Telecommunications operators are under pressure. Billing disputes, service interruptions and failed credit vetting drive thousands of frustrated customers into call queues every day. Legacy platforms are buckling under the strain, costs keep rising and customer loyalty is at risk. Every missed interaction is more than an inconvenience – it’s a potential loss of revenue and trust.

For too long, the contact centre has been treated as a cost centre. In 2025, that model no longer holds. To stay competitive, the contact centre must become a growth driver, a digital hub and the foundation of customer experience.

From cost centre to growth engine

The shift is already under way. Around the world, telecoms operators are rethinking contact centres and embracing digital transformation. Artificial intelligence is being deployed to handle repetitive queries, guide agents in real time and reduce the friction that drives up call volumes. Omnichannel engagement has become non-negotiable, with customers expecting to switch between channels – voice, WhatsApp, SMS, chat and e-mail – without repeating themselves.

The results are clear: smarter service reduces churn, lowers costs and builds loyalty. Customers get faster answers. Agents focus on higher value interactions. Executives see healthier margins and improved customer satisfaction. This is not about cutting costs alone, it is about turning the contact centre into a genuine growth engine.

The CRM Team is ready to help you win the CX battle

For African operators, the challenge – and opportunity – is even greater. Customers expect to engage on WhatsApp as readily as they do on voice. They want proactive notifications and self-service journeys that mirror their digital lifestyles. Falling short risks losing ground to more agile competitors. In a market where loyalty is fragile and switching is easy, the ability to deliver differentiated service is now a competitive advantage.

The technology is ready

Microsoft has delivered the platform to make this transformation possible. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center is a cloud-native solution designed from the ground up for the modern era. It unifies voice, chat, SMS, e-mail, social and Microsoft Teams into a single agent desktop, breaking down silos and eliminating the inefficiencies of legacy stacks.

At its core, the platform is powered by Azure Communication Services (ACS), Microsoft’s enterprise-grade communications backbone. This ensures enterprise reliability, scale and security for voice and digital interactions. Where operators need to extend into additional channels, such as WhatsApp or regional SMS, services like Twilio can be integrated – expanding reach while keeping the core intact.

Built as a Copilot-first platform, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center brings AI into the heart of the agent experience. Copilot assists with live transcription, suggested responses, case summarisation and real-time sentiment insights. For customers, this means a faster, more accurate service. For agents, it means less time searching for answers and more time resolving complex issues. For leaders, it means measurable improvements in efficiency and satisfaction.

Microsoft has also continued to invest in innovation. Recent enhancements include diagnostics and telemetry tools that track every step of the customer journey. Supervisors can see how calls are routed, where delays occur and how agents perform. Armed with these insights, they can optimise operations, coach staff more effectively and deliver a consistently better customer experience.

This isn’t about experimenting with AI or digital channels. The tools are proven, enterprise-ready and already deployed globally. The question is no longer whether they work – it is how quickly telecoms operators can put them to work in their own organisations?

Why the right partner makes the difference

The difference between telecoms operators that lead and those that lag isn’t technology, it’s execution. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center provides the foundation. But the real question is: who will configure AI to align with your billing processes? Who will integrate omnichannel into your ecosystem without disruption? Who will guide delivery in the African market, where complexity is the norm?

That’s the value The CRM Team brings. We don’t just implement software; we futureproof customer experience. By aligning Microsoft’s AI and omnichannel capabilities with telco realities, we help operators cut call volumes, accelerate digital adoption and unlock new revenue streams. With The CRM Team, transformation doesn’t just start – succeeds.

Our experience spans industries where customer experience makes or breaks business outcomes – from telecoms to retail to healthcare to financial services. We understand the pressure of high-volume environments, the challenge of integrating legacy systems and the need to deliver visible return on investment quickly. This is why organisations trust us to lead their transformation journeys.

The time to act is now

Contact centres stand at a crossroads. They can remain overwhelmed, reactive and costly. Or they can become engines of customer trust and growth. The gap between these two futures is not defined by technology – it is defined by leadership.

2025 is the tipping point. The technology is ready. The opportunity is real. The only question is whether you act or let your competitors act first.