Contact
Supported by

Trends in Contact Centres and Customer Support

View All Resources

Customer service operations are now forced to pivot to completely new ways of working. Advances in technology, rising customer expectations, and new-found employee empowerment are placing fresh and demanding challenges on the contact centre and customer service industry.

Contact centres and customer service organisations are embracing more highly complex technology to mitigate cost-pressures and deliver the excellent omnichannel experience that customer have come to expect.

In this report, brought to you by Brook Street, you will discover more about:

  • AI and automation in contact centres and customer service – is it a big helper or is it a big brother?
  • Customer attitudes towards data sharing and the need for strong data security
  • What customer support workers want and how to meet the rapid change
  • Planning and achieving the optimal customer support workforce

Download the report here to find out more or use the button below.

Download Here

Keep Up to Date

Receive updates on the latest research, events, news and activities from CCMA.
Subscribe

Join CCMA

Explore membership and discover the benefits.
Discover

More Resources

Additional content about the contact centre industry which might interest you
8 minute read
Is the AI Agent the Frontline of the Future?
Agentic AI promises contact centres where autonomous systems handle most customer tasks end‑to‑end, with humans stepping in only when needed. Leaders from multiple sectors recently met at the House of Lords and, while optimistic, agreed that this fully autonomous vision is still far from today’s reality.
Colleague Experience Operational Excellence
Read more
3 minute read
Nine Ways Contact Centres Are Currently Using AI
Based on discussions at recent CCMA events, roundtables and circles, here are some of the most commonly referenced AI use cases entering into operations today - and what they entail.
Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
5 minute read
Chatbots or Humans? What the Data Says About Customer Preferences
The CCMA's Beyond Demographics: Customer Contact Personas Shaping UK Service Expectations research highlights that context is key when it comes to the question 'chatbots or humans?'
Customer Experience Operational Excellence
Read more
3 minute read
Trade Union Changes Are Coming – How to Prepare Your Contact Centre
From 30 October 2026, two important changes to trade union law must be adhered to, as part of the continual integration of the UK's Employment Rights Act 2025.
Colleague Experience Operational Excellence
Read more
36 minute listen
Is Customer Service Getting Better or Worse?
Stephen Yap is joined by Zoom's Ben Neo to pick through the findings from the CCMA's latest Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer research.
Customer Experience Strategy and Leadership
Read more
44 minute listen
CareerTalk with Sandrea Morgan
With over two decades of experience across customer service, outsourcing and customer experience, Sandrea shares the journey that has shaped her career and leadership style.
Colleague Experience Operational Excellence
Read more
28 minute listen
Why Your Organisation Should Enter The ECCCSAs
We turn the spotlight onto one of the most important dates in the European customer contact calendar - the European Contact Centre and Customer Service Awards, better known as the ECCCSAs.
Colleague Experience Innovation
Read more
2 minute read
Infographic: Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer 2026
An infographic visualising the key findings from the Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer 2026 report.
Customer Experience
Read more
47 minute listen
CareerTalk with Graham Swanton
With a career spanning customer operations and service improvement in the social housing sector, Graham has progressed through a range of roles, building both frontline and strategic experience along the way.
Colleague Experience Customer Experience
Read more
36 minute listen
Will Governmental Change Mean Change to Employment Law?
Chris is joined by renowned employment law and HR expert Kate Palmer to discuss the latest updates from the Employment Rights Act 2025, and what to prepare for in the coming months.
Colleague Experience
Read more
5 minute read
Supporting Your Contact Centre Teams During Hot Weather
With summer temperatures continuing to rise, contact centre environments – whether office-based or at home – can quickly become uncomfortable and, at times, unsafe.
Colleague Experience
Read more
4 minute read
BPO Relationships Must Start with Questions, Not Solutions
Organisations are increasingly reframing the contact centre outsourcing process to ask - what can outsourcing deliver us?
Operational Excellence
Read more
5 minute read
How Do We Plug the Sentiment Gap?
While most UK consumers feel customer service has improved, vulnerable consumers increasingly feel they're being left behind.
Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
50 minute read
Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer 2026
This year’s Voice of the Contact Centre Consumer research provides a comprehensive analysis of consumer contact experiences, with a particular focus on vulnerability.
