Better customer service with AI agents

This episode of Techsplainers explores how AI agents are changing customer service by moving beyond simple question answering into autonomous, goal-oriented support. It explains what makes AI agents different from standard chatbots and assistants, including their ability to retain memory, reason across multiple steps, use external tools and take action within connected systems. The episode follows how these agentic systems work in real customer service environments, from handling customer queries and retrieving knowledge base content to managing order tracking, identifying sentiment, summarizing conversations and automating administrative tasks. It also looks at how networks of specialized agents can work together across workflows to speed up service resolution and improve continuity across channels. Along the way, the discussion connects AI agents to the broader customer experience themes explored earlier in the week, including onboarding, response time and personalized support. Real-world examples such as Camping World and Avid Solutions show how agentic systems can improve engagement, reduce delays and streamline customer-facing operations. The episode also highlights four best practices for deployment: aligning agents with service strategy, equipping them with the right data and tools, integrating them into enterprise systems and helping human teams build the skills to work effectively alongside them. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-agents-in-customer-service Find more episodes: https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Amanda Downie