Your customers expect fast, personalized, low-effort support, no matter when or where they reach out.

But for most support teams, meeting those expectations with traditional tools has become nearly impossible. Support agents are overwhelmed. Self-serve systems fall short. Automation feels rigid and impersonal.

The rise of generative AI has opened up new possibilities: resolving queries faster, automating routine tasks, and scaling support without increasing headcount. And now, with the emergence of AI agents, the systems capable of handling end-to-end tasks with human-like reasoning, business interest in AI has only accelerated.

According to McKinsey’s State of AI report, organizations are rethinking how teams work. They’re redesigning workflows, training employees, and assigning senior leadership to oversee AI governance.

Zendesk study shows that 70% of CX leaders plan to embed generative AI into multiple customer touchpoints within two years.

If you're considering AI for your customer support team, this blog is your starting point.

We’ll break down the role of AI in customer service, explore its benefits, and share how 11 global companies, including Amazon, Sephora, and Starbucks, are using it to improve how they serve their customers.

AI in customer service isn’t new. You’ve probably used it already, maybe in a chatbot that answers basic questions, or an automated email that tracks your order. But those tools were just the starting point.

What we’re seeing now is a shift in AI from being assistive to being autonomous: AI that understands customer intent, pulls the right information from your systems, and actually gets things done, whether it's resetting a password, processing a refund, or rebooking a flight.

Customer expectations are evolving. They demand quick, personalized, and seamless support, without the wait. To meet these demands, more companies are turning to AI.

Here are the top 5 reasons why leading companies are using AI:

24/7 Availability

With AI in place, organizations can provide round-the-clock support for resolving customer complaints.

If a customer visits your site at 2 a.m. with an issue, an AI-powered chatbot can respond instantly, offer troubleshooting, and escalate to a human agent only when necessary. This ensures every customer gets timely support, no matter the time zone.

Hyper-personalization

AI uses customer data to tailor every interaction. It pulls from past purchases, browsing behavior, and preferences to deliver responses that resonate with each customer. 

For example, if a returning user asks about pricing, the agent can refer to previous interactions and recommend a plan based on their usage or team size.

AI can also personalize experiences across languages, detecting the customer’s language and continuing the conversation naturally without losing context.

Reduce agent burnout 

AI handles all the repetitive tasks, freeing human agents to focus on more complex or sensitive issues.

For example, AI can address frequently asked questions, like shipping inquiries, order status updates, and billing issues. For more complex cases, it can automatically categorize inquiries based on urgency, impact, and required expertise, then route them to the right representative. 

This reduces manual work and lets support agents focus on resolving high-priority issues faster.

Cost savings

AI-driven customer service automation helps businesses cut costs by managing routine tasks and reducing the need for a large customer support team.

For example, companies can implement AI chatbots to handle basic inquiries instead of hiring additional agents, saving on recruitment, training, and infrastructure costs.

Data-driven insights

By implementing AI, companies can tap into actionable insights. AI analyzes chat logs, purchase histories, and feedback, and identifies recurring issues, service gaps, or frequently asked questions. 

This allows companies to proactively update FAQs to bridge knowledge gaps, refine product offerings, and make data-backed decisions.

Are you curious to know how industry leaders like Amazon, Sephora, Walmart, Spotify, etc. use AI in customer service? 

We've highlighted the top AI initiatives by these companies and the real impact they’re driving for better customer experience.

Sephora 

Sephora is a French multinational beauty retailer that offers a wide range of cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, and haircare products from over 300 brands, including its own private label, Sephora Collection. 

Key AI initiatives

• Sephora virtual artist: One of Sephora’s most recognizable AI-driven tools, Virtual Artist uses augmented reality to let customers try on thousands of makeup products virtually. The tool maps facial features like eyes and lips, showing how each product will look in real life. 

• Sephora color match: Sephora taps into another key pain point of customers, which is to match foundation shades with skin tone. This tool analyzes the customer’s skin tone and scans products across Sephora’s inventory to recommend foundation and concealer shades that match.

• Reservation assistant: Integrated with Facebook Messenger, this chatbot lets customers book in-store appointments with just a few messages. 

Impact

Within two years of launching Virtual Artist, Sephora logged over 200 million shade try-ons. Reservation Assistant increased bookings by 11% and reduced steps in the scheduling process. These tools now handle a large share of repetitive queries, freeing up support staff to focus on more complex needs.

Amazon

Amazon is an e-commerce giant with a global footprint, serving over 315 million active customers worldwide. Known for its tech-first approach, Amazon continuously leverages artificial intelligence to enhance the customer experience.

