The Pros & Cons of Real-Time Agent Assist in Contact Centers

Q: What is Real-Time Assist?

Real-Time Assist encompasses AI-powered technologies that provide immediate, automated support in various digital environments. Whether enhancing user experience on online gaming platforms or delivering crucial data in financial trading, Real-Time Assist technologies are essential where timely and intelligent assistance is crucial.

Is Real-Time Agent Assist Right for Your Contact Center?

Not all AI-powered tools in contact centers are created equal. Many organizations implement Real-Time Agent Assist expecting instant improvements in customer experience, compliance, and agent performance only to realize that real-time guidance alone isn’t enough.

Why does this happen?

Real-Time Agent Assist tools react to live conversations, providing scripted responses, compliance alerts, and workflow nudges.

But reactive assistance isn’t coaching.

AI can guide, but it cannot develop agents.
AI can suggest actions, but it cannot build decision-making skills.
AI can flag compliance risks, but it cannot drive real behavioral change.

Many call centers rely too heavily on AI-Led Agent Assist expecting it to replace human-led coaching and performance management. But while Real-Time Agent Assist plays a role in modern contact centers, true agent development comes from a system that integrates coaching, with QM, performance management, and AI-powered insights.

Effective coaching is key to training and growing your frontline reps. Even with the latest in AI, a contact center’s most valuable asset is its people.

While AI tools like Real-Time Agent Assist can elevate a good coaching program, it shouldn't replace it.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the pros, cons, and use-cases to consider when implementing Real-Time Agent Assist in your contact center, and also discuss how AI-Enabled Coaching makes a perfect compliment alongside or instead of Real-Time Agent Assist, depending on your unique contact center requirements.

Topics we're covering:

What is Real-Time Agent Assist
What is Real-Time Assist
Real-Time Agent Assist Use Cases
Pros of Real-Time Agent Assist
Cons of Real-TIme Agent Assist
Real-Time Agent Assist for Coaching
Real-Time Agent Assist vs AI-Enabled Coaching
Real-Time Agent Assist in Your Contact Center

Before diving into the pros and cons, lets cover the broader definition of Real-Time Agent Assist, and Real-Time Assist tools in general.

If you'd like to explore an AI-Enabled approach to boosting agent productivity check out our latest buyer's guide on the top Call Center Performance Management Software of 2025.

What is Real-Time Agent Assist?

Real-Time Agent Assist supports customer service agents in contact centers, offering live, AI-powered guidance to agents during customer interactions, such as on-screen prompts, suggested responses, and relevant information, aiming to improve response quality, decrease handle times, and boost overall customer satisfaction.

What is Real-Time Assist?

Real-Time Assist leverages AI to provide instant, automated support across a spectrum of digital platforms. From online gaming experiences, like poker sites, to intelligent systems that offer split-second data analytics for financial traders, Real-Time Assist is used in environments where immediate, intelligent support can be the difference between success and failure.

Comparison of Real-Time Assist and Real-Time Agent Assist

Use Case	Real-Time Assist (RTA)	Real-Time Agent Assist (RTAA)
Customer Query Resolution	Provides automated responses and scripted prompts for agents.	Guides agents with context-aware suggestions to enhance query resolution.
Compliance and Scripting	Provides standard compliance reminders and static scripts.	Offers real-time compliance alerts and adapts scripting based on conversation flow.
Sales and Cross-Selling	Suggests predefined product recommendations based on customer profile.	Adapts upsell and cross-sell opportunities dynamically based on real-time interaction cues.
Handling Complex Issues	Limited to basic knowledge base guidance.	Provides step-by-step resolution support and escalation suggestions in real time.
Agent Training and Onboarding	Offers static learning resources and knowledge base access.	Supports onboarding with interactive, real-time coaching prompts during live interactions.

📌 Real-Time Agent Assist is the more advanced contact center focused option.

Real-Time Agent Assist Use Cases

Real-Time Agent Assist has many great use cases for contact centers.

Below, we explore how RTAA fits into contact centers and where it may fall short.

Use Case	How Real-Time Agent Assist Helps	Limitations of RTAA
Instant Knowledge Retrieval	Provides quick access to knowledge base articles and scripts during live customer interactions.	Does not replace structured training or ensure knowledge retention.
Live Compliance Alerts	Detects potential compliance risks and alerts agents in real time to adjust their responses.	Cannot reinforce compliance adherence beyond the interaction.
Script Adherence Support	Offers real-time prompts to ensure agents follow predefined scripts in regulated industries.	Does not improve agent adaptability or critical thinking skills.
Soft Skills & Tone Correction	Monitors sentiment and suggests tone adjustments to de-escalate frustrated customers.	Does not replace soft skills coaching or behavioral development.
Upsell & Cross-Sell Nudges	Identifies real-time opportunities for relevant upsells based on customer history.	Does not track or optimize long-term sales effectiveness.
On-the-Fly Troubleshooting	Provides step-by-step resolution guides for technical or service-related issues.	Limited to pre-programmed workflows and lacks agent skill development.
Live Call Summarization	Auto-generates conversation summaries for faster documentation after the call ends.	Does not replace post-call coaching or performance reviews.
Translation & Language Support	Detects language barriers and provides real-time translation suggestions.	Does not improve agent fluency or cultural awareness.
Dynamic Call Routing Assistance	Helps agents determine if a call needs escalation or can be resolved independently.	Lacks historical performance insights to refine escalation decisions over time.

