Contact Centre Trends: What to Expect in 2026

Contact centres are working harder than ever – yet outcomes aren't improving. Despite deploying more technology and increased investment, connect rates remain stubbornly lower, attrition stays high and costs per call have reached a five-year high.  

The breakthrough will come from technology that connects seamlessly – where your systems work as one platform, not separate tools.

Here's what contact centre leaders need to know about 2026.

2026's Defining Shift: Making Your Systems Talk to Each Other

Last year was about proving AI works. This year is about making it work together.

Picture this: Your conversation analytics spots that agents are struggling with a specific complaint type. Right now, that insight sits in a report somewhere. In 2026? It automatically triggers updated coaching materials, alerts team leaders, and feeds into next week's training schedule.

That's the shift. Not more tools. Connected tools.

Your CRM knows what your telephony system is doing. Your analytics feed your workforce planning. Your AI capabilities trigger actual actions, not just insights.

The winners in 2026 will connect their systems, not just collect them.

• ‍Key Takeaway: The winners in 2026 will be organisations that connect their capabilities, not just collect point solutions.

AI Adoption: Data First or Fail Fast

With 66% of organisations already using or piloting AI, adoption is no longer the question. Successful implementation is. And here's the problem: 80% cite data quality as their main barrier, while 75% say their data is too siloed to use AI effectively.

Here's what happens next

Some organisations will fix their data first. Others will skip that step and wonder why their AI projects fail. The gap between these two groups will widen fast in 2026.

The organisations getting it right start with a simple question:

Before any AI project: where's the data? Is it current? Can we trust it? Is it joined up?

Then they split projects into two categories:

• Quick wins need minimal data. Automated absence handling? One data source. Call summarisation? Just transcripts. These deliver fast returns and fund bigger projects.

• Big projects need more serious data work. Cross-channel customer insights. Predictive analytics. These require 12-18 months of data consolidation. But once done, they unlock multiple AI use cases at once.

The Reality Check

Most organisations skip the data work. They deploy AI on fragmented information. It disappoints. They blame the AI.

Meanwhile, AI is creating more data. Speech analytics now transcribes every call. Conversation analytics tracks every interaction. The challenge isn't just fixing old data problems – it's making the flood of new data useful for the people who need it.

• ‍Key Takeaway: Start with quick wins on clean data. But commit to the harder work of data consolidation, or your AI projects will keep disappointing.

Contact Strategy: Beyond Set-and-Forget

The numbers are stark: outbound connect rates sit at 42.8%, with only 27% reaching the right person. Traditional set-and-forget strategies aren't working. AI call screening will only make this harder.

Yet voice isn't dying – it's evolving. Most valuable AI starts with voice: conversational AI, sentiment analysis, real-time insights. Even chatbots are moving toward voice interfaces.

What Works in 2026

Three factors define successful contact strategies:

• Speed to lead has returned as top priority. When customers show intent, the window is minutes, not hours. Organisations reaching out within 5-10 minutes see dramatically higher conversion.  

• Intelligent personalisation means dynamic, context-aware outreach. Not just who to contact, but when, how, and with what message based on their specific situation and recent interactions. This requires joining up web behaviour, contact history, and purchase patterns.

• Dynamic multi-channel workflows adapt in real-time. Customer doesn't answer? Trigger an SMS: "We're calling from [company]. Save this number, we'll call back at [preferred time]." They respond with availability and the system adapts. They engage via chat? The system handles it and transfers to human when needed, with full context.

Why SMS Matters

SMS isn't replacing calls. It's making calls work better.

"Save our number, we'll call when suits you" transforms cold calling into expected contact. Response rates go up. Conversations are better because people are ready for them.

But only if your SMS, voice, chat, and email systems actually work together.

• ‍Key Takeaway: Abandon set-and-forget for dynamic, multi-channel workflows that adapt to customer behaviour. Build multi-channel workflows that adapt to how each customer actually wants to engage.

