Customer Service

  • A person with long hair carries a stack of boxes.
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    Courtesy of Stitch Fix
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    Stitch Fix personalization investments show signs of paying off

    Deeper customer-stylist relationships and improved flexibility fueled a strong quarter, but the retailer still reported year-over-year declines in active clients.

    By • June 11, 2025
  • Close-up of customer service representative wearing wireless headset working on desktop computer in call center.
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    simonkr via Getty Images
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    Want to encourage generative AI use? Reassure customers that humans are available

    About one-third of those who prefer phones for customer service are open to generative AI, according to Gartner. Making live agents readily available from self-service can win them over.

    By • June 9, 2025
  • A person assists a family in getting a product behind glass casing at a store. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Customer service

    In this Trendline, CX Dive explores how customer service is evolving to fit the needs of the modern businesses and demands of today’s customers.

    By CX Dive staff
  • A bank branch building features the "Bank of America" name and logo in front of sunny skies.
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    Brandon Bell / Staff via Getty Images
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    BofA’s head of branches: ‘Proximity is still important to people’

    Customers may or may not visit a branch, but the bank’s presence affirms its commitment to a community, and “there’s a brand value” in that, the executive said.

    By Caitlin Mullen • June 6, 2025
  • Call center agents handle customer service at desks
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    Jacob Wackerhausen via Getty Images
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    Call center agents aren’t promoting self-service

    Customers are about twice as likely to use self-service after an agent suggests it, but most say it didn’t come up on a recent call, a Gartner survey found.

    By • June 5, 2025
  • A close up of a man's hand holding a phone displaying a conversation with a chatbot.
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    ArtMarie via Getty Images
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    Business leaders expect agentic AI to take over customer service

    The enthusiasm toward agentic AI in business circles is more muted for customers. Three-quarters of consumers believe customer service is now too impersonal.

    By • May 30, 2025
  • A Williams-Sonoma store in Corte Madera, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    For Williams-Sonoma, customer service starts in the supply chain

    Backend improvements enhance the customer journey in-store as experience becomes a key lever to focus on with tariffs, according to CEO Laura Alber.

    By • May 27, 2025
  • The Klarna logo in front of pink balloons
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    Astrid Stawiarz via Getty Images
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    Klarna credits AI for slashing customer service costs

    Though the buy now, pay later firm will once again hire customer service agents, it sees its AI chatbot as a success that has cut costs.

    By • May 21, 2025
  • A custome renters a Home Depot store
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Home Depot is ‘laser focused’ on elevating customer service through associates

    A localized training program and generative AI knowledge tools for workers are expected to boost the in-store experience.

    By • May 20, 2025
  • A man sits in front of a computer with a hand on his head.
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    PhotoLife94 via Getty Images
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    Why customer service shouldn’t be ‘a deflection mechanism’

    When customers are unable to reach customer service, it can exacerbate their frustration and erode overall customer experience, brand reputation and sales. 

    By • May 20, 2025
  • Customers check in for Southwest flights with their bags.
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    Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
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    People skills drive experience wins for Southwest, JetBlue, research finds

    JetBlue and Delta have invested tens of millions of dollars training staff to be friendly and interactive, while Southwest hires for attitude.

    By • May 12, 2025
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    Unsplash/ Jessica Yap

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    Sponsored by Enterpret

    The growth disconnect: Why scaling often means losing customer focus

    The CX leader's blueprint for maintaining connection throughout growth, and how customer-centric brands maintain their focus.

    May 12, 2025
  • Co-founder and CEO Klarna Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Jonathan Shieber during TechCrunch Disrupt London 2015 - Day 1 at Copper Box Arena on December 7, 2015 in London, England.
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    John Phillips via Getty Images
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    Klarna changes its AI tune and again recruits humans for customer service

    Over a year after claiming that its AI chatbot could do the work of 700 representatives, Klarna is turning back to people to help with customer service work.

    By • May 9, 2025
  • An image of the Shake Shack logo on a window.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Shake Shack rolls out digital menu boards, combos to speed up drive-thru

    The drive-thru efforts build on five consecutive quarters of improvements to speed of service and order accuracy.

    By • May 2, 2025
  • A Starbucks barista hands a customer a coffee
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks’ employee, algorithm investments show signs of paying off

    Pilot programs last quarter proved workers, not equipment, are the key to solving Starbucks’ low throughput woes, according to CEO Brian Niccol.

    By • April 30, 2025
  • Tourists walk past the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service near the National Mall on April 7, 2023 in Washington, DC.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Satisfaction with government services faces headwinds in 2025

    While the metric has been increasing, there is still a sizable gap between government and other industries, Qualtrics found.

    By • April 29, 2025
  • A photograph of a brick building with a red sign and white letters that says Chipotle.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Chipotle wants its workers to smile for customers

    The restaurant chain plans to improve CX through friendliness. “The fact is smiles down the line don't slow us down,” CEO Scott Boatwright said.

    By • April 24, 2025
  • A headset hangs on a laptop
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    AzmanL via Getty Images
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    Blind worker to receive $250,000 for call center’s failure to accommodate

    The Results Companies “did not avail itself of the free resources” offered to make a screen reader more compatible with its systems, per the lawsuit.

    By Caroline Colvin • April 24, 2025
  • The outside of a Verizon store
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    Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
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    Verizon plans AI-driven experiences as it fights customer churn

    The wireless network provider reported higher levels of customer churn in the first quarter following price hikes. Executives see AI-driven customer experiences as part of the solution.

    By • April 22, 2025
  • A person calls customer service on their cell phone
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    fizkes via Getty Images
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    Consumers want swift customer service no matter the channel

    Most customers expect a response within an hour, but for some it’s as quick as five minutes.

    By • April 21, 2025
  • A Rent the Runway sign is pictured.
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    Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Rent the Runway rethinks customer service approach

    Shifting to more proactive service, the team now spends 14% of its time calling customers to build loyalty, according to CEO Jennifer Hyman.

    By • April 15, 2025
  • A customer uses their phone on the couch.
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    ChayTee via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How third-party conversational AI could upend customer service

    Experts expect conversational assistants to take on the burden of making customer service queries for customers, but this creates new challenges for CX leaders.

    By • April 14, 2025
  • A woman holds a phone displaying social media apps.
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    Roni Bintang via Getty Images
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    Customers are turning to social media for support inquiries

    Customers who reach out via social media for customer service want fast, human responses, an Emplifi survey found.

    By • April 4, 2025
  • Woman talking on phone having unpleasant conversation and looks stressed.
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    fizkes via Getty Images
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    Customer service quality drops as businesses look to cut costs

    Nearly two-thirds of executives say they’re actively making trade-offs between customer satisfaction and cost efficiency, according to Accenture.

    By • March 31, 2025
  • A woman is on the phone with customer service and holds her credit card.
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    fizkes via Getty Images
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    There’s a big gap between what consumers and CX leaders value

    Consumers value first-contact resolution and knowledgeable agents significantly more than customer experience leaders, a Genesys survey finds.

    By Michael Brady • March 27, 2025
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Why Shake Shack’s parent company ties employee experience to CX

    Employees won’t offer customers consistently good experiences unless they like their job and coworkers, according to Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer.

    By • March 25, 2025