Key AI initiatives

• Rufus AI: Rufus is Amazon's generative AI-powered shopping assistant integrated into the Amazon Shopping app and website. It can answer product-related questions, provide comparisons, and personalize recommendations. You can ask questions like “What’s the best laptop for video editing?” and get instant, contextual answers.

• Lens AI: With Lens, you just snap a picture of a product like shoes, a chair, or a random light you saw at a café, and Amazon pulls up similar items. It makes visual search fast and incredibly useful when you don’t have the right keywords.

• Alexa: Alexa is Amazon's voice-activated assistant that enables users to perform various tasks, including checking order statuses, managing shopping lists, and receiving product recommendations, thereby facilitating hands-free customer service interactions.

• Review highlights: Instead of digging through hundreds of reviews, Amazon now uses AI to pull key pros and cons straight onto the product page. You get a quick read on what buyers like or dislike before clicking “Add to Cart.”

Impact

These innovations streamline shopping, reduce effort, and empower customers to make faster, smarter decisions. Visual search eliminates friction, AI summaries replace time-consuming scrolling, and voice interfaces reduce the need for traditional support. Together, they redefine what effortless, personalized online retail looks like at scale.

HealthTap

HealthTap is a virtual healthcare provider serving millions of Americans across all 50 states. It offers affordable primary and urgent care through video, phone, or text, with or without insurance. HealthTap combines human care with advanced technology to make healthcare more accessible and personalized.

Key AI initiatives

• Dr. A.I.: HealthTap's pre-appointment AI assistant, powered by GPT-4, conducts conversational interviews to gather patients' medical history and reasons for visits. It summarizes this information for doctors before appointments, allowing them to focus more on personalized care during consultations.

• Symptom checker: An AI-driven tool that enables users to assess their symptoms in real-time, providing immediate guidance and reducing the need for initial human intervention.

Impact

HealthTap’s use of AI improves care quality, reduces wait times, and helps doctors deliver more focused and efficient consultations. Tools like Dr. A.I. allow patients to share important health details up front, which leads to better diagnosis and more personalized treatment without replacing the expertise of medical professionals.

Walmart

Walmart operates over 11,000 stores worldwide and serves millions of customers daily. In fiscal year 2024, it reported $648 billion in revenue, a 6% increase from the previous year.

As competition from e-commerce giants intensified, Walmart began investing heavily in AI and automation to improve operations, simplify customer shopping experiences, and reduce support workloads across its physical and digital platforms.

Key AI initiatives

• AI search: Walmart’s generative AI-powered search understands natural language and context. A customer can ask, “Help me plan an Avengers-themed birthday party for my son,” and receive tailored product suggestions.

• Walmart voice orders service: Customers can connect their smart speakers to their Walmart account and order items by voice. For example: “Hey Google, add 1L rice bran oil to my cart.” The system identifies the customer’s preferred brand from previous purchases and adds the item.

• Ask Sam: This is a voice assistant used by Walmart associates to locate products, check prices, and answer customer questions in real time. If a shopper asks, “Where’s the oat milk?” they get an instant, accurate answer — no need to search aisles or call a manager.

Impact 

Walmart’s AI search has shifted the shopping experience from endless scrolling to goal-driven results. Voice ordering adds convenience and speed, especially for repeat purchases. Ask Sam frees up store associates by giving them quick answers, reducing customer friction, and improving in-store support at scale.

Delta airlines

Delta Air Lines is one of the largest global carriers, transporting over 190 million passengers annually across nearly 300 destinations on six continents. With a workforce exceeding 100,000 employees, Delta has been recognized for its commitment to innovation and customer experience. 

Key AI initiatives

• Delta Concierge: This is an AI-powered digital assistant integrated into the Fly Delta app that provides personalized, real-time assistance throughout the travel journey. Delta Concierge offers contextual insights, such as gate changes, baggage tracking, and travel recommendations, to make the customer experience more seamless.

• Personalized travel offers: Delta uses AI to analyze booking history, travel patterns, and preferences to recommend upgrades, special fares, and targeted promotions. This lets Delta move beyond generic emails and deliver offers that actually match what a traveler might want.

• AI-driven operational management: Delta has implemented AI systems to optimize flight operations, particularly during disruptions like bad weather. These systems simulate various scenarios to assist in decision-making, helping to minimize delays and cancellations.

