AI is transforming customer service, but is it transforming it for the better?
The answer might seem like an obvious yes, given how quickly the technology has advanced, and how effectively it now handles a growing volume of customer interactions.
But, at the same time, this transformation is changing the role of human agents. With AI managing more routine requests, agents are often left with the most complex and emotionally charged interactions – a shift that may be contributing to rising levels of burnout.
Indeed, Calabrio’s latest Voice of the Agent report reveals an industry where emotional strain, complex interactions, and career uncertainty are converging in ways leaders can’t ignore.
Although agents are taking pride in their work, with 68% saying they’re proud to work in the industry and 75% saying they would recommend the job to a friend, beneath that pride is a workforce carrying a significant emotional load.
Ed Creasey, VP of Solution Engineering at Calabrio, says the data points to a simple headline:
“The role of the manager has never been more critical.”
And he isn’t referring only to team leaders. Workforce managers, quality leaders, trainers, and ultimately COOs are essential in shaping a more sustainable agent experience.
A Young Workforce Facing Tougher Conversations
The report also highlights the growing number of new agents entering the field.
34% are newcomers to the industry, and more than half have been with their current employer for less than two years.
According to Creasey, this matters because many of these agents “are shocked about how demanding customers are, and how direct they are” when they first arrive in the role.
Yet, despite this, the report found that 58% of agents believe customer expectations haven’t changed year-over-year.
While on the face of it, this seems like good news, Creasey is less optimistic.
He believes that the findings reflect a “normalization” that has occurred across the industry, where agents are now used to high-pressure conversations because they have no baseline for anything else.
Of course, the fact that over a third of agents are new to the industry will have an impact on this stat, as these employees are less likely to know what to expect and have other experience to compare it against.
The Empathy Paradox
Empathy remains agents’ most self-reported strength, with 75% saying that it’s the skill they excel at most, but leaders tell a different story.
Indeed, Calabrio’s 2025 State of the Contact Center report revealed that managers identify empathy and emotional intelligence as the skills most lacking in their workforce, and 64% admit they aren’t prioritizing emotional intelligence training at all.
Creasey finds this contradiction concerning:
“We’ve had 20 years of progression and science in empathy training, and yet it seems that organizations still aren’t focusing on it.”
In his view, the growing complexity of conversations in the age of AI makes emotional intelligence essential, but too many organizations still treat it as a nice-to-have.
Burnout as a Retention Crisis
Calabrio’s study shows that agents are struggling to keep up with their current workloads, with 35% of respondents listing burnout and stress as reasons for considering leaving – making it the number one issue.
This is particularly concerning when you consider that only 11% of agents describe their role as “not very stressful.”
Moreover, Creasey explains that burnout isn’t restricted to just an individual problem; it’s a risk to the entire customer experience.
He warns that stress becomes dangerous when it becomes invisible:
“Maybe we’re just accepting the levels of stress in the industry, and we need to challenge it.”
From a customer experience perspective, higher attrition leads to less experienced agents handling tougher conversations, ultimately resulting in an inferior level of customer experience being delivered.
If organizations fail to address this issue, they risk being left behind, as Martin Teasdale, Founder at Get out of Wrap, explains:
“In this period of change, we cannot afford to lose the very people who can take our industry to new heights.”
Scheduling, Flexibility, and the Fight for Control
While it may seem all doom and gloom thus far, there are many bright points within the report.
Chief among these was the role of flexibility as a powerful retention driver.
Half of agents now say they can influence their schedules, and 78% can take breaks after difficult calls – markers of healthy workforce management practice.
But Creasey believes there is still room for improvement.
“There is a quick win available for contact centers, with 50% of agents reporting they didn’t feel they controlled scheduling,” he notes, pointing to self-scheduling tools as a proven route to reducing stress and increasing autonomy.
Remote work remains a major factor as well. 59% say the ability to work from home shapes their career decisions, and Creasey cautions that leaders who push for full returns to the office “could miss a lot of talent.”
However, the flexibility that remote work offers can also blur the boundaries between work and life – a dynamic that may also be contributing to rising levels of agent burnout.
Why Leadership Is Now the Difference-Maker
Taken together, these trends point to a single conclusion: agent wellbeing has become a CX performance issue, not an HR one.
Creasey emphasizes that when agents feel supported through work-life balance tools, recognition, and a clear path forward, attrition drops, experience deepens, and KPIs rise.
“By having a more experienced agent base, your KPIs are going to increase. More experience means higher productivity, faster resolutions, and fewer escalations.”
The Opportunity Ahead
The report shows an encouraging foundation to build on, but the most significant risks now lie in complacency.
Managers, across every operational role, have more influence than ever over how stressed, supported, and prepared agents feel.
The organizations that act – through strengthening empathy training, modernizing scheduling, and clarifying career journeys – will win on both sides of the customer experience equation.
Because in 2026, supporting the agent is supporting the customer.
Find out more about how Calabrio is empowering contact center agents by checking out this article.
You can also download the full Voice of the Agent report here.
