AI Customer Experience Boost
TELUS Digital and Cresta Partner to Deliver AI Agents and Elevate Customer Experience
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TELUS Digital and Cresta have teamed up to bring AI-powered customer service to global brands, with TELUS Digital named a preferred implementation partner for Cresta's AI platform. The deal covers everything from voice and chat AI agents to real-time coaching for human agents, targeting a customer experience market worth an estimated $400 billion, according to IDC.
The partnership aims to replace traditional, headcount-driven contact centers with what the companies call a continuous feedback loop — where AI learns from every conversation to get smarter over time. TELUS Digital currently manages over 100 enterprise-scale Cresta deployments globally, Financial Post reported.
How the AI Platform Actually Works for Brands
Cresta's platform runs on two tracks at once. First, it deploys fully automated AI agents that handle voice and chat inquiries without a human. Second, it feeds real-time prompts to human agents mid-conversation — suggesting answers, next steps, and tone adjustments on the fly. Cresta calls this "real-time human augmentation."
The results are measurable. Enterprises using Cresta's AI agents cut Average Handle Time — the length of a customer service call — by 20% to 25%, according to Daily Herald Tribune. Sales-focused contact centers using the real-time prompting tool saw conversion rates climb by 15%.
TELUS Digital's Shift From Headcount to AI Revenue
TELUS Digital rebranded from TELUS International in June 2024, signaling a hard pivot away from labor-heavy BPO work. The Cresta deal is a direct result of that shift. TELUS Digital President Jason Macdonnell said the partnership reflects "a commitment to providing our clients with the most advanced AI solutions available" while creating "a seamless and personalized experience for their customers."
The financial model is changing too. TELUS Digital is moving from charging clients per worker to charging based on outcomes — like resolved calls and completed sales. The company has more than 75,000 employees who could eventually be augmented by this technology, according to Whitecourt Star.
Cresta's AI Engine Has Deep Roots and Real Clients
Cresta was born out of the Stanford AI Lab. It built early credibility with major clients like Intuit and Verizon before seeking a large-scale deployment partner. CEO Ping Wu said combining Cresta's platform with TELUS Digital's reach will "empower brands to unlock the full potential of AI," according to Northern News.
The technology goes beyond answering questions. Cresta's "Conversation Intelligence" tool analyzes customer sentiment and intent in real-time. The long-term vision, per internal roadmaps, is "self-healing" customer experience — where AI spots a recurring problem and flags or even fixes the root cause in a client's app.
Jobs Are Changing — Not Just Disappearing
The shift raises hard questions about workers. TELUS Digital has a large footprint in the Philippines and Central America. Labor groups in those regions have called for "Just Transition" frameworks to retrain contact center workers as "AI Orchestrators" — people who manage and oversee AI systems rather than handle calls directly.
Analysts at Gartner argue the human augmentation piece is where the real value lies, not full automation. Making a human agent twice as effective with AI prompts delivers stronger ROI than replacing them outright. Still, the entry-level contact center role is effectively disappearing, replaced by jobs that require what experts call "AI fluency," according to the Whitecourt Star.
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