Salesforce: AI agents in customer service increase by 69 percent in one year – customer satisfaction increases the most

The use of AI agents in customer service is rapidly increasing worldwide. A new study from Salesforce shows that the percentage of organizations using AI agents has increased by 69 percent in just one year. At the same time, the results point to a development that few would have predicted: the biggest improvement is not about efficiency or faster response times, but about increased customer satisfaction.

Customer service is in the midst of a major transformation. What was largely a matter of testing, pilot projects, and visions just a year ago has now become an integral part of many organizations' daily operations.

It is evident from Salesforce new report State of Service: AI Agents Edition, based on responses from 3,075 customer service representatives and leaders in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

AI agents are quickly becoming the standard in customer service

According to the report, the percentage of customer service organizations using AI agents has increased from 39 percent in 2025 to 66 percent in 2026. In addition, 70 percent of organizations that have implemented AI agents report that they achieved tangible and measurable business benefit within the first 60 days.

When participants were asked which areas had improved the most since the introduction of AI agents, it was not traditional key metrics such as response time, productivity or case management that topped the list.

Instead, it was customer satisfaction that showed the greatest positive effect.

This means that AI technology is now increasingly contributing directly to better customer experiences, rather than just streamlining internal processes.

– In Denmark, customers are known to have high expectations and low tolerance for poor service. Therefore, it is a strong sign that AI agents are now primarily improving customer satisfaction and not just internal KPIs. It shows that the technology has reached a level where it actually delivers what customers expect, and that is what ultimately matters most, says Thomas Grønholt, Regional Sales Director at Salesforce Denmark.

AI is changing the entire service organization

The report also shows that AI's impact extends far beyond the customer dialogue itself.

Today, 85 percent of all service organizations use at least one form of AI. Among organizations that use AI agents, 77 percent report using the technology both in direct customer contact and for internal workflows.

Almost all customer service managers, 97 percent, believe that AI is changing how teams are built and organized. The development is also creating new areas of expertise and roles in areas such as AI architecture, data governance, and information management.

Data quality remains a challenge

Despite the rapid development, the survey shows that many organizations still struggle with data-related challenges.

There are also clear differences between how management and employees view the situation. While 59 percent of managers view data preparation as a barrier to AI initiatives, a whopping 72 percent of employees who work with data daily say this is a challenge.

– Many Nordic companies have already made great progress in the digitalization of customer service, but the results also show that there is a need for better internal coordination. Management often underestimates the data challenges that employees face in their everyday lives. Organizations that invest in both data quality and internal dialogue will be significantly stronger in their continued AI development, says Thomas Grønholt.

More insights from the report

The survey also shows that:

• 40 percent of all AI-driven case management is now carried out completely autonomously without human intervention.
• 83 percent of service organizations with AI agents use them across five or more customer channels.
• 88 percent of customer service representatives say AI reduces the time spent switching between different systems and tools.
• 89 percent of employees who work with AI agents believe that increased use of AI would benefit the organization.
• 92 percent of service managers who use AI say the technology improves their ability to coach and develop employees.

AI goes from experiment to business benefit

The results show that AI agents have quickly gone from being a future technology to becoming a central part of modern customer service. At the same time, the report points out that successful AI use is not only about the technology itself, but also about data quality, internal processes and the ability of organizations to adapt their working methods.

For companies looking to strengthen both customer experience and operational efficiency, developments suggest that AI agents will play an increasingly important role in the coming years.

About the survey

The survey was conducted between March 9 and April 4, 2026. A total of 3,075 responses were collected from customer service professionals in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.