Companies are starting to view customer service as a growth driver, not a cost center, according to a new survey-based report from Klaviyo, a marketing, service, and analytics firm with an artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform for B2C CRM.

Teams are getting bigger budgets, but many brands are still dealing with disconnected systems, patchy data, and higher customer expectations, the report says. It shows how AI tools can help brands meet changing customer expectations, base on insights from a survey of 517 decision-makers in ecommerce, retail, and hospitality across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Among the highlights, the survey found that almost a quarter of companies said improving customer satisfaction and loyalty is their top priority for the year ahead. Another quarter plan to upgrade technology specifically to improve service quality.

To achieve this, their planned technology changes include:

• 42% are focusing on helping human agents work smarter and faster through improved training, onboarding, and productivity tools.
• 38% want to invest in Al-powered tools that reduce effort and speed up resolutions.
• 36% are prioritizing improving data integrations and reporting, so teams can see the full customer story instead of working across fragmented tools and disconnected data.

These strategies reflect a shift in how companies expect service to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, according to the report, which states, "When both Al and human agents have the right training, automation handles repetitive inquiries, and teams share customer data, service can become more consistent, effective, and personalized, all at the same time."

Key topics include:

• Where traditional customer service tools are falling short
• How AI and live agents each play a role in modern service
• Why brands are treating service as a growth investment

To download the full report, click here