Neglect the whole lot you thought you knew about customer support. AI has modified the sport totally, and the methods that labored yesterday might already be outdated.
At Intercom, we have been documenting gradual tendencies in customer support for years. However AI has modified the whole lot, completely altering the trajectory of customer support. The brand new AI-powered options — together with AI brokers, copilots, and analytics instruments — are higher, quicker, and less expensive than something earlier than.
This turns into much more apparent after we evaluate conventional chatbots with in the present day’s extra superior AI brokers.
Historically, chatbots relied on inflexible, rules-based programs and required in depth handbook configuration to ship related curated responses. AI brokers, alternatively, are powered by giant language fashions (LLM) and might perceive pure language, interpret and bear in mind context, and generate human-like responses.
This stark distinction represents a quantum leap ahead in functionality and impression. We are able to now not predict what’s going to occur by wanting on the previous. As a substitute, we should embrace the chance to reimagine the longer term.
That is why we have developed our annual Buyer Service Tendencies Report into The Buyer Service Transformation Report. Based mostly on insights from over 2,000 assist professionals, this report examines how AI has basically modified the panorama and affords steerage on navigate this new surroundings.
Right here, I’ll share a few of the key findings from our analysis, highlighting 5 insights into how AI is reworking customer support together with sensible suggestions for groups to thrive on this AI-driven period.
1. The window for gaining a aggressive benefit with AI is closing
For some time, many organizations performed a “wait and see” sport when it got here to AI. Not totally satisfied of its potential, they opted to see the way it performed out for others earlier than investing in it themselves.
However now, AI is an absolute must-have. Our analysis reveals that whereas 54% of assist groups deliberate to put money into AI for customer support in 2024, 76% really did. Why? It’s doubtless that groups raced to undertake the know-how once they realized simply how large this transformation could be and the way a lot they risked falling behind in the event that they didn’t begin utilizing it.
Heading into 2025, that trajectory is about to proceed, with 79% of assist groups now planning to put money into AI within the yr forward. With such an accelerated uptake of the know-how and so many groups planning to put large bets on AI, the window for gaining a aggressive benefit is closing quickly.
Supply: Intercom’s Buyer Service Transformation Report 2025
Sensible tip
In case your crew is not utilizing AI but, you don’t need to go all in directly. However you possibly can simply hit the bottom working. Begin with a strategic, phased implementation centered on high-impact areas. For instance, an AI agent can save your crew hours by:
- Managing inbound buyer queries
- Automating beforehand handbook work
- Proactively partaking with prospects
When you begin seeing measurable ends in these quick-win areas, you possibly can progressively roll out AI to assist deal with extra complicated challenges.
For groups already utilizing AI, uplevel your technique by exploring its capabilities. AI is at all times advancing, and each step ahead is a chance to please your prospects and improve your effectivity. Listed below are some potential use instances to look into:
- Implementing AI copilots to spice up human brokers’ productiveness
- Utilizing AI brokers to carry out extra complicated duties and take actions on behalf of consumers
- Utilizing predictive analytics to get forward of identified issues
2. The economics of customer support have been rewritten
Historically, scaling customer support meant including headcount to fulfill demand. This was time-consuming, costly, and unsustainable.
AI modified that by breaking the standard linear development mannequin. Our survey reveals that 81% of groups agree that AI is altering the economics of customer support. By unlocking the potential to do extra with much less, assist groups can handle rising quantity shortly and cost-efficiently whereas offering a wonderful buyer expertise. Mainly, it’s now attainable to supply higher, quicker, and cheaper customer support.
“The Transformation Report reveals that AI has damaged the faster-better-cheaper-pick-two iron triangle. Corporations can now scale up prospects with out dealing with crushing headcount necessities. Count on Agentic AI to boost this over the following few years.”
Tim Sanders
VP of Analysis Insights at G2
Sensible tip
To win buy-in and reveal the strategic worth of customer support, contemplate quantifying and sharing the impression AI has in your crew, KPIs, and enterprise’s backside line.
Take Firsty, for instance. An Intercom buyer, Firsty is a startup within the telecom house. It makes use of AI to scale assist to fulfill the wants of the hundreds of recent prospects signing up each day with out sacrificing high quality or rising headcount and prices.
“Intercom’s platform has saved us round €50,000 ($55,000) in wage prices over the previous 5 months, which is essential at this level for our startup,” says Gauthier Thierens, co-founder of Firsty. “And we all know that the headcount prices we’ll save with Intercom’s automation will scale exponentially the extra we develop.”
