The final Contact Centre Network Live of the year was held with an eye on the future, exploring what CX leaders should expect in 2026. A lively and insight-rich conversation was had with Steve Morrell, Managing Director at ContactBabel, and Jimmy Hosang, CEO of Mojo CX.
As host, I had the pleasure of guiding a discussion that centred on three major themes emerging from ContactBabel’s latest UK CX Decision Makers’ Guide:
- The maturing (and sometimes stagnation) of AI capability
- The persistent dominance of voice
- The growing pressure to unify data, systems, and journey intelligence
Below is an overview of the discussion ,one that revealed both how far the industry has come and how far there still is to go.
AI Adoption: Progress, Plateaus and the Perception Gap
A strong trend highlighted by Steve was that AI capability has been widely claimed but not always truly realised. As he explained:
“Most people who say they’re using AI aren’t necessarily doing so.”
Much of what is labelled AI today is, in reality, rules-driven automation, especially in chatbots. The data shows that the percentage of chats resolved through automation has flatlined for three years, suggesting the current generation of bots has reached its ceiling.
Steve noted:
“You might have the best chatbot in the world, but customers don’t know that they’ve been trained to expect something basic.”
From an operational perspective, Jimmy emphasised the real challenge:
“There are strategic initiatives to use AI, but very few people have that laser focus on what they’re actually trying to achieve.”
Instead of deploying AI for AI’s sake, Jimmy argued that the technology should be framed as automating what a human already does well, but faster and without fatigue.
He also made a case that summarisation remains the strongest foundational use case:
“It takes away the human admin and lets agents do what they’re good at, talking to customers.”
The Rising Need for Predictive Intelligence, and Why It Matters
A clear theme from the Decision Makers’ Guide was the need for predictive engagement: using data to anticipate customer behaviour, not simply react to it.
Steve described the opportunity:
“The data has always been there, but it’s been siloed, mixed together, and difficult to synthesise. Now the tools exist to move beyond first contact resolution into zero contact resolution.”
Jimmy reinforced this point, arguing that organisations have inadvertently created a reactive environment:
“We’ve made it difficult for customers to talk to us… and then we’re surprised when they call.”
He also warned that the rise of AI outbound could lead to over-correction:
“Companies are bombarding customers with AI outbound because they can, but there’s no optimisation.”
The message was clear: predictive capability must be paired with journey discipline.
Voice Is Not Dead, It Is Dominant and Evolving
Despite endless industry noise about “the death of voice,” the data continues to say otherwise. Steve’s research showed that voice channels still account for around 70% of inbound customer contact, a figure that has remained largely unchanged for years.
As he put it:
“Voice isn’t dead. It’s not even poorly.”
Jimmy added a modern lens, arguing that consumer behaviour already contradicts the “voice is dying” narrative:
“If big tech thought voice was dead, we wouldn’t have Alexa, Google Home, or Siri. Voice will be the primary communication method.”
Both guests reinforced that customers choose the path of least emotional effort, and voice still delivers that better than any other channel when the issue is urgent, complex, or sensitive.
Disconnected Systems: The Barrier Nobody Can Ignore in 2026
One of the most pressing findings in the Decision Makers’ Guide was the persistent lack of a single customer view. Nearly half of organisations admitted that silos between channels, systems, and data sources had a major negative impact on CX.
The effect is substantial:
- 1 in 5 calls come from customers who tried self-serve and failed
- 22–32% of customers escalate after failed digital attempts
- Agents frequently must restart the journey because system context hasn’t been retained
Steve summarised the frustration clearly:
“Customers aren’t succeeding online but then have to start again from the beginning. We’ve been talking about this for ten years, and it’s still a major problem.”
Jimmy, having spent much of his career in data transformation, offered a bold vision for what comes next, including API-less architecture and agentic AI browsers:
“What if you didn’t need to replace your systems at all? What if the AI could navigate them like a human, without APIs? That’s where the future is going.”
This shift would allow organisations to leapfrog the complexity that has historically held them back.
The Metrics Debate: Why NPS May No Longer Be Enough
Measurement strategies came under intense scrutiny, with a particularly direct critique from Jimmy:
“NPS is nonsense.”
While Steve was more diplomatic, both agreed that metrics like FCR, repeat rate, and overall customer effort are better long-term predictors of value.
Steve noted:
“Only 7% of organisations say FCR is the key success metric, even though customers consistently tell us it’s the biggest driver of experience.”
Jimmy expanded the argument:
“Customer friction, all of it, across all channels, is what actually correlates with lifetime value.”
Containment rate also came under fire:
“Containment sounds like a prison. What are we trying to contain?” Jimmy asked.
It’s clear that 2026 will require new thinking, and possibly the retirement of some legacy KPIs.
Compliance, Transparency and the AI Trust Gap
Data security and transparency are becoming central to customer trust. According to ContactBabel:
- 60% of customers are concerned about data security when interacting with AI
- Two-thirds want to know whether they are speaking to a human or an AI
- Older customers are uneasy about voice AI without disclosure
Steve emphasised:
“If you have older customers, flag it. People want to know whether they’re talking to AI.”
Jimmy added that consent will be essential, for both customers and employees:
“Customers should be able to opt in. And employees should be able to opt in to AI coaching too, it can be less personal and more objective than a manager.”
Final Thoughts: The Road to 2026
This session marked the final CCN Live of the year, and it set the stage for an ambitious year ahead. If 2025 was the year AI entered the conversation, 2026 will be the year it is expected to prove its value, earn customer trust, and enable proactive operations.
What became clear from Steve and Jimmy’s perspectives is that CX leaders are standing at the foot of a technological mountain, but not one that must be feared.
As Steve put it:
“You haven’t missed the boat. We’re at the foot of an extremely large mountain, and it’s still being built as we speak.”
And while Jimmy’s vision paints an ambitious picture of agentic AI, peer-to-peer machine communication, and the end of system silos, his message remains rooted in pragmatism:
“Start with the outcomes. Prove value. Then build from there.”
I think that Sums up how we approach 2026! Happy new year All!
