Dive Brief:
- When it comes to customer service, organizations say agentic AI systems are beginning to deliver significant financial return on investment, according to a report by Deloitte Digital. That’s thanks to improved AI models and agentic systems that can resolve complex cases using natural language and the coordinated use of multiple agents.
- Forty-three percent of organizations surveyed believe AI will allow them to lower contact center costs by at least 30% within the next three years.
- End-to-end service models spanning contact centers, digital channels, field service and in-product support will soon transform customer service and support, according to Deloitte Digital. More than three-quarters of respondents expect AI to shift the contact center workforce toward higher value roles.
Dive Insight:
Customer service and support teams are achieving greater ROI as they gain more experience with AI-powered technologies such as chatbots and back-end solutions.
Advances in AI models and lower costs are also contributing to larger ROI. Nearly two-thirds of service leaders reported higher agent productivity, with 39% reporting lower cost per contact, according to Deloitte Digital.
The efficiency of AI is often cited by customer support teams. Just over half say faster response and resolution times is one of the top benefits of AI, according to an Intercom report from earlier this year.
Other benefits include 24/7 support coverage, scaling support without increasing headcount and lower cost to serve, propelling more businesses to increase their investments in AI in contact center operations.
But it’s also unclear whether AI will continue to remain cheaper than human support. Gartner predicts AI costs to rise to over $3 per resolution by 2030 — more than many offshore agents.
Mature service capabilities — defined service delivery models, comprehensive personalization capabilities, and low employee attrition — may be key to seeing ROI in AI in customer service.
Deloitte Digital found that nearly half of the organizations with mature service capabilities are using agentic AI, compared with only one-quarter among their low-maturity peers.
Businesses with the most mature AI deployments tend to experience the most benefits, according to Intercom.