Whereas there’s no one-size-fits-all option to quantify the impression of AI, listed here are some key metrics you possibly can take a look at to know the place it’s transferring the needle:
- Elevated AI agent involvement and backbone charges
- Enhanced buyer satisfaction when evaluating AI agent interactions with human assist experiences
- Weekly hours saved and value reductions per decision by way of AI automation
- Enchancment in first response time
Seize these insights in an “AI impression dashboard” that you could share usually together with your management crew. This can assist give them a fast, clear thought of simply how transformative AI is in your operations.
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3. 81% of CS groups say their present instruments don’t at all times absolutely assist their wants
Earlier, groups picked a assist software and caught with it. Even when it did not carry out optimally, groups simply adjusted to it. Altering instruments was not often thought of helpful sufficient for the trouble to be worthwhile.
The place groups as soon as settled for enough instruments, in the present day’s assist panorama calls for extra. Our analysis reveals that 81% of groups say their present instruments cannot at all times absolutely assist their wants, and 50% are looking out for brand new platforms, instruments, and applied sciences, both most or the entire time.
This seek for new options isn’t nearly getting flashy new tech for the sake of it; as an alternative, it’s pushed by actual challenges like value, knowledge safety issues, and platform reliability.
Supply: Intercom’s Buyer Service Transformation Report 2025
Sensible tip
When evaluating AI options, like AI brokers, don’t simply take into consideration the quick time period. Certain, getting up and working quick at an excellent value level is vital. However finally, you need to put money into one thing that shall be a long-term asset to your crew.
Take your time when assessing your choices. Keep in mind, it’s simple for an AI agent to look good in a demo surroundings. What you need to decide is how properly it’ll carry out in your particular real-world context.
Listed below are some key inquiries to ask your self to find out the best choice:
- How does this answer deal with queries of various complexity ranges?
- How simply can it combine together with your current instruments and workflows?
- How does it deal with knowledge, safety, and privateness?
- Is it simply customizable?
- What’s its complete value of possession?
You may as well check out The Buyer Service Transformation Toolkit to find the whole lot you might want to make the perfect determination for what you are promoting.
4. Clients have modified their minds about AI
Many individuals had been skeptical of AI in its early days. However now that prospects have skilled more and more subtle AI interactions of their each day lives and seen what it will probably ship, how are they feeling about it?
Our analysis reveals that 89% of assist groups consider that buyer attitudes in the direction of AI have modified up to now 12 months — 80% consider that prospects really feel constructive, or a minimum of neutral, in regards to the know-how. It’s now turning into extra regular and anticipated, and has already had a significant affect on what prospects anticipate from customer support.
Supply: Intercom’s Buyer Service Transformation Report 2025
Sensible tip
To fulfill, and exceed, the constantly rising buyer expectations, assist groups have to be ready to radically overhaul their strategy to how they ship customer support.
To boost the client expertise, deal with leveraging AI’s distinctive strengths. As a place to begin, this might embody:
- Utilizing an AI agent to supply an prompt first response to nearly all of inquiries
- Enabling 24/7 availability to assist your international buyer base
- Providing multilingual assist to make sure high-quality service for purchasers world wide
- Organising a seamless handoff to human brokers for complicated points
5. Help roles and profession paths are evolving
There was a interval when many assist professionals anxious that AI would change them.
Issues have modified. Our survey reveals that 82% of groups really feel constructive about working alongside AI, and 60% are seeing roles on their crew evolve. With specialised positions like information managers and dialog analysts rising, we’re witnessing the start of totally new profession paths.
Supply: Intercom’s Buyer Service Transformation Report 2025
AI is creating alternatives for human brokers to ship higher-impact work. The positivity that comes with this can be a sturdy sign that assist groups are seeing and feeling the advantages of incorporating AI and AI brokers into their workflows.
Sensible tip
The way forward for customer support requires a totally new strategy to crew growth. Leaders may be proactive about this by:
- Figuring out potential specialization areas, like AI coaching, information administration, and dialog design and evaluation
- Growing particular coaching packages for these new specialties
- Creating hybrid roles that mix AI administration with conventional assist expertise
- Establishing clear development paths that incorporate AI experience
The way forward for customer support isn’t coming — it’s already right here
This was only a snapshot of AI’s elementary impression on customer support. We’re dwelling by way of a novel second in time, and the alternatives now we have proper now received’t at all times be there. The aggressive benefit innovators acquire will solely develop wider as time passes, making this second essential for transformation. The window of alternative is open now. However, it will not keep open eternally.
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Edited by Supanna Das.
