Snap Chart
A Quick Recap
At contact centers, AI is moving fast from pilots to implementation. Those with a clear roadmap are ahead and already capturing returns on their investments.
Turning AI pilots into results
AI in contact centers has moved beyond experimentation. Nearly half of surveyed companies have fully deployed at least one use case, and 76% are meeting or exceeding their expected ROI, both in cost efficiencies and improvements in customer experience.
The ROI gap widens
But performance is diverging. Companies with a defined AI roadmap are deploying more than twice as many use cases as those without one. The payoff is even greater: Organizations with a clear implementation path are 3.3 times more likely to exceed ROI expectations, while those without a roadmap are 36% more likely to fall short.
Companies with a clearly defined AI roadmap, aligned operating model, and disciplined execution are turning pilots into sustained enterprise value.
Source: Bain Contact Center AI Survey, January 2026 (n=50)
Authors
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Adam Barrowclough
Associate Partner, Denver
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Jurre Nitert van Schijndel
Partner, Amsterdam
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Corrie Carrigan
Partner, Denver
Published in April 2026