Amazon Web Services (AWS) is strengthening the presence of its AI-powered contact center platform Amazon Connect as the business process outsourcing industry seeks tools to improve efficiency and transform customer experience. Unlike traditional contact center solutions that require months of implementation and expensive hardware, Amazon connectivity offers a fundamentally different approach.
Pasquale Demaio, vice president of Amazon Connect, said the platform enables companies to expand their ability to operate, oversee expenses and improve service delivery without losing the quality that makes the Philippines the preferred hub for customer support.
Mr. Demaio told BusinessWorld. “It’s built from scratch and can be brought together in one system. This allows businesses to move quickly and improve the experience with AI.”
Cloud Power Service
Amazon Connect is a cloud-on-premises service that allows companies to set up contact centers in minutes, and some customers start production in less than 24 hours. The company only uses the fees used, avoiding upfront costs and long-term contracts – saving up to 80% compared to traditional contact center solutions. AWS says the platform runs on its infrastructure that can deliver availability and security at scale, processing millions of interactions per day with the same technology as Amazon’s own global customer service operational momentum.
The first version of Amazon Connect focused primarily on voice calls, but changing customer expectations prompted the company to expand its capabilities. Over time, Amazon has added AI-powered tools to multiple channels. These include automated call routing, real-time assistance to agents, and predictive insights designed to help businesses predict customer demand – while maintaining industry-leading security and compliance certification is critical to BPO operations in the Philippines.
Break down customer challenges
Mr Demaio said companies often struggle to understand customers due to disconnected systems and dispersed data. Many businesses face difficulties in unifying information across platforms such as chat, voice and databases, which makes it difficult to provide a smooth customer experience.
Amazon Connect is trying to address these challenges with more than 100 pre-built connectors that can get data from different parts of the organization, he explained. Custom integration is also possible, allowing companies to flexibly make their systems and analytics.
For example, Globe Telecom is one of the largest mobile network operators in the country, transforming thousands of agents from their traditional systems to Amazon Connect, improving scalability and enhancing customer self-service through process automation and AI-powered chatbots.
Mr. Demaio stressed that Amazon Connect is not intended to replace human agents. Instead, automating routine tasks such as password reset and balance checking, while more complex or emotional conversations are still more suitable for people.
To reduce repetitive work, the system automatically generates notes and codes after a call, thus reducing employee paperwork. In the pilot test, Amazon Connect used its AI tools to measure the agent’s heart rate and found that they were calmer and more effective in customer interactions.
He explained that the long-term goal of the system is to make the agent “superman” by providing them with technology that enables them to focus on empathy and problem solving. This allows BPO providers to provide high-value services and create more meaningful career paths for agents.
For companies that weigh automation with human engagement, Mr. Demaio recommends looking at where human interaction generates value.
“Every business should ask where human interaction shapes how customers view brands,” he said. “When automation and agency make each other better, value comes.”
Reinvent customer service
In the past, companies measured customer satisfaction through surveys or callbacks, but these methods often failed to capture the full experience. This approach provides incomplete information and does not always reflect the customer’s true feelings.
With AI tools, businesses can now provide real-time feedback to agents, monitoring whether concerns require further action and even anticipate customer behavior. For example, a company can identify whether a customer is not sufficient to take advantage of the product, show signs of dissatisfaction or at risk of switching a provider. This approach allows businesses to re-engage customers before the problem escalates, directly addressing the problem or rewarding loyalty.
He added: “Now that we can bring AI to monitor every conversation, we can actually see if the customer is satisfied and if their problem is solved.”
gentlemen. Demaio also cited the Philippines as an increasingly part of Amazon’s strategy to connect to the global network. The country’s service-oriented culture and long-term reputation for customer service make it an important location for innovation in the contact center.
The expansion of Amazon Connect is built on the country’s establishment in the outsourcing industry, where millions of workers are engaged in customer support roles.
Mr. Demaio explained: “We have always seen the Philippines as a place where people care very much about service, customer experience and interaction with customers. At Amazon, we want to be the most customer-centric company in the world. We believe that Alignment provides us with a strong opportunity to work with businesses in the Philippines to deliver great businesses.”
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