Impact 

These AI initiatives simplify the travel experience, reduce uncertainty, and help customers stay informed without needing to ask for help. Delta CEO Ed Bastian captured the goal simply: “People go on and are on hold for five minutes waiting for an answer; they should only be on hold for five seconds,” he said. 

“That's what AI can do, and that's one of the first applications that we're deploying.” This reflects Delta’s focus on using AI to replace delays with real-time, reliable support.

Spotify

Spotify is a music streaming platform with over 433 million users. It uses AI not just to recommend songs, but to shape how people discover, share, and interact with music every day.

Key AI initiatives

• Personalized music recommendations: Spotify analyzes listening behavior, search patterns, and user preferences to generate dynamic playlists like Discover Weekly, Daily Mix, and Spotify Wrapped.

• Mood-based playlist creation: Spotify uses AI to scan song lyrics and metadata to group tracks by mood or theme (e.g., breakup songs, workout music). These playlists improve discoverability beyond standard genres.

• Voice controls: Spotify supports hands-free playback through voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. You can say “Play something chill” or “Skip this song,” the app will respond using contextual understanding.

Impact 

Spotify’s AI features have made music discovery feel effortless and personal. Over 30% of listening time now comes from AI-generated playlists like Discover Weekly and Daily Mix, helping users find songs they actually enjoy without having to search. 

Spotify Wrapped has become a cultural moment, giving users a personalized summary of their year in music and driving millions to share their listening habits.

IKEA

IKEA, the global leader in home furnishings, offers a wide range of affordable, stylish, and functional products for everyday living. It is known for ready-to-assemble flat-pack furniture and its focus on sustainability. 

IKEA is also recognized for creating immersive in-store experiences that help customers imagine furniture in their own homes. With AI, the company is working to bring that same experience to its online platforms. 

Key AI initiatives

• Billie (AI chatbot): Billie is IKEA’s AI-powered customer service chatbot that helps customers 24/7 with common questions about orders, returns, product info, and services. 

• IKEA Kreativ: A digital room planner that uses AI and 3D imaging to let customers visualize how furniture will look in their own space. Users can upload a photo of their room, remove existing furniture digitally, and experiment with IKEA products before buying.

• GPT-powered AI assistant: Available in the OpenAI GPT Store, this assistant provides personalized furniture and decor suggestions based on room dimensions, personal style, sustainability preferences, budget, and functional requirements.

Impact

After launching in 2021, IKEA’s customer service chatbot Billie now handles about 47% of all customer inquiries, managing roughly 3.2 million interactions over two years. This shift has helped IKEA save nearly €13 million in support costs. 

Tools like IKEA Kreativ and the GPT-based assistant empower customers to visualize products in their own spaces, receive tailored recommendations, and make informed decisions.

Adobe

Adobe is a company that makes software for creating, editing, and sharing content. Its popular tools include Photoshop for images, Premiere Pro for video, and Acrobat for PDFs. Adobe also offers cloud services to help businesses design, market, and manage digital experiences across websites, apps, and documents.

Key AI initiatives

• AI assistant for customer support: Adobe has built an AI assistant directly into its Experience Platform to help customers solve problems faster. It answers common support questions, suggests relevant tutorials, helps with basic troubleshooting, automates ticket creation, and lets users track support requests without switching tools.

• Agent orchestrator: Agent Orchestrator is a tool built into Adobe Experience Platform that lets businesses set up AI agents to handle everyday marketing and customer support tasks like updating website content, generating personalized messages, and fine-tuning customer targeting.

• Brand concierge: An AI assistant that guides customers through browsing and buying using brand tone and customer data. It can recommend products, compare options, or answer questions through text, voice, or images. 

Impact

Adobe’s AI initiatives make it easier for customers to access support, reduce operational costs, and improve productivity across its user base. With tools like Agent Orchestrator and Brand Concierge, users experience a smoother, more personalized journey when working with Adobe’s product suite.

Starbucks

Starbucks is a multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves, widely recognized by coffee lovers around the world. 

From the beginning, Starbucks has focused on delivering personalized customer experiences. It's known for thoughtful touches like writing customer names on cups, loyalty programs, and targeted promotions. In recent years, Starbucks has extended this personalization through AI to deepen customer engagement and optimize operations.

Key AI initiatives

• Personalized recommendations: Starbucks uses its AI platform, Deep Brew, to analyze customer data like purchase history, time of day, and weather. Based on this, it offers personalized drink and food suggestions, customized discounts, and targeted promotions in its mobile app.

