THE Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) has expressed confidence that the target employment figure of the contact center sector for 2028 will be achieved “even with the emergence of generative AI [artificial intelligence].”
Speaking at the Contact Islands 2023 held in Mactan, Cebu, CCAP Managing Director Rosario Cajucom-Bradbury said the forecast workforce growth of the sector is 2.3 million full-time employees, which she said is to be accounted for by CCAP member-firms, out of the 2.5-million employment target of the entire IT and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry by 2028.
Contrary to “common assumptions,” the CCAP official said the contact center group believes the new technology will “bolster” the sector’s productivity instead of threatening jobs.
“Generative AI can enhance the strengths of our Filipino agents who can then focus on active listening and become more empathetic and engaging when rendering service to our customers,” she explained.
She pointed out that agents are continuously being upskilled to further equip them with the right knowledge and skills amid the evolving nature of jobs across the sector and the industry.
“Agents can be redeployed and upskilled to make them always relevant to the future business model,” the CCAP Managing Director said.
Last month, Cajucom-Bradbury pointed out that the Generative AI has an impact on client business, the way services are delivered by the BPO Industry, and the corporate services of providers, namely,e HR, Finance, etc.
She cited the use of Generative AI Assist working alongside agents when handling calls increases their efficiency, productivity, and resolution in handling customer service.
“Thus, the call agent is provided with the opportunity to have more focused active listening and genuine empathy rather than being preoccupied in navigating the system for resolution.
Filipinos’ innate trait on service orientation combined with the power of Generative AI enhances the employees experience at work that translates to an even more satisfying customer experience—therefore, helping the Philippines retain being the ‘heart of CX’ and at the same time, meeting or even exceeding growth targets,” Cajucom-Bradbury explained further.
CCAP is a sub-sector of the IT-BPM industry.
Meanwhile, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (Ibpap), the flagship organization of the IT-BPM industry, earlier said the success in Generative AI will be “critical” in generating the 1.1 million new jobs by 2028.
Ibpap President Jack Madrid said in May, “Companies have long been doing proof-of-concept experiments to determine how they can leverage it in their business operations to improve employee productivity, enhance customer experience, reduce costs, and increase top-line growth.”
Madrid also noted that Ibpap and its stakeholders recognized early on that GenAI will “inevitably” change the way business services are performed and delivered, bringing a “significant shift” in the dynamics between jobs, skills, and talent. Full story here: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/05/26/ibpap-head-madrid-cites-critical-role-of-genai-in-creating-1-1-m-jobs-by-2028/