Customer Experience Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
47 minute listen
CareerTalk with Morris Pentel
With a career spanning telecoms, outsourcing and financial services, Morris has been at the heart of change, technology and innovation in our industry for many years.
Colleague Experience
Read more
4 minute read
Is the UK Outsourcing Market Shifting From Cost to Capability?
The 2026 edition of the UK Contact Centre Outsourcing Report reveals a changing landscape for buyers.
Innovation Operational Excellence
Read more
6 minute read
The UK is a Nation of Experience Sharers and Email Enthusiasts
This article provides an overview of the results from the CCMA’s new landmark study Beyond Demographics: Customer Contact Personas Shaping UK Service Expectations.
Customer Experience Operational Excellence
Read more
6 minute read
Technology Procurement – Where to Start?
This article is a practical overview that outlines how organisations can confidently navigate complex, evolving technology decisions.
Innovation
Read more
30 minute listen
Tackling Data Sovereignty Challenges
This podcast explore why data sovereignty has become an increasingly important area for discussion in recent years, and what contact centre leaders can do to ensure they are keeping their finger on the pulse.
Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
50 minute read
The UK Contact Centre Outsourcing Report 2026
This report is the CCMA’s essential annual guide for buyers of UK customer contact outsourcing services, produced with key insights from The Knowledge Group and written by a range of industry experts.
Colleague Experience Innovation Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
47 minute listen
CareerTalk with Imran Ahmed, Aura Global Solutions
Imran worked with major brands like AO, Telefonica, Capita, Tesco Mobile, O" and Virgin Media before taking the leap to build something of his own.
Operational Excellence
Read more
1 hour read
Beyond Demographics: Customer Contact Personas Shaping UK Service Expectations
This CCMA research initiative reveals the five Customer Contact Personas that make up the UK adult consumer population, each with its own distinctive preferences and perceptions.
Customer Experience
Read more
43 minute listen
CareerTalk with Harj Johal, The AA
Harj has 30 years working in contact centres and customer relations within the UK insurance industry, for major brands including Direct Line.
Operational Excellence
Read more
5 minute read
How Does the EU AI Act Impact Contact Centre Leaders?
This article dives into how the new EU Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act) impacts UK contact centres.
Innovation Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
30 minute listen
Creating a Culture of Health and Wellbeing in the Contact Centre
In this episode of Informer, Chris is joined by Dr Jillian Manner, Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and a member of the Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy to discuss these questions, and the answers in more detail.
Colleague Experience
Read more
44 minute listen
CareerTalk with Ryan Rubertazzi, VodafoneThree
Leigh speaks with Contact Centre Leader of the Year at the ⁠UK National Contact Centre Awards⁠ in 2021, ⁠Ryan Rubertazzi⁠.
Operational Excellence
Read more
30 minute read
Public Services: Connecting Fragmented Journeys
Key insights from the March 2026 Leadership Forum, where senior leaders from across public services to discuss customer journey management.
Strategy and Leadership
Read more
34 minute listen
CareerTalk with Paul Mazoyer, Heineken
In this episode Leigh speaks with ⁠Paul Mazoyer⁠, who reflects back on an incredible 22 years with global brewery giant, ⁠The HEINEKEN Company⁠.
Operational Excellence
Read more
40 minute read
Contact Centre: 2030
Contact Centre: 2030 is a comprehensive research initiative that paints a clear picture of what the not-so-distant future might look like in the contact centre industry.
Colleague Experience Customer Experience Innovation Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
43 minute listen
CareerTalk with Claire Carroll, Hargreaves Lansdown
Claire chats about her career leading contact centre operations for incredible brands such as Virgin Media, Homeserve, BT, Co-Op and JP Morgan.
Operational Excellence
Read more
60 minute watch
The Importance of Developing your People
In this online seminar, we explored how behaviour, mindset and meaningful development shape engaged teams, motivated colleagues and consistently strong outcomes.
Colleague Experience Operational Excellence
Read more
12 minute read
UK Contact Centre Salary Guide 2026
Explore the latest salary data for the UK contact centre sector, with information on job roles ranging from frontline colleague to head of customer experience, and with a full regional breakdown and comparison of average salaries.
Colleague Experience Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
46 minute listen
CareerTalk with David Rumble, Founder and Director
Industry ‘veteran’ David Rumble explains why the contact centre is an industry that can galvanise so many people in their careers.
Operational Excellence
Read more
30 minute listen
