Preparing the energy industry for the future
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant idea for contact centers in the energy sector, it’s here, reshaping customer interactions every day. Automation promises faster responses, sharper insights, and lower costs. But alongside these opportunities comes a simple truth: the human agent is still indispensable.
As AI takes over the routine tasks, the expectations on people don’t go away, they grow. Agents are now asked to handle the complicated conversations, resolve sensitive issues, and build the kind of trust that no machine can provide. And in the energy sector, where reliability and credibility are non-negotiable, preparing people for this new landscape is nothing less than a strategic necessity.
As a good friend of mine once said, AI doesn’t have a heart. Think of Data from Star Trek, a machine that can compute endlessly but still wrestles with the mystery of human emotion. AI can’t pick up on the subtle, unspoken feelings behind a customer’s words, nor can it find just the right phrase that makes someone feel heard and reassured. And it certainly can’t inspire agents with the deeper “why” behind the need to adapt and change. Those human qualities remain out of reach for even the most advanced systems.
And yet, there’s a misconception that keeps tripping organizations up. Many assume they “need AI” as the answer to every service challenge. The reality is that what they often need first is something much more basic but far more powerful: accurate, automated call evaluation. Without that foundation of reliable measurement, AI doesn’t solve problems, it just magnifies them.
That’s not to say AI has no role. Far from it. When combined with structured, validated evaluation, AI can provide incredibly rich insights, spotting trends and patterns at scale that humans would struggle to see. But the validation matters. Without it, the data risks leading organizations astray. With it, the insights become not only interesting, but invaluable
The new skills agents will need
In the AI-enabled contact center, the role of the agent is changing. No longer just transactional problem-solvers, they’re becoming something much more important: customer trust managers. That shift requires an expanded skillset, and perhaps even a new aptitude that organizations will need to start looking for when recruiting.
If you think about it, this isn’t the first time an industry has faced such a transformation. Take banking, for example. About fifty years ago, the ATM arrived and seemed to threaten the very role of the teller. Customers who were used to personal service suddenly had to deal with a machine. The shock must have been real. But what actually happened was that tellers were freed up to do more, solving more complex problems and creating deeper relationships. That’s when the idea of the personal banker emerged.
The same kind of evolution is happening now in the energy contact center. Agents will need to be digitally fluent, working side by side with AI tools, knowing not just how to use them, but when to question them or even override them. They’ll need sharper critical thinking to step in when the technology doesn’t get it right. And, perhaps most importantly, they’ll need emotional intelligence, the ability to listen, to empathize, and to reassure customers in moments of stress.
Picture this: a customer experiences a sudden energy outage at the worst possible time and makes a desperate call for help, only to be misdirected by an automated system. Yes, AI can log the fault and even provide an estimated resolution time. But it can’t calm the customer’s anxiety or defuse their anger and frustration. That responsibility still falls to the agent. Their ability to balance the efficiency of technology with the empathy of human judgment will define the quality of that experience.
And here’s the catch: these demands aren’t static. AI will keep evolving, and so must the agents. That’s why learning agility, the ability to keep adapting, to accept change, and to embrace new tools as genuine partners in service, may be the single most important competency for the future. Agents who can grow alongside the technology won’t just survive this shift, they’ll thrive in it
Why evaluation matters before AI
Here lies a key point: before AI can be fully leveraged, organizations must have confidence in how conversations are being measured. Too often, energy providers seek to deploy AI to “fix” customer experience without first ensuring that the fundamentals, such as accurate call evaluation is in place.
Automatic call evaluation provides that foundation. By consistently capturing the substance and quality of customer interactions, it creates structured data that can be trusted. Without this structure, AI has no reliable base to analyze. It is the difference between building a skyscraper on solid ground or on shifting sand: one supports growth, the other magnifies instability.
The risk of misaligned automation
While reskilling agents is essential, equal attention must be given to the systems used to evaluate their performance. Automation can be powerful, but it is not inherently accurate. If automated call forms are misaligned, measuring the wrong attributes or ignoring the behaviors that truly matter, organizations risk distorting performance data, undermining coaching, and disengaging employees.
Without validated evaluation in place, AI ends up making fast, large-scale judgments based on flawed inputs. The result is not clarity, but confusion at scale.
How BPA ensures accuracy and relevance
This is where BPA’s Psychometric team plays a vital role. Drawing on scientific rigor, the team ensures that automated evaluation forms are not only efficient but valid and outcome-driven. Every measure is tested to confirm it directly links to meaningful business results, customer satisfaction, first-contact resolution, and long-term loyalty.
Through psychometrics, BPA reduces bias, improves fairness, and aligns automation with real-world outcomes. In doing so, BPA transforms automatic call evaluation into a strategic asset and ensures that when organizations are ready to introduce AI, it has a solid, reliable foundation to build on.
The human side of change
Even with accurate evaluation and new skills identified, the transition to an AI-enabled environment is not straightforward. Change brings uncertainty. Agents and customers may feel threatened by automation, fearing the unknown rather than empowerment. Left unaddressed, this anxiety can hinder adoption and undermine transformation.
Psychometrics offers a way forward here too. By assessing readiness, profiling strengths, and tailoring learning pathways, organizations can guide agents through change in a way that feels personal and constructive. Instead of generic training programs, psychometric insights allow for development that matches both individual needs and organizational goals. This approach builds resilience, reduces resistance, and fosters an environment where AI is embraced rather than feared.
A path forward for the energy sector
For energy providers, the contact center is not just a service function, it is the frontline of customer trust. As AI becomes deeply embedded, success will depend on three interconnected factors: reskilling agents with new skills, ensuring accuracy in automation, and managing change with humanity and strategy.
And woven through all of these is the need to distinguish between wanting AI and needing accurate evaluation. Organizations that skip the foundational step of automated call evaluation risk undermining every AI investment they make.
Conclusion
The future of energy contact centers will be defined not by how much AI they deploy, but by how well they align people, processes, and technology. Agents must be reskilled, automation must be validated, and change must be managed with insight and care.
BPA provides the bridge between technology and people. With its Psychometric team ensuring accuracy in evaluation and guiding organizations through the human side of transformation, BPA enables contact centers to unlock the full potential of AI while preserving the trust and humanity that customers expect.
It is also worth confronting the misconception head-on: many organizations believe they “need AI” when, in fact, what they truly need first is automatic call evaluation. The difference is fundamental. AI encompasses vast technologies that can transform engagement, but if interactions are not yet being measured accurately and consistently, AI will simply accelerate inaccuracies. Automatic call evaluation, validated through psychometric science, creates the reliable foundation on which AI can deliver genuine value.
For energy providers, the path forward is clear: AI is the future, but accuracy, structure, and human insight are the prerequisites. BPA helps organizations distinguish between what they think they need and what will actually deliver results, ensuring that every step in the AI journey is grounded, measurable, and transformative.