The Data Problem: From Integration to Intelligence

Contact centres are saying siloed data blocks CX improvement. Teams make decisions on incomplete information. Despite AI tools generating insights, frontline managers still can't easily answer: "Which agents are struggling and why?" or "Where are our quality issues?"

Will 2026 fix this? Our prediction: fragmentation won't worsen, but solving it will be slower than hoped. The challenge has shifted from having data to making it meaningful.

The New Challenge

Conversational analytics now transcribes every call and summarises every interaction. That's incredibly valuable.

But a team leader managing 15 agents faces 500 call summaries a day. Reading them all isn't realistic.

What they actually need: which agents need support right now? What's the trending issue today? What should I focus on first?

What This Looks Like When It Works

It's 9:30am Tuesday. Your team leader opens their screen and sees:

"Agent Sarah has handled three difficult complaints this morning. Might need a check-in."

"Billing issue contacts up 40% vs yesterday. Consider adding afternoon resource."

Not a dashboard to interpret. Not a report to analyse. Just: here's what needs your attention right now.

How to Get There

The organisations making progress aren't building more sophisticated dashboards. They're rethinking how information reaches people.

• Alerts instead of reports. Team leaders get notified when agents need support. Ops managers see capacity issues before they escalate. The system brings insights to people, rather than expecting people to hunt for them.

• Conversational access. A team leader can ask: "Why is Sarah's handle time up today?" and get an answer with context. No report building required.

• Embedded in workflows. Insights appear where people already work, not in separate reporting tools they need to remember to check.

‍Key Takeaway: The challenge isn't gathering data or even analysing it. It's getting the right insight to the right person at the moment they can act on it.

Agent Experience: Finally a Priority

The statistics: 52% report increased workload (up 10 points), agents switch between 6-12 windows, attrition remains at 31.2%, and cost per call hits £6.26. As routine tasks automate, agents handle only complex interactions – meaning every contact is difficult.

Why This Matters Now

The business case is finally clear. At £6.26 per call, you can't afford agents spending 30% of their time hunting for information across multiple systems.

Vendors are starting to focus on this. The quick AI wins – digital deflection, call summarisation – are done. Now they're tackling the harder problem: reducing the cognitive load that comes from constantly switching context.

What’s Changing in 2026

As low-value tasks automate, agents handle only high-value interactions. Every conversation involves complexity or emotional sensitivity. The job is harder than ever.

In 2026, expect:

• Unified desktops that bring information from multiple systems into single interfaces, surfacing the right information at the right time based on conversation context.

• Real-time assistance that provides contextual guidance, suggests actions, surfaces knowledge articles, and drafts responses. AI becomes the agent's assistant, not replacement.

• Post-interaction support recognising the emotional toll. Automated break scheduling after difficult calls, sentiment monitoring for struggling agents, proactive manager interventions.

• Better performance frameworks moving beyond handle time to recognise interaction complexity. First-call resolution for complex issues, sentiment improvement, and de-escalation become the measures that matter.

Will 2026 fix the agent experience? Our prediction: improvements begin, but full transformation extends into 2027.

Key Takeaway: Agent experience is finally getting serious attention. The focus is shifting to reducing cognitive load and supporting agents who now handle only the most complex interactions.

The Offshore Reality

Offshoring is accelerating. The economic pressure from 2025 isn't easing – it's getting stronger.

But there's a pattern worth noting. Over the past 15+ years, we've seen the same cycle repeat: contact centres move offshore to cut costs. Quality issues emerge. Operations move back to the UK. Then costs rise again, and the cycle starts over.

Offshoring isn't a permanent solution. It's a response to immediate pressure that often creates different problems down the line.

What this means for UK operations

If you're running a UK contact centre, competing on cost alone won't work. The economics don't add up.

The path forward? Combine AI efficiency with the advantages UK operations naturally have. Quality. Cultural alignment. Regulatory compliance. Understanding of the local market.

AI helps narrow the cost gap. 20-30% efficiency improvements make the economics more defensible. You're still not the cheapest option, but you can justify the premium based on outcomes.

Here's the reality: without AI, UK contact centres at scale struggle to make the numbers work. With AI, you can compete on value rather than just price.

