Tower has saved customers more than 796,000 minutes in call time over seven months since implementation of its new AI-enabled contact centre, reducing the time customers spent interacting with the insurer by around 15%.
Built on Amazon Connect, the cloud-based contact centre, reduced average handling time by 2 minutes and 38 seconds per interaction, supporting faster, more consistent service for customers while providing frontline teams with real time insights and AI assisted support.
The results reflect a material shift in how Tower delivers customer support at scale, with automation and AI embedded directly into everyday service interactions rather than operating as standalone tools.
For example, every call across sales, service and claims now uses real time transcription, capturing customer context as the conversation happens. This means customer service representatives don’t have to pause to type notes, and there’s less risk of missing important details while listening and typing at the same time.
Paul Johnston, CEO of Tower, said saving the equivalent of more than 550 days of customer time during the customer success pilot, demonstrated how targeted use of AI could deliver tangible benefits for customers without compromising service quality.
“When customers contact us, it’s often at moments that matter. Reducing the time it takes to get help, without sacrificing care or judgement, is critical to maintaining trust. This work shows how AI can support our people to deliver better outcomes for customers.
“Looking ahead, we’re poised to invest further in technology and AI-enablement throughout FY26. This is a critical part of our strategy that will drive greater efficiencies and continue to enhance our customer experience over the medium and long-term,” says Paul.
The success of Tower’s initial AI-enabled contact centre rollout was recognised globally when it was selected as one of seven organisations worldwide to participate in an inaugural Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Led Customer Success pilot for Amazon Connect as the only participant from Australia and New Zealand.
The Amazon Connect platform supports multiple service channels and includes capabilities such as automated quality monitoring and AI assisted agent support. Tower has continued to expand its use of these capabilities beyond the initial trial period.
Tower’s inclusion in the AWS pilot was a result of AWS selecting Deloitte New Zealand, based on its proven capability to deliver complex cloud and contact centre transformations. Deloitte then identified Tower as a strategic customer with the ambition and operational maturity to rapidly unlock value from Amazon Connect.
“We see Tower as a genuine leader in digital transformation,” said Kylie Bryant, Partner at Deloitte New Zealand. “Their commitment to innovation and customer centricity is setting a new benchmark in the insurance industry and beyond.”
As a digital direct insurer, Tower continues to invest in platforms and partnerships that deliver real value to customers and staff, improving service efficiency and customer experience.
ENDS