters in Call Centers

Call centers are often the frontline of customer communication. These interactions shape brand perception, build trust, and influence loyalty. While automation can improve efficiency, customers value interactions that feel personal, empathetic, and real.

Research shows that customers prefer speaking with agents who sound relatable and authentic. A robotic or overly polished tone can feel impersonal, reducing customer satisfaction. That’s why the goal of AI in call centers isn’t to replace the human element but to empower agents to communicate more effectively and authentically.

How Sanas Accent Translation Enhances Authentic Communication

One common challenge in global call centers is the diversity of accents. Customers may find certain accents difficult to understand, creating frustration and communication barriers. Sanas Accent Translation addresses this challenge head-on.

Our AI-powered Accent Translation ensures agents retain their natural voice while making their accent more neutral or familiar to the customer. This fosters smoother, more inclusive communication without erasing the agent’s identity. By improving clarity, we help agents build trust and create positive customer experiences.

Clearer Calls with Sanas Noise Cancellation

Background noise is another significant hurdle for call centers, whether in bustling office environments or remote setups. Noise disrupts conversations, increases stress, and hampers service quality.

Sanas Noise Cancellation eliminates background distractions on both sides of the call, delivering crystal-clear conversations. This allows agents to focus fully on customer needs, improving call resolution times and creating a more professional experience. Reduced noise also means less stress for agents and customers, contributing to better outcomes on every call.

Balancing Technology and Human Connection

AI has the potential to revolutionize call centers, but its true value lies in its ability to enhance human capabilities. Sanas solutions are built with this philosophy at their core. By tackling accent barriers and background noise, we enable agents to bring their best selves to every conversation—authentic, empathetic, and focused.

This doesn’t just benefit customers. By reducing the stress of repetitive clarifications and noisy environments, agents can work more efficiently and confidently. This leads to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates, creating a healthier work environment.

Authenticity as a Competitive Edge for Call Centers

In a highly competitive industry, authenticity sets great call centers apart. Customers remember interactions that feel real and relatable. By integrating AI tools that enhance—rather than replace—the human touch, call centers can deliver exceptional experiences that build loyalty and trust.

Sanas solutions are empowering call centers worldwide to achieve this balance. Our technologies don’t just remove obstacles; they create opportunities for agents to connect with customers in meaningful ways. This human-first approach strengthens relationships, boosts customer satisfaction, and drives long-term success.

Looking Ahead: AI with Humanity at Its Core

As AI continues to evolve, the focus must remain on keeping the human element central to customer interactions. The future of call centers isn’t about achieving perfect automation; it’s about amplifying the qualities that make human communication special—authenticity, empathy, and connection.

At Sanas, we are committed to building AI solutions that reflect this vision. Whether through Accent Translation or Noise Cancellation, our mission is to ensure every call feels personal, every voice is understood, and every interaction leaves a lasting positive impression.

So, as you look to the future of your call center operations, remember: The human touch isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the foundation of every exceptional customer experience. With Sanas, you can embrace AI with confidence, knowing it’s enhancing what matters most: real human connection.