Labour is the single biggest cost for most contact centres, and with agent turnover hovering at around 30%, recruitment and training also eat into already tight margins.
So yes, cutting costs is a logical goal. But it’s not as simple as slashing spend. Every change you make has to be balanced against customer impact.
Why? Because customer expectations have never been greater.
Our Voice of the Consumer 2025 report found that:
- 42% of customers have switched providers after a poor service experience.
- 55% abandon calls because of excessive wait times.
That leaves contact centre leaders with a tough question: how do you reduce costs without damaging the customer experience? The good news is these two things aren’t always in conflict.
In fact, the very strategies that cut wasted cost, like smarter workforce planning, integrated omnichannel software, and automation, are the same ones that improve customer experience.
1. Turn to omnichannel contact centre software
Running separate systems for phone, email, SMS, and webchat is inefficient and expensive. Multiple vendors mean extra licences, admin headaches, and longer training times. Worse, agents are forced to jump between disconnected systems, which slows them down and leaves customers repeating themselves.
An integrated omnichannel platform removes these barriers. One system, one supplier, one invoice. Agents get the full picture of the customer journey in one place, and customers get a smoother, faster resolution.
This matters because customers don’t stick to one channel. According to our Voice of the Consumer 2025 report, 67% prefer the phone for urgent issues, while 45% prefer email for routine updates. What they really want is the freedom to switch between channels without friction.
Omnichannel makes that possible, and it’s a win-win: lower overheads for you, less frustration for them.
2. Focus on agent training
Well-trained agents are one of the most effective cost-saving assets you can have. They resolve issues faster, make fewer mistakes, and keep customers satisfied. That translates into higher first-call resolution rates and shorter average handling times.
The cost of not training is clear. Our research shows 35% of customers have abandoned a call because the agent didn’t understand their situation. And that’s a failure of training, not technology.
Good training goes beyond scripts. It should focus on listening, empathy, compliance, and giving agents the confidence to handle difficult conversations. A confident agent doesn’t drag out a call unnecessarily, and they build trust, which leads to higher retention and lower repeat contacts.
And don’t underestimate the link between training and retention. Ongoing coaching and feedback improve job satisfaction, reducing the turnover that drives recruitment and training costs sky-high.
The end result is fewer expensive recruitment drives and a more capable, stable workforce that can build trust with customers.
3. Better workforce management
Even if you retain your agents, the next challenge to overcome if you’re looking to reduce costs is utilisation. Overstaff your contact centre, and you’re paying for idle time. Understaff your contact centre, and customers are left waiting, and abandonment rates rise.
That’s where platform features such as Workforce Management (WFM) will help you strike the right balance. WFM allows managers to forecast busy periods, optimise schedules, and monitor performance in real time. That way, you keep service levels high without wasting resources.
AI-driven workforce management tools take this further by learning from historical data. For example, they can predict Monday morning surges or seasonal peaks, so you always have the right number of agents in place.
The result is lower labour costs, smoother service, and happier customers.
4. Reduce call waiting times
Nobody likes to be kept waiting. So it’s no surprise that long waiting times are one of the biggest deal-breakers for customers. 55% abandon calls due to excessive waits, and a further 34% hang up after being transferred multiple times.
However, it’s worth rising to the challenge, as reducing average handling time (AHT) lowers costs by making your call centre more efficient, enabling more interactions to be resolved with the same-sized team of agents.
But the goal here shouldn’t be pressurising agents to rush their connected calls. A rushed interaction will result in missed details, poor compliance, and frustrated customers.
Instead, the goal is to remove wasted time, not valuable conversation. Intelligent call routing, integrated CRM, and access to full customer histories shorten handling times, while still ensuring issues are resolved thoroughly the first time.
It’s also worth noting that not every query needs to be a call. With omnichannel options like webchat, self-service, or automated payment lines, customers can often get what they need instantly, freeing up agents to focus on complex issues where human interaction matters more.
5. Route calls accurately
Call routing is another silent cost driver. Poor routing means customers are bounced between agents, leading to delays, repeat transfers, and frustration. In fact, 34% of customers abandon calls after being transferred multiple times.
Skill-based routing fixes this by matching customers with the right agent the first time. Simple issues can be handled by newer staff or self-service, while complex cases go straight to your experienced team.
The impact is twofold: customers get a faster resolution, and you reduce wasted handling time. Regularly testing and refining your call flows ensures your routing stays aligned with both customer needs and agent skills.
6. Make automation work
AI and automation shouldn’t be used to replace agents. But it can be used to free them up from repetitive, low-value tasks so they can focus on complex conversations where human empathy matters.
While improving efficiency, it also improves job satisfaction by removing monotonous work that contributes to low job satisfaction and burnout.
With recruitment and training costs high, not automating these sorts of tasks has a direct impact on profitability.
Self-service is one of the clearest wins when it comes to integrating AI and automation. By utilising AI agents for everyday interactions, such as payments, routine account checks, or password resets, customers get instant answers they want without speaking to a human agent at all.
7. Re-evaluate your technology
Technology is one of the biggest hidden cost centres in a contact operation. Outdated systems, overlapping vendors, and complex licensing drain budgets without delivering value.
That’s why regular reviews of your tech stack are essential. Are you paying for tools that duplicate each other? Are agents wasting time switching systems? Do your licences scale with demand?
Modern platforms should consolidate multiple channels, integrate core features like secure payments and WFM, and scale with your operation.
MaxContact’s omnichannel platform is built to do exactly that: consolidate, streamline, and grow with you, so you can reduce overheads while improving service.
Contact centres can’t afford to ignore rising costs, but neither can they afford to let service slip. The good news is, cost reduction and customer experience don’t have to be at odds.
By optimising your workforce, investing in training, using automation wisely, and rethinking your tech stack, you can cut wasted spend and deliver smoother, more satisfying customer journeys.
That’s how you build a contact centre that’s efficient, resilient, and ready for the future.
For more about what MaxContact can do for your contact centre operations, book a demo.
