Tower cuts call times with Amazon Connect AI pilot

Tower has embedded artificial intelligence into its Amazon Connect contact centre, cutting customer interaction times by 15% over seven months.

During that period, customers spent more than 796,000 fewer minutes dealing with the insurer. Average handling time fell by 2 minutes and 38 seconds per interaction across sales, service and claims calls.

The system uses real-time transcription on every call, capturing customer details as conversations happen. That means customer service staff no longer need to stop and type notes during calls, reducing the risk of missing information while speaking and listening at the same time.

The contact centre is built on Amazon Connect, Amazon Web Services' cloud-based customer service platform. As part of the rollout, Tower also introduced automated quality monitoring and AI-assisted support tools, and has since expanded their use beyond the initial trial.

Chief executive Paul Johnston linked the programme to the insurer's handling of sensitive customer interactions.

"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," Johnston said.

Tower described the seven-month period as a customer success pilot, saying the time saved equated to more than 550 days. The results, it said, mark a shift in how it handles customer support, with automation and AI integrated into standard service interactions rather than used as separate tools.

AWS pilot

The insurer was one of seven organisations selected globally for an inaugural Amazon Web Services partner-led customer success pilot for Amazon Connect. It was the only participant from Australia and New Zealand.

Deloitte New Zealand was selected by AWS for the work and then identified Tower as a customer suited to the programme. Tower said Deloitte considered the insurer's operational readiness and willingness to adopt Amazon Connect quickly.

Deloitte New Zealand partner Kylie Bryant said Tower stood out in its approach to digital change.

"We see Tower as a genuine leader in digital transformation," Bryant said.

"Their commitment to innovation and customer-centricity is setting a new benchmark in the insurance industry and beyond."

Tower operates as a digital direct insurer and has been increasing spending on platforms and partnerships tied to customer service and staff workflows. The contact centre project is part of that broader effort to change how routine service work is handled while keeping frontline teams focused on customer conversations.

Amazon Connect has become a common option for companies moving call centre operations to cloud-based systems, particularly when they want to introduce transcription, workflow automation and agent prompts without rebuilding their entire customer service stack. In Tower's case, the main operational gain so far has come from reducing manual note-taking and shortening interactions.

For insurers, contact centre performance can affect both costs and customer retention, especially in claims and service calls where customers may already be under stress. Tower's figures suggest it has reduced the time spent on those interactions while keeping staff at the centre of the exchange.

Every call across sales, service and claims now includes real-time transcription, making it a standard part of customer handling rather than a limited trial feature.