When we talk about the state of customer experience today, the spotlight often shines on shiny new digital tools and agentic AI. The promise is appealing: more automation, more self-service, fewer calls. 

But here’s the question I keep coming back to: are we actually reducing the number of calls by fixing the underlying problems, or are we just creating more ways for customers to chase solutions when something breaks? 

Two Paths to Fewer Calls

At its core, there are two ways to prevent calls to a contact center: 

Eliminate the defect or root cause of the issue that forces the customer to seek help in the first place. 

Build self-service or digital tools that let the customer resolve issues without calling. 

The first path is harder but far more rewarding. Preventing defects delivers a better experience and builds trust, because customers don’t need to seek help at all. The second path can also improve experience if it reduces effort and solves problems effectively. But it’s only a true improvement if it works. 

Unfortunately, there’s also a third option we’ve all seen: simply hide the call center phone number. That’s not a strategy, it’s avoidance. 

The Appeal of Digital Solutions

In the past five years, agentic AI and advanced digital channels have captured headlines. Many predict they’ll rival or even replace the call center. 

But I’ve been around long enough to remember that twenty years ago, experts said websites and apps would soon make call centers obsolete. Fast forward to today: call centers remain central to customer support. Why? Because defects and complex issues persist, and when they do, customers must still turn to people for resolution. 

A Zero-Sum Game?

Technology cuts both ways. It can enable elegant self-service, but it can also create new reasons for customers to call. 

Think about the countless data breaches where sensitive information gets exposed online. That very technology meant to streamline experiences ends up creating a whole new set of problems customers must resolve by phone. 

So, we have to ask: has the focus on building more channels distracted companies from fixing the root causes that drive calls in the first place? Or has the complexity of modern products and services simply created more points of failure? 

The Real Priority

Reducing calls by fixing defects is not just an operational win, it’s the foundation of a better customer experience. Digital tools and AI matter, but they shouldn’t overshadow the basics: reliable products, thoughtful processes, and deliberate design that prevent the need for a call at all. 

Because at the end of the day, the ultimate measure of success isn’t how many customers you deflect into self-service. It’s how few of them needed help in the first place. 

Wrapping Up This Series

This piece concludes my five-part series exploring the evolving role of the contact center in customer experience. From voice as a trust channel, to perception, persistence, consistency, and now defect reduction, each post looked at a different dimension of what truly shapes outcomes. 

While this series has come to an end, the conversation is far from over. Customer expectations keep rising, and the intersection of digital tools, AI, and human service will continue to evolve. I look forward to sharing more reflections on what’s changing, and what should never change, in the world of customer experience.