Supporting Colleagues and Team Members With ADHD
Tina is a certified ADHD trainer and life coach and speaks about a condition that affects around 5% of people in the UK, and for which she herself was diagnosed for five years ago.
Colleague Experience
Read more
4 minute read
Can we Predict the Operating Models of the Future?
The world of customer contact as we know it is transforming, and organisations are being told they must evolve at breakneck speed.
Operational Excellence Strategy and Leadership
Read more
30 minute read
Financial Services: Striking the Right Human and Digital Balance
How do you integrate AI and automation without losing the human connection that customers still need and value?
Customer Experience Innovation
Read more
3 minute read
The AI Journey – What a Key CCMA Data Source Tells Us
Tracking how UK contact centres are actually approaching their implementation of AI has been a key mandate for the CCMA for some time. It has also been the driving force behind our recent How To… events.
Innovation
Read more
6 minute listen
CareerTalk Special – National Contact Centre Day
We take a peek behind the curtain, by visiting WTW in Redhill on National Contact Centre Day for a special episode of CareerTalk.
Operational Excellence
Read more
5 minute read
Before the Bot: Why a Framework for AI Adoption is Crucial
Deploying AI in the contact centre is fundamentally a change management challenge that needs critical strategy planning.
Innovation
Read more
50 minute listen
CareerTalk with Danielle Henry, John Lewis Partnerships
Danielle Henry, Director of Customer Care and Contact at John Lewis Partnership, speaks about her career to date.
Strategy and Leadership
Read more
5 minute read
BPO Briefings: Keeping Up with the Pace of Change
At our latest BPO Briefing the mood was one of cautious pragmatism - an industry that knows the ground is shifting and is working hard to stay ahead.
Operational Excellence
Read more
30 minute read
The Hidden Cost of Over-Automation
Senior leaders gathered at the House of Lords to explore the impact of ‘over-automation’ within their contact centre operations.
Operational Excellence
Read more
50 minute listen
The Hidden World of Modern Contact Centre Fraud
In this episode of Informer we’re focusing on a topic that will resonate with almost everyone in some shape or form, and that impacts every organisation — from banks and fintechs to energy providers, retailers, and pretty much any business with a customer phoneline.
Innovation Operational Excellence
Read more
40 minute listen
CareerTalk with Vicki Mercer, CAF Bank
Vicki Mercer, Head of Customer Service at CAF Bank discusses experiences from a career in contact centres, and the importance of a 'Brag Book'.
Operational Excellence
Read more
43 minute listen
CareerTalk with Don Haddaway, Artisiam
Don Haddaway, a 35-year industry veteran turned independent CX consultant, chats with Leigh Hopwood, CEO at CCMA.
Operational Excellence
Read more
10 minute read
Contact Centre Predictions 2026: Ten Key Trends for a Pivotal 12 Months
The convergence of advanced AI, evolving customer expectations and a changing skills requirement is reshaping our sector.
Strategy and Leadership
Read more
60 minute watch
Watch: Contact Centre Predictions for 2026 and Beyond 
The convergence of advanced AI, evolving customer expectations and a changing skills requirement is reshaping our sector.
Operational Excellence
Read more
10 minute read
Looking Back: Contact Centre & Customer Services Summit Highlights
Last year’s event brought senior leaders together for two days of focused learning, strategic discussion and connection.
Customer Experience
Read more
46 minute listen
CareerTalk with Rachel Lewis, NatWest Group
In the final episode of season four of CareerTalk, Leigh Hopwood, CEO of the CCMA, spoke with NatWest Group’s Rachel Lewis.
Colleague Experience
Read more
60 minute read
Contact Centre Technology Report 2026
The Contact Centre Technology Report 2026 is a vital resource for understanding tech transformation in an AI-driven era.
Innovation Strategy and Leadership
Read more
For more than 30 years, the CCMA has been dedicated to supporting contact centre leaders. We push ourselves to do more for our thriving membership base, which is the largest community of industry professionals in the UK.

The CCMA was founded with the goal of sharing best practice and networking to improve skills and knowledge in order to progress contact centre operations - and we live by that to this day.

Quick Links

Resources

Contact Us

  • 0333 939 9964
  • info@ccma.org.uk
  • CCMA Ventures Limited
    5th Floor
    16 Great Queen Street
    Covent Garden
    London
    WC2B 5DG
  • CCMA LinkedIn
© 2026 Contact Centre Management Association. All rights reserved.
Reg No: 5799326
Privacy Policy Website Terms and Conditions

By completing this form you agree to the CCMA using your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We use your data to personalise and improve your experience on our digital platforms, send you relevant communications, provide products and services you request from us, and to carry out profiling and market research. You have the right to object, unsubscribe or be deleted from our database. Please contact info@ccma.org.uk.