• ‍Key Takeaway: For UK operations, AI isn't a nice-to-have. It's what enables you to compete on outcomes while narrowing the cost gap that offshore alternatives exploit.

Looking Ahead: Strategic Technology Decisions

As we move through 2026, the question isn't whether to invest in technology. It's which technology to invest in.

• Choose solutions that connect with what you already have. The best new tool in the world doesn't help if it sits in isolation. Before buying anything, ask: how does this integrate with our existing systems? Can it talk to our CRM? Our telephony platform? Our analytics tools?

• Prioritise data foundations. Fix the plumbing before adding new taps. If your data is fragmented, every AI tool you add will underperform. Sometimes the smartest investment is consolidating what you have, not buying something new.

• Look for vendors who care about outcomes, not just features. The conversation should be about what you're trying to achieve, not just what the software can do. Implementation support. Integration help. Ongoing optimisation. That matters more than a long feature list.

The bigger picture

The challenges facing contact centres in 2026 are real. Rising costs. High attrition. Fragmented data. Low connect rates.

But here's the opportunity: the right technology decisions – made thoughtfully – can genuinely transform outcomes. Not through revolutionary breakthroughs. Through building an ecosystem where your systems work together. Where new capabilities enhance what you already have. Where data flows naturally between tools, creating workflows that deliver results.

That's what 2026 is really about. Moving from collecting disconnected tools to building platforms that work as one.

What Contact Centres Should Prioritise in 2026

• Strategic technology decisions that prioritise full deployment and optimisation of existing AI capabilities alongside thoughtful expansion of your technology stack.

• Clear ROI demonstration for every new investment, with realistic timelines and measurable outcomes.

• First-contact resolution as a cost-reduction strategy, using AI and better agent support to solve issues completely on first interaction.

• Strategic workforce planning optimising resource allocation through AI-powered forecasting and scheduling.

• Data foundations that enable AI success – investing in consolidation and integration before deploying new capabilities.

• Agent experience improvements focusing on reducing cognitive load through unified interfaces and real-time assistance.

• Integrated workflows connecting systems across your technology stack so capabilities work together, not in isolation.

The contact centre industry has shown remarkable resilience. As we enter 2026, the organisations that thrive will be those that combine innovative technology with strategic implementation – building integrated systems that deliver measurable outcomes.

Ready to build a more integrated contact centre for 2026? Book a demo to see how MaxContact’s integrated platforms can address your challenges.

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Resource Centres are powerful, contextual hubs that surface relevant help content based on the product you’re working in. Whether you’re looking for a quick answer, learning a new feature, or working through a process step-by-step, support is now available exactly where you need it.

Why we built this

When you’re in the middle of a task, the last thing you want to is to stop, switch tools, or wait for a support response just to keep moving forward.

Resource Centres have been built to help you:

• Resolve questions quickly
• Stay focused on the task at hand
• Reduce disruption to your workflow

Instead of raising a support ticket or searching through documentation elsewhere, you can now access answers and guidance directly in the product. Helping you move faster and with greater confidence.

By bringing guides and walkthroughs into MaxContact itself, we can show you the exact steps to take, in real time, removing uncertainty and reducing the chance of error. This is especially valuable when new features are released, allowing you to build an immediate understanding of how they work and how you might want use them in your own setup.

What’s New: Key Features at a Glance

Within the Resource Centres you’ll find:

• ‍Powerful Knowledge Base Search
• Step-by-Step Guided Tours
• AI-Powered Chat Assistant
• Contextual Help, tailored to the product you’re working in

This is just the beginning. Resource Centres will continue to evolve, with additional features and capabilities planned over time.

Feature Breakdown: How Resource Centres Help You!

In-Product Access

Resource Centres are available directly within the MaxContact product, meaning help is always close at hand.

Powerful Knowledge Base Search

If you’re looking for more information on a particular setting, page or feature, you can now search our Knowledge Base directly from within the product. You’ll be taken straight to the most relevant solutions article, significantly reducing the time it takes to find the right answer.

