Across the industry, AI is positioned as the breakthrough that will automate service, eliminate friction, and solve the contact center’s biggest challenges. The promise is simple: more automation equals better outcomes.

Yet inside real organizations, the pressure on live agents has intensified. The interactions that reach them are increasingly complex and emotionally charged, while customers expect faster answers and deeper expertise than ever before. At the same time, rising costs and the push toward automation often leave the human workforce responsible for the most critical moments feeling under-supported.

This session offers a counterpoint. Rather than asking how far automation can go, Mike Egli explores why sustained CX success depends on reinvesting in the human core. Drawing on three decades of operational and transformation experience, he will examine how to curb frontline attrition, strengthen knowledge and performance, surface hidden friction across the agent journey, and use modern CX capabilities to improve retention of both employees and customers.

Attendees will learn:

• Why automation-first strategies can unintentionally increase frontline pressure
• The real drivers behind attrition in today’s CX environments
• How to elevate agent knowledge, confidence, and consistency
• Practical ways to strengthen both employee and customer retention