Containment is the share of customer contacts an automated system resolves from start to finish without handing off to a person.
Why it matters
It’s the standard way contact centers measure self-service, and it shows how many calls the system fully handled. But containment alone doesn’t say whether the customer got what they needed or whether a sale was made, which is why a revenue-focused program tracks outcomes alongside it.
What it looks like
For example, if an agent handles 1,000 calls and 700 finish without a transfer, containment is 70%. If most of those calls ended without a booking, though, the number looks good while opportunities slip by.
Related terms
Contact center AI · Human handoff · Call abandonment rate · Revenue AI