With trust in companies at a record low and consumers believing that advances in artificial intelligence (AI) make trust even more important, the necessity for companies to leverage the power of trusted AI to not only enhance convenience and personalisation experiences but also meet customers’ increased expectations for accountability has become non-negotiable. This is where AI agents come into play.
Research revealed that around 43 per cent of Gen Z consumers would be comfortable with having an agent shop for them, and AI agents can help companies drive higher margins. These intelligent software do so by understanding and responding to customer inquiries without human intervention, keeping consumers buying by delivering enhanced customer service.
Salesforce’s Agentforce is one such example, enabling businesses to deploy AI agents that autonomously act across any function while maintaining trust and delivering transparency.
Consumers Trusting Less, Expecting More
Consumer trust is at its lowest point in eight years and advances in AI make regaining that trust even more crucial. Salesforce’s state of the AI-connected customer research revealed that around 51 per cent of consumers trust companies less than they did a year ago. 51 per cent feel that companies are reckless with consumer data.
On the expectations front, the research stated that 68 per cent of consumers expect consistent interactions across departments. Poor customer service experiences are proving to be a concern as 41 per cent of consumers state that it stops them from making a repeat purchase from a company or a brand.
“Trust is the foundation of every customer relationship and with the rise of AI agents, companies have an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild that trust at a time when consumers need it the most. This research highlights the power of trusted AI in not only enhancing convenience and personalising experiences but also in meeting customers’ heightened expectations for transparency and accountability,” stated Arun Parameswaran, Senior Vice President (SVP) and Managing Director, Sales and Distribution, Salesforce India.
The Preference Towards AI Agents
The findings of the Salesforce research revealed that Gen X (58 per cent) and millennials (57 per cent) are more willing than Gen Z (51 per cent) and baby boomers (42 per cent) to use AI agents to improve their customer experience by creating more personalised content. All generations, in particular, hold companies to a higher standard when it comes to adapting to and anticipating their needs. As per the research, 55 per cent of Gen Zers and 64 per cent of millennials say AI raises the bar for customer experiences compared to just 53 per cent of baby boomers.
The Role Of Agentforce
In an AI-driven era where AI agents empower businesses to build trust and deliver consistent, personalised customer experiences, Salesforce, a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) giant, is leveraging this trend through Agentforce. Agentforce allows organisations to build and manage autonomous agents for tasks across various business departments.
“Salesforce’s Agentforce is a testament to this, enabling businesses to deploy AI agents that autonomously act across any function while maintaining trust and delivering transparency,” added Parameswaran.
With the help of the Atlas reasoning engine, which is at the heart of the AI agent, Agentforce claims to deliver 33 per cent more accuracy and 39 times faster time to value. “Because we have a reasoning engine which looks, because we have the data cloud which brings all the relevant data of your organisation together, we provide 33 per cent more accurate as compared to possible other options,” stated Deepak Pargaonkar, Vice President Solution Engineering, Salesforce India.
Transparency Key To Building Customer Confidence
Despite the promise of young shoppers, many consumers have not made up their minds on AI yet. As per the research, 42 per cent of consumers are neutral about AI’s impact on their lives, whether personal or professional.
“We have seen firsthand how AI can simplify interactions and meet our customers’ expectations for speed and personalisation. Salesforce’s commitment to transparent and reliable AI aligns perfectly with our focus on delivering exceptional experiences,” stated T V Swaminathan, Global Chief Digital Officer, Tata Consumer Products.
On the future of AI front, the research stated that many consumers feel a mix of suspicion (27 per cent) and curiosity (41 per cent) about the future of AI, revealing a ripe opportunity for companies to help consumers see and understand the benefits of AI agents.
