Top AI Product

Potential Uses

AI agents can make customer service easier by answering common questions, like order status or product details, 24/7. They can also personalize responses based on your past interactions, making you feel valued. They help human agents by providing real-time info, speeding up complex issue resolution. Plus, they can automate tasks like scheduling or refunds, saving time for everyone.

Existing Products

Several AI agent products are already in use:

ServiceNow AI Agents empower businesses with autonomous support across IT and CRM.

Intercom’s Fin AI Agent handles frontline support with human-like quality, ranked first in G2’s 2025 Winter report.

SalesForce’s Agentforce for Service resolves cases on its own and engages across channels like SMS and voice.

Google Cloud’s Customer Engagement Suite uses AI for seamless, multichannel support.

Beam’s Customer Service AI Agent manages inquiries via email and chat, cutting costs by 70%.

Invoca’s AI-driven platform helps with call quality and attribution, used by companies like MoneySolver.

Zendesk AI Agents automate up to 80% of interactions, saving companies like Unity $1.3M.

Sierra AI Agent handles voice calls, reducing wait times.

Aisera AI Customer Service Chatbots speed up responses and boost agent productivity.

Potential Uses of AI Agents in Customer Service and Contact Centers

AI agents are intelligent systems designed to process and analyze vast amounts of customer data, assisting in decision-making and predicting customer behavior. Their potential uses span several key areas:

• Handling Routine Queries:
  AI agents can manage frequently asked questions, provide product information, and handle simple transactions, reducing the workload on human agents. They can answer inquiries about order status, product availability, or account details, often resolving issues in under a minute, as claimed by Beam’s Customer Service AI Agent. This capability is crucial for handling high-volume, low-complexity interactions, with research suggesting AI can automate up to 80% of interactions, as seen with Zendesk AI Agents saving Unity $1.3M by deflecting 8,000 tickets. Continuous monitoring is another area, particularly for order updates, where AI agents can send notifications or resolve issues, reducing the burden on human agents. Future advancements in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning could make these assistants more sophisticated, enabling early intervention by analyzing customer data patterns for potential issues.
• Personalization:
  AI agents are poised to enhance personalization by analyzing customer data, including purchase history, preferences, and interaction history, to offer tailored responses and recommendations. This level of personalization, delivered consistently at scale, can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, with platforms like SalesForce using Data Cloud integration for context-aware interactions . Predictive analytics could further enable proactive recommendations, shifting from a “react and respond” to a “predict and propose” framework, as noted in industry analyses. This is particularly crucial as customers expect personalized, convenient, and efficient service experiences, making it essential for contact centers to adapt and meet these evolving demands.
• Multichannel Support:
  AI agents can engage customers across various channels like chat, email, social media, SMS, WhatsApp, and voice, ensuring consistent and seamless interactions. For example, SalesForce’s Agentforce for Service supports multi-channel engagement 24/7, interpreting text, images, and audio using NLP and computer vision for accurate, context-aware responses . This capability is vital for meeting customer expectations, with nearly 80% preferring phone calls for complex issues, as implied in Zendesk’s CX Trends Report 2024 . Future improvements are expected to enhance cross-channel consistency, enabling dynamic routing and tailored customer journeys, with a synergy between AI and human intelligence for robust multichannel support.
• Automating Workflows:
  AI agents can automate tasks such as ticket routing, scheduling, follow-ups, and refunds, streamlining operations and improving efficiency. They can intelligently route inquiries to the right department, summarize tickets for faster processing, and predict staffing needs to reduce overtime, as seen with Zendesk’s workforce management features. This automation is expected to drive productivity, with contact centers potentially saving significant costs, though challenges like job displacement are debated. An unexpected detail is how Beam claims a 70% reduction in operational costs by automating routine processes, which could significantly impact small businesses.
• Agent Assistance:
  AI agents assist human agents by providing real-time information, suggesting responses, and helping with complex issues, thereby increasing agent productivity. For instance, Google Cloud’s Agent Assist product offers in-the-moment assistance, generated responses, and real-time coaching, with new features like generative knowledge assist and smart reply . This support reduces call wrap-up times, transcribes interactions for training, and scores phone interactions to spotlight at-risk customers, as noted by Zendesk . Future improvements are expected to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and agent outcomes, enabling dynamic assistance and tailored coaching, with a synergy between AI and human intelligence for robust agent support.
• Quality Assurance:
  AI can analyze customer interactions to identify areas for improvement, provide feedback to agents, and ensure consistent quality of service. For example, Invoca’s AI-driven platform automates QA, with CHRISTUS Health Plan agents spending 50% less time scoring calls and improving training with real-life teachable moments. Zendesk AI QA reviews all conversations, helping Rentman achieve 93% CSAT with 60-70 minute response times . This capability is particularly valuable for maintaining service standards, with AI spotting trends and areas for automation, though ethical concerns around surveillance are debated.
• Predictive Insights:
  By analyzing data, AI agents predict customer needs, anticipate issues, and proactively address them, leading to better customer satisfaction. For instance, ServiceNow AI Agents use the AI Agent Orchestrator to collaborate across IT, HR, CRM, and more, solving business challenges autonomously (S. Sierra AI Agent uses language processing and human-level reasoning to adapt to customer emotions and needs, improving self-service resolution rates . This predictive capability is expected to shift contact centers towards proactive strategies, though challenges like data privacy persist.

