Many organizations are exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can change the way contact centers work. The combination of AI and cloud-based technology is making it possible to handle more customer interactions with greater efficiency.
Contact centers have a long history of using phone systems and live agents to support customers. Now, new digital tools, like AI-powered virtual agents and automation—are being used alongside humans to improve service delivery.
This article explains what is driving contact centers to use AI, with a focus on the challenges that modern AI platforms like Five9 are designed to address.
Learn more about our Five9 Solutions.
Traditional contact centers face three fundamental problems that AI technology addresses directly.
These challenges push organizations toward AI-powered solutions that can automate routine tasks, provide consistent responses, and scale up or down based on demand without additional hardware investments.
Five9 provides a cloud-based Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) platform with integrated AI tools. These capabilities work together to handle customer interactions more efficiently than traditional phone systems.
Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) are AI-powered programs that interact with customers using natural language processing. Unlike traditional Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems that require customers to press numbers, IVAs understand spoken requests like "I need to check my account balance" or "Help me reset my password."
When an IVA can't resolve a customer's issue, it transfers the conversation to a human agent along with all the context from the interaction. This handoff eliminates the need for customers to repeat their information.
We’ve seen firsthand how IVAs can transform customer interactions. For example, with our client Johnston Group, we helped implement Five9’s AI-driven contact center platform to streamline customer support and introduce automation where it adds the most value. Johnston Group was able to reduce manual call handling, improve efficiency, and give their teams the tools to focus on more complex, high-value interactions, all while enhancing the overall customer experience.
Agent assist technology provides live coaching during customer interactions. The system analyzes conversations as they happen and displays relevant information, suggested responses, or next steps on the agent's screen.
For example, if a customer mentions a billing issue, the system might automatically pull up their payment history and suggest specific troubleshooting steps. This real-time support helps agents resolve issues faster and more consistently.
Predictive dialers automatically place outbound calls and connect answered calls to available agents. The system uses algorithms to determine optimal calling times and adjusts the pace based on agent availability and answer rates.
Workflow automation handles repetitive tasks like sending follow-up emails, updating customer records, or scheduling callbacks without manual intervention from agents.
Omnichannel capabilities connect voice, chat, email, and social media interactions into a unified customer journey. When a customer starts a conversation via chat and later calls, the agent sees the complete interaction history.
This context preservation means customers don't need to explain their situation multiple times when switching between communication channels.
Speech analytics technology monitors conversations in real-time to detect customer emotions and satisfaction levels. The system can identify frustrated customers and alert supervisors or suggest specific de-escalation techniques to agents.
These analytics also track conversation patterns to identify common issues or areas where additional agent training might be beneficial. To see this in action, check out our demo video, where we showcase a real example of how sentiment analysis works during a live customer call.
OBS Global uses a structured methodology to implement Five9 AI technology. This approach focuses on delivering measurable results quickly while maintaining system security and reliability.
The implementation starts with analyzing current contact center operations. OBS examines call volumes, common customer requests, and existing workflows to identify which processes would benefit most from AI automation.
This analysis creates a prioritized roadmap that addresses the most impactful use cases first.
The technical foundation includes security controls that meet enterprise compliance requirements. Five9's cloud infrastructure includes built-in encryption, access controls, and audit logging capabilities.
For organizations handling sensitive data, the architecture incorporates additional security measures like data masking, role-based permissions, and integration with existing identity management systems.
Virtual agents are configured to handle specific customer scenarios using natural language understanding. These agents connect with existing business systems to access customer data and perform actions like updating records or processing requests.
Custom workflows automate multi-step processes, such as routing escalated calls to specialized teams or triggering follow-up actions based on call outcomes.
New capabilities are tested with a limited group before full deployment. Performance metrics like response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction scores are tracked to identify areas for improvement.
This iterative approach allows for adjustments based on real-world usage patterns and feedback from both customers and agents.
Five9 AI implementation produces quantifiable improvements across several key performance indicators:
Cloud-based contact centers handle sensitive customer information and require robust security controls to meet regulatory requirements.
Learn more about our Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS).
Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards apply to organizations processing credit card transactions. These requirements include data encryption, secure network configurations, and regular security testing.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations govern healthcare information handling. Compliance involves access controls, audit logging, and data protection measures for patient records.
Five9 maintains certifications for both PCI and HIPAA compliance, with built-in controls that help organizations meet these regulatory requirements.
User authentication verifies agent and supervisor identities before granting system access. Multi-factor authentication adds an extra security layer by requiring additional verification beyond passwords.
Role-based permissions limit what each user can access and modify within the system. For example, agents might view customer records but not billing information, while supervisors have broader access for monitoring and reporting.
AI decision-making processes are tracked through detailed audit logs that record what actions were taken and why. This transparency supports compliance requirements and helps organizations understand how AI models are performing.
Performance monitoring tracks accuracy rates, response times, and other metrics to ensure AI capabilities continue meeting business requirements over time.
Five9 connects with existing business systems to provide agents with complete customer information and automate cross-system workflows.
Native integrations with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems like Salesforce allow agents to view customer records, interaction history, and account details within the same interface used for handling calls and chats.
Updates made during customer interactions automatically sync back to the CRM, maintaining consistent data across all business systems.
Integration with IT Service Management (ITSM) platforms enables automatic ticket creation when technical support calls are received. Case routing and status updates flow between systems to maintain accurate tracking.
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) provide flexible integration options for proprietary systems or specialized business applications. REST APIs enable data exchange, while event-driven APIs trigger actions in other systems based on contact center activities.
Moving from traditional phone systems to cloud-based platforms involves careful planning to maintain service continuity.
Current system evaluation identifies existing capabilities, integration points, and business requirements. This analysis reveals what functionality needs to be replicated in the new system and what improvements are possible.
Customer information, call routing rules, and phone numbers are migrated to the cloud platform. This process includes testing to ensure all data transfers correctly and phone services continue working without interruption.
Both old and new systems operate simultaneously during a transition period. This approach allows for comparison testing and provides a fallback option if issues arise during the migration.
Agents and supervisors learn new processes and interfaces through hands-on training sessions. Support materials and ongoing coaching help staff adapt to the new system capabilities.
OBS global specializes in Five9 implementations and AI-powered contact center transformations. The company's experience spans multiple industries and includes expertise in digital transformation, cybersecurity, and business process optimization.
OBS's methodology emphasizes practical results over theoretical benefits. Implementation projects focus on delivering measurable improvements in customer experience and operational efficiency while maintaining security and compliance standards.
OBS Global helps organizations deploy and manage Five9 as part of broader digital transformation programs. This includes aligning contact center technology with business goals and ensuring secure implementation.
Contact us for a consultation or immediate assistance with your Five9, contact center, or customer experience needs.
FAQs About Five9 AI Transformation
Most Five9 implementations are completed within 4-8 weeks using OBS's agile approach. Complex integrations or large-scale deployments may require additional time depending on specific requirements.
Five9's interface requires approximately 2-3 days of hands-on training for most agents to become proficient. OBS provides structured training programs that include system navigation, AI tool usage, and workflow procedures.
Five9 maintains SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, and HIPAA certifications with built-in encryption for data at rest and in transit. The platform includes role-based access controls and comprehensive audit logging for compliance reporting.
Five9's modular architecture allows organizations to start with voice services and progressively add chat, email, social media, and SMS capabilities as business needs evolve. Each channel integrates with existing voice infrastructure to maintain unified customer context.