AI has become a transformative force in the business landscape, particularly in customer service. According to recent IBM Institute for Business Value (IBM IBV) research, while agentic AI may be new to their AI automation strategies, a growing number of customer service executives are recognizing its potential and how quickly it’s becoming the hot technology topic of the day.
Currently, more than half report minimal automation in customer communications, with only limited use of self-service assistants for field services and customer service. However, nearly half (49%) have already adopted partial automation in customer feedback and support inquiries, retention (48%), and onboarding (47%).
Looking ahead, AI-driven customer service is set to evolve dramatically. By 2027, executives forecast a shift toward fully autonomous automation, with 71% aiming for touchless customer support inquiries. An additional 47% foresee touchless automation in customer product and service training, 43% in communications, and 42% in feedback.
With agentic AI, organizations can drive breakthrough customer service and sales support.
The use of agentic AI in organizations can significantly enhance both customer service and sales support. Agents and multi-agent workflows can automate lead scoring, refine forecasting, personalize customer engagement, and curate sales content. Simultaneously, these agents can manage routine interactions through virtual assistants. By analyzing historical sales data and market trends, agents identify high-potential customer leads, enabling sales teams to concentrate on high-value opportunities that can fuel win rates and revenue growth.
In the realm of customer service, AI’s impact is equally profound. Agentic AI can provide round-the-clock, multilingual global support with tailored, proactive responses. Moreover, it can interpret customer sentiment, allowing customer service representatives to refine their in-person engagement strategies accordingly.
Executives expect AI-fueled self-service options to facilitate higher customer satisfaction.
The future of AI in customer service also holds promise for increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Executives anticipate a 53% increase in the use of AI to power personalized self-service for customers and a 47% enhancement in self-service call resolution by 2027. They project a significant boost in customer service Net Promoter Scores (NPS) by 35%.
To fully harness the potential of AI, organizations need to foster ecosystem expertise. Outsourcing is likely to play a crucial role in this transition.
The top areas executives expect to outsource include self-service digital assistants for field services (86%), customer support inquiries (85%), customer product and service training (81%), and customer communications (81%). This strategic outsourcing can help businesses rapidly scale AI capabilities without the need for extensive in-house AI expertise.
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