From Reactive to Predictive – How Do We Anticipate Customer Needs Without Overstepping?
Customer expectations continue to evolve, with organisations increasingly looking beyond resolving issues to anticipating customer needs before they arise. Advances in AI, data analytics and customer journey insights are making predictive service a reality, enabling contact centres to proactively personalise experiences and prevent unnecessary contact. However, delivering this successfully requires organisations to balance innovation with trust, ensuring they add value without crossing the line into being intrusive.
As contact centres become more predictive, the role of the organisation is evolving too. New technologies are changing the skills required across the business, creating opportunities for teams to move beyond transactional interactions towards higher value customer engagement. Leaders must consider how people, processes and technology work together to support this shift, whilst maintaining transparency and customer confidence.
This webinar will explore how organisations are using AI and customer insights to deliver more proactive service, what organisational changes are needed to support this evolution, and where the ethical boundaries lie. We’ll discuss how predictive models are reshaping customer journeys, influencing workforce planning and creating new roles and capabilities within the contact centre.
Join us to hear the experiences of industry leaders and gain:
- An understanding of how AI, customer data and journey insights are enabling more proactive and predictive customer service.
- Practical examples of how organisations are preventing customer issues before they occur whilst maintaining trust and transparency.
- Insight into how predictive service is changing organisational structures and the skills needed for future success.
- Guidance on balancing personalisation with privacy, ensuring proactive engagement enhances rather than diminishes the customer experience.
- Ideas for creating a contact centre that not only responds to customer needs – but anticipates them in ways that deliver meaningful value.
When is it?
Date: Tue 15 Sep 2026
Time: 12:00 – 13:00 (BST)
Location: Zoom
Who is it for?
People responsible for customer contact in their business or looking to learn more about what is possible in our industry.
How much is it?
Free to attend.
About the Speaker
Steve Reid, Country Remote Customer Meeting Point Manager, IKEA UK & IE
Steve brings extensive leadership experience in contact centre and retail operations. In his current position, he leads contact centre operations across both countries and all remote interactions and communication channels with IKEA’s Customers, including Resolution, Sales, Virtual Planning, Interior Design and Business accounts. Prior to this, Steve held leadership roles across store management, regional HR, logistics and distribution, building on a BA (Hons) degree in Business. With a passion for retail and customer service which started at 16, Steve has dedicated his career to creating exceptional customer experiences.
James Adamczuk, Global CX Sales Strategy Lead, Zoom
James has actively contributed to the customer experience (CX) industry through various speaking engagements and collaborations. In November 2024, he presented “AI Driving a Step Change in CX: Zoom’s Leadership in Innovation” at the Call & Contact Centre Expo, highlighting Zoom’s advancements in AI to enhance customer journeys.