• Inventory and supply chain optimization: To address challenges like spoilage, overstocking, and product shortages, Starbucks implemented AI-powered systems to manage its inventory and supply chain. These tools forecast demand, automate restocking, and optimize delivery schedules across thousands of store locations.

Impact

AI-powered recommendations have boosted customer engagement and repeat purchases by making offers more relevant. On the operations side, predictive supply chain management keeps stores well-stocked, reduces waste, and helps staff serve customers faster, especially during peak hours. 

GitHub

GitHub is a code hosting and collaboration platform that allows developers to manage code changes, track issues, and collaborate through pull requests and reviews. It’s widely used for both open-source and enterprise software development and is owned by Microsoft. 

Key AI initiatives

• AI support assistant: The focus of the AI assistant is to automate L1 queries like repo access issues, billing queries, and permission errors. It has been integrated into GitHub's support portal and Copilot Chat, allowing users to access assistance directly within their workflow.

• GitHub Copilot: An AI-powered code completion tool that suggests code snippets and functions in real-time, helping developers write code faster and with fewer errors.

• Automated incident triage: GitHub implemented AI algorithms that prioritize, classify, and route incoming support tickets based on factors like complexity, urgency, and expertise. 

Impact 

The AI Support Assistant resolves over 60% of customer queries independently, often in under 7 minutes. This rapid resolution reduces downtime for users and allows human support agents to focus on more complex issues. The integration of AI into support workflows has led to increased customer trust and satisfaction.

Canva 

Canva started as an easy design tool for non-designers. Today, it’s become a powerful AI-powered platform that helps millions of users create presentations, social posts, and videos without advanced design skills. AI is now baked into almost every part of Canva, making it faster and easier to turn ideas into polished content.

Key AI initiatives

• Magic Studio: A comprehensive suite of AI tools, including Magic Write for text generation, Magic Design for instant design creation, Magic Edit for image modifications, and Magic Animate for adding animations.

• Ask Canva: An AI-powered assistant that provides real-time support by guiding users through features, offering design advice, and resolving common issues directly within the platform.

• Canva Shield: Canva added built-in safety tools to make sure AI-generated content is respectful, accurate, and safe to use. The AI tool offers legal support for enterprise customers in case of disputes over AI-generated material, such as copyright or misinformation claims.

Impact 

Canva’s AI tools have reshaped how users create and collaborate. Magic Studio has been used over 16 billion times, helping users move from idea to finished design faster. The in-app assistant, Ask Canva, handles thousands of support queries daily, providing real-time help without breaking the creative flow. Canva Shield adds a layer of trust by checking AI-generated content for safety and offering legal support when needed. Together, these tools make design quicker, safer, and more intuitive for everyday users and teams.

If you want to incorporate AI into your customer service like these leading companies, pagergpt makes it easy to get started and deliver the kind of support your customers expect.

pagergpt is an all-in-one solution for enterprises looking to deliver top-notch customer service. With our no-code builder, you can launch AI agents that handle FAQs, resolve queries, and perform actions like checking order status or processing refunds. These AI agents work across channels like your website, WhatsApp, and email, so your customers always get fast, consistent support.

What’s more?

With the shared live inbox, your support team can manage conversations in one place and resolve issues faster. The built-in analytics dashboard helps you track trends and performance, so you can improve customer experience based on real data, not guesswork. 

Want to see in action how pagergpt helps you elevate your customer service? Book a demo now.

How are companies implementing AI in their customer service operations?

Many renowned companies like Amazon, Starbucks, Sephora, and Walmart use AI to automate repetitive queries, personalize recommendations, and analyze customer feedback.

Will AI replace human customer service agents?

AI won’t fully replace human agents but will handle repetitive, low-complexity queries. This allows human teams to focus on complex issues that require empathy or nuanced judgment. The result is faster support for simple questions and better outcomes for cases that need a human touch.

What features should businesses look for in an AI customer service platform?

Look for a platform that’s easy to use, cost-effective, and includes key features like a shared live inbox, lead capture, real-time analytics, and multichannel support. It should also integrate smoothly with your existing tools. Platforms like pagergpt offer all of this in one place.

What are the key benefits of using AI in customer service?

AI reduces response times, handles high volumes without extra staff, and ensures 24/7 availability. It improves consistency, lowers costs, and helps human agents focus on more valuable work. It also enables faster scaling of support without sacrificing quality.

Can AI handle multilingual customer support effectively?

Yes, many AI platforms use built-in translation or train models on multiple languages. This allows them to understand and respond in the customers’ preferred language.