We’re continually improving our Knowledge Base content to ensure articles remain accurate, clear and genuinely useful.

Step-by-Step Guided Tours

Guided Tours walk you through key processes directly within the product, step-by-step. They guide you to exact areas you need, highlight the relevant settings, and explain what each step is used for, so nothing is missed.

These tours are designed to:

• Help you complete tasks confidently
• Reduce confusion around complex processes
• Demonstrate new features as soon as they’re released

This means you can learn and adopt new functionality immediately, without having to search through release notes or documentation.

We’ve also reviewed common support desk queries to ensure the guides we build focus on what matters most to our customers. From everyday tasks to frequently requested processes, like blocking an inbound caller, making them quick and straightforward to complete.

AI-Powered Chat Assistant

The AI chat assistant is trained on our latest solution articles and product information, so you can feel confident in the answers it provides.

Alongside each response, you’ll also be shown the articles and guides that informed the answer, allowing you to explore further and build deeper knowledge when needed.

Contextual Help, Tailored to Each Product

Each Resource Centre is built specifically for the product it sits within.

For example:

• In Management Hub, you’ll see content and guides relevant to configuration and administration
• In Conversation Analytics, help is tailored specifically to analytics features
• In Contact Hub, users can self-train through guided walkthroughs directly in the product

What This Means for Support Going Forward

Our Support team isn’t going anywhere.

Resource Centres are designed to complement human support, not replace it. By enabling faster self-service for common questions and tasks, our Support team can focus more time on complex, high-priority issues, helping deliver meaningful resolutions when you need them most.

We’re excited to launch Resource Centres and look forward to seeing how they help make your day-to-day work simpler and more efficient.

Resource Centres will be gradually rolled out over the coming weeks, launching in Management Hub and Contact Hub, with Conversation Analytics to follow.

What does a plumbing apprenticeship, ten years on a building site, and a career in debt collection have in common?

Absolutely nothing.

But what I learned in all those jobs is that the people closest to the work, the ones actually doing it, always have the best ideas.

When I first started in a contact centre, I was terrible. After a month of following the script and struggling, my manager asked if I wanted to sit next to someone else. In all my wisdom, I decided to sit next to the highest-collecting agent in the room.

His name was Vinny.

The Agent Who Changed Everything

We were working in debt collection. Everyone around us followed the script - voices raised, pushing for payments. Vinny sat there with a dusty Rubik's cube and a stained coffee mug, looking like an old hippy(which, by his own admission, he was).

Everyone else was loud and intense. Vinny was calm. He just talked to people.

And he was the top performer on the floor.

After a few days, I asked him what his secret was.

He smiled: "If you want to collect honey, you don't kick the hive."

That line stuck with me. Vinny showed me something important- sometimes the quietest people, the ones who do things differently, are the real innovators. He hadn't been told to change his approach. He just noticed what worked and trusted his instinct.

But here's the sad part - Vinny never told his manager.

"Because it's not in the script. I'd probably get marked down on QA."

He thought doing what worked meant breaking the rules. And as I sat in the chaos of the contact centre, I realised something:

If innovation feels like rebellion, we've built the wrong culture.

Your Agents Are Already Innovating

Frontline people are natural innovators. They live the process every day - they see what works, what doesn't, and they care about making it better.

But they don't do it because they're thinking about efficiency or the bottom line. They do it because they're human. They want to make their jobs simpler, smoother, less stressful.

Agents find smarter ways through clunky systems and shave seconds off repetitive tasks - not out of laziness, but instinct. It's the most natural form of innovation there is.

That's actually what Lean thinking is all about. It's not a corporate framework - it's common sense, done consistently. It's asking everyday: "What's getting in the way, and how can we make it easier?"

Our agents are already doing that. They just don't call it Lean.

The challenge for leaders is to recognise that behaviour, support it, and give it a name - to turn natural innovation into intentional improvement.

But too often, agents don't speak up. Rigid scripts, metrics obsession, or fear of "breaking process" make them feel like their ideas don't count.

So if we want innovation to thrive, our job as leaders isn't to create it - it's to unblock it.

