How AI Agents Transform Customer Support Right Now

“Sixty-seven percent of customers feel frustrated when their issues are not resolved immediately,” a statistic that makes the answer to the question, “Is it really enough to simply offer good products or services?” crystal clear. Every business owner knows that frustrated customers are more likely to leave negative reviews, damage a brand’s reputation, and even turn into outspoken critics rather than advocates. But how can a business stay competitive by resolving issues faster without expanding or overloading its customer support teams? The answer may be in service AI agents.

What AI Agents Are and How They Differ from Chatbots

AI is everywhere these days. Every tool and app seems to be adding some kind of AI feature. But do we really need it? A few years ago, chatbots were at the peak of their popularity. So why upgrade? Well, who hasn’t gotten stuck with a chatbot that only understands a few specific questions and can’t hold a real conversation? That’s the problem with traditional chatbots—they follow rigid scripts and can only handle simple requests.

The new generation of AI customer service is based on AI agents. They can understand context, learn from information, and handle more complicated tasks. For example, while a chatbot might tell you a restaurant’s opening hours, an AI agent can pull up the menu, answer questions about allergens, or even help schedule a Friday dinner. In short, chatbots handle the basics, but AI agents actually solve problems. That means happier customers and allows overloaded human teams to focus on truly tricky issues instead of repetitive questions.

Here are some real-life ways companies use AI agents:

1. Order Updates
   Nobody likes waiting and wondering where their order is. AI agents provide real-time updates, notify customers about any delays, and guide them step by step through returns or exchanges.
2. Reservation Management
   Booking a service shouldn’t be complicated. AI agents let customers schedule appointments naturally, almost like having a conversation with a real person, without waiting on the phone or navigating clunky forms.
3. Product Information
   When customers ask about product availability, features, or pricing, AI agents can answer quickly, saving them from digging through countless website pages.
4. Technical Assistance
   Tech issues happen. AI agents help troubleshoot login problems, connection issues, or setup questions, keeping everything running smoothly.

Easy Steps to Start with AI Service Agents

So, how can a typical business without an enterprise-level budget start using AI service agents? One of the simplest ways is to look at tools already in use every day. Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms are closely tied to customer service and are now rapidly adding their own AI-powered support solutions. Let’s take a look at what two major CRM rivals, Salesforce and HubSpot, have to offer.

Salesforce, one of the biggest names in CRM, has built the Agentforce AI ecosystem to bring artificial intelligence into its products. At the center of it is the AI Service Agent. It uses customer details stored in Salesforce CRM, understands their questions, and draws on knowledge articles to give natural answers. The Service Agent can handle product, pricing, or shipping requests, help with bookings, and even support technical issues—while still giving customers the option to connect with a human when needed. Agentforce also comes with an AI Agent Builder, so companies can design custom agents for their own specific tasks. The AI tools are included in the highest Agentforce edition, but they can also be purchased separately. Pricing is flexible, with pre-purchase and pay-as-you-go options starting at $2 per conversation. And while Agentforce implementation may seem complex, certified Salesforce partners are available to configure and deploy AI agents fully aligned with each business’s processes.

On the other hand, HubSpot CRM is keeping pace. It offers the Breeze Customer Agent, a 24/7 AI concierge that assists customers from first inquiry through post-purchase support. The AI agent helps customers find information about products. It also answers pricing questions and resolves purchase-related issues. Customers are not left alone with artificial intelligence; complex queries can still be escalated to human managers. The Breeze Customer Agent is included with HubSpot’s Professional and Enterprise CRM subscriptions, or companies can purchase it as an add-on starting at $45 per month on a credit-based pricing model.

Final Thoughts

AI agents won’t fix a poor product or service, but in a competitive market where quality is already expected, they can help businesses earn repeat purchases and turn one-time customers into loyal ones. The long-term effectiveness of these agents is still to be determined, but early results are promising. For example, HubSpot reports that its AI can resolve more than 50% of conversations automatically, while Salesforce has even created a full ROI calculator to estimate year-by-year savings from implementing its AI. This points to a future where customer service works best when people and technology work together.