Existing Products in Customer Service and Contact Centers

Several AI agent products are already deployed, demonstrating practical applications and tangible benefits:

• Intercom’s Fin AI Agent:
  Launched as part of Intercom’s AI-first customer service solution, Fin AI Agent handles entire frontline support with human-quality service, ranked first in G2’s 2025 Winter report with an 89 score, compared to Microsoft Copilot (83), IBM Watson X Assist (77), Zendesk AI Agent (54), and Ada (37). Customer testimonials include Lightspeed seeing double-digit gains in engagement and resolution rates, and TravelPerk achieving 98% CSAT. Pricing is $0.99 per resolution, with platform integration from $29/seat per month + $0.99 per resolution, offering a 14-day free trial (Intercom). An unexpected detail is its high G2 ranking, underscoring its market leadership.
• SalesForce’s Agentforce for Service:
  Rolled out in 2024, Agentforce for Service resolves cases autonomously, delivers trusted answers, and engages across channels like SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and voice for inbound calls. It uses multi-modal understanding (text, images, audio) via NLP and computer vision, with Agent Builder for low-code customization using Flows, Prompt Builder, Apex, and APIs. It integrates with Service Cloud and Data Cloud for real-time data exchange, ensuring personalized support at scale. Benefits include reducing costs and meeting modern customer demands, with 82% of large companies planning to implement agents by 2027 (SalesForce Agentforce for Service). An unexpected detail is its focus on multi-modal understanding, extending beyond text-based interactions.
• Google Cloud’s Customer Engagement Suite with Google AI:
  An end-to-end application combining advanced conversational AI, multimodal, and omnichannel functionality, using Gemini models grounded in organizational resources for high accuracy. It includes Conversational Agents for dynamic self-service, Agent Assist for real-time coaching, and Conversational Insights for operational KPIs. New features include generative knowledge assist, summarization, smart reply, and live translation. Customer Engagement Services help evaluate current solutions and suggest improvements, with compliance to SLA policies (Google Cloud Customer Engagement Suite). An unexpected detail is its focus on operational insights, aiding managers with call drivers and sentiment analysis.
• Beam’s Customer Service AI Agent:
  Manages customer inquiries via email and chat, enhancing responsiveness across e-commerce, telecom, healthcare, travel, and financial services. It handles tasks like subscription status, product returns, and billing issues, claiming a 70% reduction in operational costs by automating routine processes and completing tasks in under 1 minute. It integrates with CRM and support systems like Freshdesk, Intercom, Zendesk, Zammad, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Google Sheets, ensuring efficient data management (Beam Customer Service AI Agent). An unexpected detail is its claimed cost reduction, potentially transformative for small businesses.
• Invoca’s AI-driven Platform:
  Used by various companies for automated QA, call attribution, and conversation intelligence, with examples including MoneySolver doubling close rate and seeing a 30% increase in ROAS, Renewal by Andersen decreasing CPA and increasing customer appointments by 47%, and CHRISTUS Health Plan agents spending 50% less time scoring calls. It supports industries like financial services, consumer goods, telecommunications, healthcare, automotive retail, and fencing/decking, with detailed case studies available (Invoca AI in Contact Center). An unexpected detail is its broad industry application, from healthcare to retail.
• Zendesk AI Agents:
  Automate up to 80% of interactions, with Unity saving $1.3M by deflecting 8,000 tickets. They provide proactive agent guidance, automate workflows like ticket summarization, and improve service quality, achieving 93% CSAT for Rentman with 60-70 minute response times. Features include AI QA, workforce management, and help center enhancements, with deployment possible without large IT budgets, cutting implementation from months to minutes (Zendesk AI in Customer Service). An unexpected detail is its rapid deployment, enhancing accessibility for small businesses.
• Sierra AI Agent:
  Mirrors human communication nuances, using language processing and human-level reasoning for natural, satisfying interactions. It handles voice communication, reducing wait times and improving self-service resolution rates, communicating in users’ chosen language for personalized, inclusive experiences. It moves beyond IVR systems, offering fast action and immediate resolutions (Sierra AI Agent). An unexpected detail is its focus on voice, addressing a critical pain point in contact centers.
• Aisera AI Customer Service Chatbots:
  Reduce response times, eliminate human intervention, and supercharge agent productivity, elevating customer retention rates and driving revenue growth. They use generative AI for mundane tasks, allowing teams to focus on value-adding activities, with capabilities in natural language understanding (NLU) and machine learning (Aisera AI Customer Service). An unexpected detail is its emphasis on revenue growth, linking AI to business outcomes.
• ServiceNow AI Agents:
  Empower businesses with autonomous AI agents that solve essential business challenges, guided by the AI Agent Orchestrator, collaborating across IT, HR, CRM, and more. They unite native AI agents, data, and workflows on a single, scalable platform, providing trust, efficiency, and seamless integration. They enable teams to focus on best work, with options to build custom solutions via AI Agent Studio (ServiceNow AI Agents). An unexpected detail is its cross-functional collaboration, extending beyond customer service to IT and HR.

Conclusion

AI agents in customer service and contact centers are at an exciting juncture, with current products demonstrating tangible benefits and future potential pointing towards a more personalized, efficient, and proactive service ecosystem. While challenges like data privacy, job displacement, and ethical AI use persist, the integration of AI with human expertise, as noted by industry leaders, underscores their role as augmentative tools. This analysis provides a foundation for understanding their transformative impact, current as of March 9, 2025.