When Doing the Right Thing Looks Like Breaking the Rules

A few years later, when I became a manager, I inherited Katie. She cared deeply about customers but was struggling with collections. Every one-to-one she'd say, "I'm doing it the way they tell us to, but itdoesn't feel right to push people like that."

So I sat in on her calls.

She wasn't talking about taking payments. She was talking about helping people get out of debt. "Let's figure out a plan that works for you." "What's getting in the way right now?"

On paper, she was off-script. She wasn't hitting the "ask for payment" markers. But her customers trusted her. They opened up. And slowly, her results climbed.

One day she said, "I know it's not what they want, but I feel like I'm actually helping people this way."

Sometimes doing the right thing looks like breaking the rules. I backed her. She became my best collector.

The Power of Perception

If you owed £400 to British Gas and your mortgage advisor told you to pay it, you'd thank them for protecting your credit score.

But if I, a debt collector, called about that same £400, it would feel completely different - even though it's the same advice.

Katie understood that. She changed the conversation from "Can we take a payment?" to "Let's help you get out of debt."

That tiny shift - from transaction to transformation -changed everything. Quiet, human innovation.

And here's the thing: this was before Consumer Duty. Before Treating Customers Fairly. Before the FCA. Katie was ahead of the industry curve.

It's Not People That Stop Innovation. It's Process.

Most of the time, our systems make innovation difficult.

QA, KPIs, scripts, compliance - all built with good intentions. But somewhere along the line, the systems started running the people instead of the other way around.

• ‍QA should measure the quality of the outcome, not just the accuracy of the process. Too often it's about catching mistakes instead of coaching improvement.
• KPIs - we measure speed, wrap time, promises to pay, then wonder why empathy gets rushed. If you measure speed, you'll get speed. If you measure empathy, you'll get empathy. If you measure both - you'll get balance.‍
• Scripts protect consistency, but they shouldn't control humanity. The best conversations are guided, not governed.‍
• Culture is the biggest killer. Not process - fear. Agents stay quiet because they've seen others shot down. Silence in a contact centre isn't peace - it's potential going unheard.

These systems aren't bad. They were just built for consistency, not creativity. Our challenge is to rebuild them for both.

The Ripple Effect of Small Ideas

When people feel safe to share and experiment, you see the ripple effect.

I've seen it first-hand:

An agent suggests a note template - saves 30 seconds per call, three hours a day across the team.

Another swaps "you need to" for "what we can do together is" - complaint rates drop.

A team starts a Friday "what worked this week?" huddle - positivity skyrockets.

Tiny things. Massive impact.

When one person's idea is implemented, everyone starts looking for their own. That's how culture changes - not with slogans, but with ripples.

Start With One Question

When I think back to those days sitting next to Vinny, I realise he probably had no idea how much he changed my outlook.

At the time, I thought it was about keeping calm on the phones. But now I see it was about leadership, culture, and trust. You don't get great performance by pushing harder - you get it by creating the conditions for people to do their best work.

My mission has always been to change the world - not the whole world, at least not at first - but the world of debt collection. Because for too long, our industry has carried a negative perception. But what we really do is help people move forward.

And for me, that started with Vinny. That one quote. He was the stone that started the ripple - the ripple I intend to turn into a wave.

So when you go back to your teams, try this: ask questions.

"What's one small thing we could fix this week?"

"What's that one hack that is an absolute must?"

"How would you improve this process?"

Listen to the answers. Act on them.

Because once people see their ideas become real, that's when the ripples start. And that's when cultures change.

If you want to collect honey, don't kick the hive.

Trust your people. Listen to your frontline. And give them permission to make things better - one small idea, one ripple, one wave at a time.

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Jamie Corbett is an Operations Leader at Advantis Credit. He spoke at Afterwork with MaxContact, a contact centre community event, where he shared his journey from the frontline to leadership and his mission to change the perception of debt collection through agent-focused innovation.

Want to unlock innovation in your contact centre? Discover how MaxContact's AI-powered platform gives your agents the tools and insights to do their best work. Learn more

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