Real-Time Agent Assist Pros

Real-Time Agent Assist brings several key benefits to the table for contact centers.

When leveraged in combination with other contact center coaching programs, it can significantly increase overall call center productivity, by enabling agents to deliver on-brand customer experiences.

Top Pros of Real-Time Agent Assist

Immediate Support

Real-Time Agent Assist offers contact center agents real-time support during customer interactions, using conversational intelligence to supply agents with the information or actions needed.

Onboarding Assistance

In industries with strict regulations, like financial services and healthcare, Real-Time Agent Assist acts as a safety net, providing agents with reminders to ensure adherence to rules, minimizing the risk of penalties protecting your company's integrity.

Better Compliance

Real-Time Agent Assist speeds up the learning process with instant feedback and directions. This hands-on learning helps new agents quickly become proficient, allowing trainers to allocate more time to those who need it most.

‍‍Enhanced Call Handling

With immediate assistance from Real-Time Agent Assist at their fingertips, agents can handle some calls faster, potentially increasing the volume of calls managed overall.

Reduces Cognitive Load

Real-Time Agent Assist helps lighten the mental load for agents by providing real-time guidance, eliminating the need to remember complex scripts, compliance regulations, or troubleshooting workflows. This allows agents to focus more on engaging with customers, problem-solving, and delivering a better experience.

Real-Time Agent Assist Cons

Real-Time Agent Assist has some incredible benefits, however, it can be easy to focus on its strengths without also considering the limitations of Real-Time Agent Assist in your contact center.

Top Cons of Real-Time Agent Assist

Limited Scope

While Real-Time Agent Assist is great for handling routine tasks, it struggles with more complex customer issues. Real-Time Agent Assist is designed for a specific set of tasks. If it's presented with something outside of those tasks, it may not be able to guide the agent to handle the situation appropriately.

Lacking Human Touch

Real-time agent assist cannot replicate the human touch. While the world of AI is improving rapidly, according to a 2024 study by Bachkirov and Kemp, these "AI Coaches" a.k.a. Real-Time Agent Assist will never be able to replace the human coach. Expecting Real-Time Agent Assist to replace your human coaches will not yield favorable results for your team.

Over-Reliant Agents

Real-Time Agent Assist may unintentionally limit an agent's learning and development. If agents become overly reliant on immediate answers, they might not develop the necessary problem-solving skills to handle complex situations independently, leading to a potential stagnation in their skills growth.

Data Privacy Concerns

As Real-Time Agent Assist processes customer interactions, there can be data privacy concerns if not handled correctly. While it might not be against any data regulations its important to consider this carefully.

Integration Challenges

Though designed to be user-friendly, Real-Time Agent Assist can only integrate so deep into your contact center analytics. AI is only as good as the data and integrations it has to work with.

Technical Issues

Since Real-Time Agent Assist operates in live customer interactions, any unexpected technical issues can have immediate and detrimental effects. Whether it fails to provide the right prompts to agents, lags in real-time or leads to device screen flicker during customer interactions, or completely stops working in the middle of a service call, technical glitches will affect service quality and decrease customer satisfaction.

Real-Time Agent Assist Pros and Cons Compared

Top Pros of Real-Time Agent Assist	Top Cons of Real-Time Agent Assist
Immediate Support: Provides real-time assistance, helping agents navigate customer interactions more efficiently.	Limited Scope: Works best for routine queries but struggles with complex customer issues.
Onboarding Assistance: Speeds up agent training with real-time learning prompts.	Lacking Human Touch: AI cannot replace human coaching for empathy and complex decision-making.
Better Compliance: Helps ensure agents adhere to regulatory and procedural guidelines.	Over-Reliant Agents: Agents may become too dependent on prompts, weakening critical thinking skills.
Enhanced Call Handling:: Helps agents handle calls faster, improving efficiency.	Data Privacy Concerns: Requires proper security measures to ensure compliance with data regulations.
Reduces Cognitive Load: Real-Time Agent Assist helps lighten the mental load for agents by providing real-time guidance	Technical Issues: System glitches or slow response times can negatively impact the agent experience.

