AI-powered support: The future of customer service

Welcome to the future of customer support, where artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools, automation, application monitoring and alerting are transforming the application support industry. Let’s dive into the exciting advancements that are reshaping how organizations provide service and how customers can prepare for these changes.
 

AI-powered tools for smarter support

Gone are the days when support agents were overwhelmed with mundane tasks. AI-powered customer support tools like virtual agents now enhance customer interactions and streamline workflows. These digital superheroes solve cases immediately or route queries to the most suitable agent based on skills and availability, accelerating resolution.

Agentic AI is reshaping support management by enabling autonomous, goal-driven service. Unlike traditional automation, it adapts in real time — triaging tickets, resolving common issues, and escalating complex ones with minimal human input. This leads to faster resolutions, lighter workloads and enhanced customer experience.

AI-powered interactive voice response (IVR) systems offer self-service options, reducing the need for agent intervention and improving call handling efficiency. Predictive dialing increases productivity by connecting agents only when a live person answers. Quality monitoring with AI allows supervisors to coach discreetly in real time.

These tools are revolutionizing customer service by delivering faster response times, seamless case handling, reduced escalations, and consistently high-quality documentation. Organizations using AI can improve support accuracy, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
 

Proactive monitoring and alerting: A new standard in service

Imagine being contacted before you even notice a problem because your support team already detected and resolved it. Proactive monitoring of customer applications helps prevent disruptions by identifying issues early and triggering automated responses.

This reduces downtime, speeds up resolutions, and improves reliability, building trust through transparency and consistent oversight. Proactive alerting shifts support from reactive fixes to strategic service delivery.

Key benefits include:

• Operational efficiency
• Reduced customer effort
• Improved experience
• Stronger vendor trust
• Strategic insights and continuous improvement

Custom dashboards and tailored alert thresholds ensure relevance across diverse environments, including federal compliance. Over time, monitoring data supports strategic improvements, helping teams refine detection criteria and optimize performance.

Reporting and analytics tools become essential in preventing future issues thanks to the power of data collection.
 

The future of technical support: trends and insights

Support is evolving rapidly. Here are the top trends shaping the future:

• AI and automation — AI-powered tools like custom agents and virtual assistants handle routine inquiries, allowing human agents to focus on complex issues. This enhances efficiency and reduces response times.
• Enhanced customer experience — Staff training tailored to improve customer interactions and the latest support technologies deliver better service. Emphasis on data quality, operational metrics, and triage refinement ensures speed and accuracy.
• 24/7 support availability — Expanding service hours to include global support and third-shift operations caters to international customers. Organizations that embrace this will set a new standard in service performance.
• Shift-left strategy — Moving problem resolution closer to the user through self-service portals and knowledge bases. Balancing performance with experience ensures agents are available for critical issues.

Preparing for the future of support

How can your organization prepare for these exciting changes?

• Assess current abilities and gaps — Take inventory of your existing technologies. Identify pain points and recurring issues that inhibit workflows.
• Invest in AI and automation — Embrace AI-powered tools to manage routine inquiries and streamline workflows, freeing up agents for complex issues.
• Enhance staff training and education — Develop customized training programs to improve customer interactions. Soft skills training is essential for elevating the support experience. Learn to maximize AI tools in operations.
• Prepare to measure improvements — Identify and measure focus areas for process improvement—especially those benefiting from automation.
• Lead cultural change management — Successfully adopting emerging technology requires addressing behavioral aspects as much as technical ones. Educate stakeholders, promote innovation, and align change with strategic goals. Encourage teams to adopt shift-left workflows and build urgency around transformation.

Are you ready to join the revolution?

The next evolution of customer support is already here. AI, automation, and proactive monitoring are leading the charge. By embracing these advancements, your organization can deliver exceptional service and define tomorrow’s standards.

Ed Lowry is director of client support services at Solventum.