Customer service stories

By 2026, AI, social commerce and immersive physical retail experiences will transform how consumers interact with brands both online and in stores.

Amazon launches Nova 2 AI suite with four new models and introduces Nova Forge for firms to create custom AI solutions tailored to diverse industries and tasks.

Agentic AI, featuring localised language models, will transform Southeast Asian businesses by 2026, enhancing customer engagement and operational workflows.

By 2026, AI will transform customer service with firms mandated to disclose AI use, boost transparency, and balance trust and security in interactions.

70% of enterprises struggle to integrate growing AI tools, with disconnected apps causing data silos, wasted spend, and rising security risks, says Zapier.

One New Zealand's AI-powered Network Concierge cuts network complaint analysis time by 80%, speeding up resolutions and improving service during outages.

Nearly half of UK marketers contact their agencies less than weekly as AI reshapes workflows, boosting efficiency but challenging traditional agency roles.

Over two-thirds of retailers expect agentic AI to boost efficiency by 2026, but only 8% have fully integrated it into their operations so far.

Edinburgh-based AI consultancy Optima Partners has secured fresh investment from Growth Capital Partners to expand its UK and European operations.

UK shoppers favour AI for delivery tracking and returns but insist it should support, not replace, human customer service roles in retail.

Black Friday exposed how rising demand strains UK retailers' customer service, revealing challenges caused by complex systems and ageing processes.

Symbos boosts customer experience services by acquiring CPM Australia, expanding its workforce to over 2,000 across several countries with enhanced digital capabilities.

Paragon secures EUR €585 million refinancing to fund global expansion and advance AI and cloud technologies, targeting new markets and growth.

DAS Fire appoints David Parry as Managing Director and Paul Darke as Executive Director to boost UK and Ireland growth in data centre fire safety.

Huawei Cloud launches AI Pioneer Partner Ecosystem Alliance in Singapore to boost practical AI adoption across industries with new infrastructure and partnerships.

Paris-based Gradium raises USD $70 million to launch an AI voice platform offering expressive, low-latency, multilingual voice interactions for enterprises and developers.

Accenture partners with OpenAI to provide ChatGPT Enterprise to its workforce, boosting AI adoption and accelerating business transformation across industries.

New Zealand Police has cut case processing times from two weeks to under four hours using Appian’s automation platform, enhancing efficiency and service.

One NZ uses Amazon Bedrock-powered AI to speed network repairs, cutting analysis time by 80% and improving response during outages and storms.

Australian retailers risk losing AUD $66 billion this peak season as 41% of consumers cut spending after poor service experiences, warns Qualtrics research.