Real-Time Agent Assist for Coaching

Many vendors market Real-Time Agent Assist as an "AI Coach" or an 'AI-Enabled Coach', or part of a 'Call Center Coaching Software', but in reality, it’s neither of these.

While Real-Time Agent Assist (RTAA) is useful for conversational intelligence and real-time prompts, it does not develop agents, enhance long-term performance, or replace human-led coaching.

Points to consider:

Coaching is about skill-building, critical thinking, and long-term agent development. RTAA is about instant responses.
RTAA is a compliance and efficiency tool not a performance management solution.
Contact centers that implement RTAA expect it to reduce turnover, boost CSAT, and improve agent productivity but experience the opposite.

The most recent 2024 study by Bachkirova and Kemp reinforced this, stating:

"Our conclusion is that AI ‘coaching’ does not meet these criteria. However, in considering various genres of organizational coaching along simple model-based types, we identify a number of elements in human coaching that could be augmented to various degrees by the use of AI."

📌 AI can enhance coaching, but it cannot replace it.

Real-Time Agent Assist vs AI-Enabled Coaching

Many contact centers implemented Real-Time Agent Assist for the instant prompts and compliance training it can offer agents during live calls, and that is all they needed it for.

However, some contact centers adopted Real-Time Agent Assist purely believing it was that next logical step in agent performance boost expecting it to replace structured agent coaching and agent development while removing the human element from coaching altogether.

The latter group are the ones who have been disappointed in the results they achieve.

real-time agent assist vs ai-enabled coaching — Real-Time Agent Assist though marketed as AI Coaching, or Call Center Coaching Software it's neither.

Real-Time Agent Assist: is a tool for in-the-moment assistance. It helps with prompting answers, scripting compliance, and providing real-time nudges, but it doesn’t create skilled, autonomous, high-performing agents.‍

‍AI-Enabled Coaching: takes a different approach. Instead of reacting to problems, it develops agent skills, decision-making, and long-term performance behaviors through data-driven coaching actions. (and can integrate with Real-Time Agent Assist)

Both AI solutions have their place: But organizations that rely solely on Real-Time Agent Assist as their agent development strategy will be disappointed with the results.

RTAA is like relying on ChatGPT for all your work: it’s helpful in the moment but doesn’t build skills.‍

AI-Enabled Coaching is like an intelligent mentor: guiding agents with data-backed coaching to improve performance long-term.

Below is a full side by side of Real-Time Agent Assist vs. AI-Enabled Coaching.

Real Time Agent Assist Compared to AI-enabled Coaching

Key Factor	Real-Time Agent Assist (RTAA)	AI-Enabled Coaching
Scope of Ability	Struggles with non-routine, complex customer issues.	Uses top performer data to provide broad, adaptable coaching strategies that prepare agents for a variety of customer challenges.
Human Touch	Cannot replicate empathy or fully grasp customer emotions.	Leverages human insights, speech analytics, and behavioral data** to foster empathy-driven coaching and agent development.
Agent Development	May lead to agents depending too heavily on automation instead of developing problem-solving skills.	Encourages continuous learning, personalized feedback, and human-led coaching, ensuring agents build critical thinking skills.
Data Privacy	May raise concerns over sensitive customer data storage and processing.	Built with privacy-first architecture, ensuring secure, compliant** coaching insights.
Data Integration	Can be difficult to integrate into complex contact center workflows.	Designed for seamless ecosystem integration, improving coaching without disrupting operations.
Technical Issues	Vulnerable to glitches, lag, or system failures, affecting service quality.	Provides stable, scalable coaching intelligence that minimizes downtime and supports long-term agent development.

Should You Implement Real-Time Agent Assist in Your Contact Center?

Real-Time Agent Assist has its place in contact centers, it provides instant support, compliance reminders, and conversation prompts during live calls. If all you need is a tool to provide real-time nudges to agents, RTAA may serve that purpose.

However, if you're looking to engage and retain agents, boost call center productivity, improve CSAT, enhance CX, or drive long-term performance improvement, Real-Time Agent Assist will fall short.

Bachkirova and Kemp warned about this misconception:

Our analysis highlights implications for various stakeholders of coaching, which includes coaches themselves, educators, buyers of coaching, professional bodies, AI developers and funding bodies, in particular. We hope they all will be less seduced by the ‘beautiful idea’ of AI Coaching and related promises and not mislead those who are in need of real coaching.

The decision to implement Real-Time Agent Assist should be based on your specific goals:

‍Need short-term compliance guidance? RTAA can help.
Need sustained performance improvement? AI-Enabled Coaching is the better investment.

If you’re evaluating Real-Time Agent Assist vs. AI-Enabled Coaching, we can walk you through a direct, side-by-side comparison based on your contact center’s unique needs.

‍Schedule a comparison.