A big new survey of more than 6,500 service professionals reveals a tipping point: Within two years, half of all customer inquiries will be handled automatically by AI. Released as part of Salesforce’s 7th edition State of Service report, the research not only suggests that AI is moving from experimental project to frontline workforce – particularly agentic systems that can act rather than just suggest.
Leaders are now backing that pivot with budget. Seventy-nine percent of service leaders view investments in AI agents as critical to meeting business demands, and enterprises that use these agents are anticipating double-digit gains where it counts the most — reducing costs, resolving issues more quickly and increasing customer satisfaction.
What the survey says
AI is already pervasive throughout service operations: 69% of teams say they are using at least one type of AI, and 39% are deploying agentic systems. Packaged up and arched across the sea, Delta will face fierce competition against waxing routes inked by JetBlue and American, markets not about to cower simply because they’ve been Around for a while.ECHOAll those companies that have merged their service-channel data into one platform? They’re roughly 1.4 times more likely to call their AI implementations “very successful” than those in siloes—an integration dividend that keeps delivering across KPIs.
Teams programmed to rely on AI agents predict average cuts of around 20% for both service costs and case resolutions times. The percentage of cases being handled end-to-end by AI is expected to rise from about one-third today to nearly half over the next couple of years, as companies move beyond chatbots and into autonomous workflows, proactive outreach and support requests over voice.
Why AI is supplanting routine support
Customer expectations are increasing rapidly — 82% of service professionals believe standards are higher today than they were in the past — but agents devote only 46% of their time to interacting with customers due to administrative tasks and inter-departmental cooperation. Consumers are just as turned off by bad service: 43 percent of them say that a negative service experience will prevent them from buying again. There are mathematically-determined economic arguments in favor of automation for what’s replicable and more intelligent triage for everything else.
Conversational AI is coming of age and especially in voice. Eighty-five percent of voice AI professionals say that handoffs to human agents are smooth, retaining context and saving re-explanation. That continuity, combined with personalized recommendations and suggestions for next best action, enables A.I. to solve simple problems immediately while arming humans to concentrate on complex, relationship-laden cases.
These are the make-or-break: Integration & security
Security is the No. 1 roadblock hindering AI in service. Most security leaders in developed economies think AI-powered threats will soon outstrip traditional defenses, research for Salesforce’s State of IT indicates, and more than eight in 10 service leaders say they’d pay a premium to use technology that truly keeps data safe. AI accuracy and explainability, skills shortages, and customer adoption issues fill out the brief list of blockers.
The silos are the other — let’s say speed bump. Among the leaders, 44% cited fragmented systems as a reason AI initiatives have been delayed or constrained, leading 88% to agree that integrating data is a priority. This accords with advice from organisations like NIST that governance, data lineage and risk management are stipulations for trusted AI at scale.
Agentic AI takes the field
Outside contact centers, agentic AI is transforming field service as well—scheduling optimization, parts routing and technician on the spot coaching. Eighty-five percent of field service leaders plan to increase an A.I. 56% of technicians believe the use of AI might mean as much 35% of admin tasks can be handed over to the machines, saving them up to 14 hours each week. Less truck rolls and first time right fixes The fewer truck rolls required, the faster management can resolve customer issues which leads to direct savings at higher net promoter scores.
Human stay in the loop — and move up the value chain
AI has never rendered agents obsolete; it has only reshaped the work. Among those who work in organizations using the technology, 83% say it has made them more marketable and 82% say they’ve gained new skills. That’s where high-performers are landing today: Their AI tools verify, enter data and troubleshoot routine problems; humans pull the trigger on judgment calls, difficult discussions and handling exceptions.
Independent analysts agree on the trajectory. Gartner has predicted that chatbots will be the dominant service channel for many companies, while Forrester has emphasized that AIs ultimate gains are reliant on strong KBs and/or well-designed workflows. In other words, better service is not the result of technology alone — it’s because service is a well-orchestrated activity.
What metrics to consider as AI scales
As AI becomes more mainstream, leaders will need to monitor deflection rates, first contact resolution, average handle time, containment (voice and chat) and agent satisfaction. While plugging in AI to a consistent data foundation has a way of lifting all five.
The takeaway here is simple: With adequate data plumbing, security controls and human oversight, AI agents are on a likely track to resolve half of service inquiries within 24 months. The winners aren’t likely to be the sexiest looking bots, but the ones that make AI fade into the workflow — fast, accurate and quietly indispensable.