AI at the Core: Zendesk’s Bold Vision for the Future of Contact Centers

Tom Eggemeier and Jonathan Barouch unpack the AI-first contact center revolution—and why the real disruption is only just beginning.

🎙️ Introduction:
Contact centers have seen disruption before—but nothing like this. In this forward-looking conversation, Rob Scott speaks with Tom Eggemeier, CEO at Zendesk, and Jonathan Barouch, VP & GM of Zendesk for Contact Center, to explore how AI is transforming CX from the ground up. If you think the move from on-prem to cloud was big, Tom argues, "AI is 100 times bigger." This episode dives deep into why that is—and what it means for the future of customer engagement, enterprise operations, and the role of the human agent.

📌 Key discussion points include:

From Prem to Proactive: Why the AI shift makes the cloud migration look small—and what “AI-first” truly means for customer service.

The End of Fragmentation: How Zendesk’s unified resolution platform simplifies tech stacks, integrates AI at the core, and enables smarter agent assistance.

Rethinking Metrics & Models: The shift from handle time to resolution, and how AI is changing everything from pricing to KPIs.

The Human Role in an AI World: Why agents aren’t going away—but will need to evolve with the complexity of customer interactions.

Whether you're a CX leader, a digital transformation strategist, or simply navigating the future of contact centers, this conversation is packed with insight, honesty, and a clear call to action.

✅ Next Steps:
Interested in reimagining your contact center around outcomes, not just channels? Explore Zendesk’s AI-first platform and start testing today. Learn more at Zendesk.com or reach out for a consultation.