AI adoption is now mainstream, but agent strain is continuing to rise, the UK contact centre benchmark report warns

Research has revealed that AI has now officially achieved mainstream status in UK contact centres, with adoption rates and investment at peak levels. However, rising agent workloads and employee turnover suggest that operational pressures may erode the benefits of AI unless organisations act quickly. 

The findings come from MaxContact’s 2025–26 UK Contact Centre KPI Benchmarking Insights Report, based on an annual survey of 300 UK contact centre leaders.

According to the report, 97% of UK contact centres are now using, piloting, or planning to implement AI, with only 1% not considering AI at all and 2% saying they tried it and felt it didn’t deliver any value. AI and automation have become both the top technology priority (55%) and the leading area of increased investment for 2026 (60%).

But despite the promises that AI would, and should, improve workplace efficiency, workloads are not yet seeing these benefits. Over half (52.6%) of survey respondents said agent workloads had increased, up from 42% last year (2024/25). The sector also continues to face high agent churn, with average turnover at 31.2%, a 1% increase from the year before.

This means teams are having to work harder than ever, despite performance data across inbound and outbound operations remaining largely static year-on-year. The research suggests that many contact centres have not yet realised AI’s full potential to relieve agent strain.

Key findings from the 2025–26 report

• 95% of respondents reported a positive impact of AI. 48% reported improved customer experience, 30% said AI had prompted a significant transformation in service delivery. A further 17% reported some efficiency gains, such as reduced average handle time or better forecasting.
• AI & automation are the top tech priority for 2025–26 (55%), ahead of cybersecurity (46%). It is also the number one area for increased investment in 2026 (60%), ahead of technology infrastructure (45%) and cybersecurity measures (43%). This is somewhat surprising considering the volume of high profile incidents that took place last year.
• Two-thirds (66%) of contact centres are actively using or piloting AI. A further (20%) are planning AI implementation by the end of 2026.
• Only 1% are not considering AI at all.
• Agent workloads have risen for over half of organisations (52.6%), up from 42% last year.
• Average agent turnover stands at 31.2%, representing ongoing staffing challenges.

There is enthusiasm for AI implementation, but operational pressures need to be resolved.

The benchmark report confirms that the contact centre sector is enthusiastic about AI’s potential, but performance plateaus and workforce strains suggest that any implementation needs to go much deeper.

Contact centres have welcomed AI tools such as chatbots (57%) and virtual agents (56%) as their preferred applications. But those tools offer surface-level support, so the next year will be critical to ensuring that agents are better supported to work more effectively.

Speaking of the findings, Ben Booth, CEO of MaxContact, said:

“AI has moved from an experiment to an expectation in just over twelve months. Nearly every contact centre we surveyed is now using AI or preparing to adopt it, and confidence in its impact has surged from 60% last year to 99% today.”

“But the other side of the story is also important to recognise. Agent workloads are rising, margins are tight, and customer expectations are increasing. AI hasn’t yet reduced that pressure, which shows that adoption alone isn’t enough. The next phase for contact centres is to strategically implement AI. It’s not just about adding new tools, but about fundamentally removing friction from work. When AI reduces the burden on agents, that’s when the contact centre sector will see huge gains.”

Download the full report.

Download the 2025–26 UK Contact Centre KPI Benchmarking Insights Report from https://www.maxcontact.com/downloads/uk-contact-centre-kpi-benchmarking-insights-report.

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Editors notes

MaxContact is the AI-powered customer engagement platform that transforms customer conversations into measurable business outcomes. Built around industry-leading intelligent dialling technology and smart automation, we help teams connect with the right customers at the right time, while AI-powered capabilities drive consistent performance improvements. Our platform delivers exceptional results - from 200-300% increases in contact rates to doubling sales teams conversion rates. Whether driving sales, improving retention, or optimising debt recovery, MaxContact empowers businesses to scale performance predictably. Trusted by growing companies handling millions of interactions annually and backed by 5-star UK-based support, MaxContact proves that smart technology amplifies human potential rather than replacing it.