Salesforce Report: UK Teams Tap AI and Data to Drive Revenue as Service Expectations Rise

Editor’s note: Visualisations included throughout this article are set to global responses to the State of Service report by default. UK responses are available via filter

Both service and field service organisations are increasing their investment in AI to meet rising customer expectations and unlock revenue-generating opportunities, according to new research from Salesforce’s sixth State of Service report.

Gathering insights from over 5,500 service professionals in 30 countries, including 300 in the UK, the State of Service report highlights the priorities, challenges, and strategies shaping customer service in the AI era.

“Service and field service teams are getting more proactive and productive with the power of data and AI,” said Kishan Chetan, EVP and General Manager of Service Cloud. “They’re deflecting more issues with smarter self-service. And they’re devoting more time and energy to generating revenue — pointing to a fundamental shift in their role within the business.”

They’re deflecting more issues with smarter self-service. And they’re devoting more time and energy to generating revenue — pointing to a fundamental shift in their role within the business.

Kishan Chetan, EVP and General Manager of Service Cloud

Service organisations double down on revenue generation

The trend of viewing service as a revenue driver instead of a cost center is accelerating.  Globally, eighty-five percent of service decision makers now say their teams are expected to contribute a larger slice of revenue over the coming year through upselling, cross-selling, and customer retention.

In the UK, the strategic emphasis on revenue generation is fueling bigger budgets and larger teams. Seventy-three percent of UK decision makers expect budgets to grow over the next year. Meanwhile, just over two-thirds (68%) of UK decision makers anticipate expanding their headcount.

Agents and mobile workers face mounting pressure

With 88% of customers wordwide saying good service makes them more likely to purchase from the same company again, it’s clear that customer experience is key to driving revenue. However, delivering on expectations isn’t as simple as in years past. Ninety percent of UK service professionals say customer expectations are getting higher.

On top of increasingly sophisticated demands from customers, 72% of UK service organisations anticipate higher case volumes in the year ahead. The risk of burnout or failure in this scenario is a major factor for agents, who are already stretched thin. 

Organisations lean into AI, automation, and data to boost efficiency, sales

AI and automation may present solutions for over-burdened agents tasked with revenue generation. Currently, UK agents spend just 43% of their time servicing customers amid competing demands like internal meetings, administrative tasks, and manually logging case notes.

88% of UK service professionals at organisations with AI say the technology saves them time. By responding to simple queries and crafting self-help knowledge articles, AI clears the way for human agents to focus on more fulfilling and higher value work, such as building customer relationships and resolving complex cases.

Service organisations also report using AI to directly help with revenue generation by providing intelligent recommendations and offers to agents.

Savvy service organisations are taking note of the promise AI and another efficiency driver, automation can bring. Currently, 62% of UK organisations have invested in AI. Seventy-eight percent of UK decision makers plan to increase their AI investments over the next year, with the same amount planning to boost automation investments. 

For both AI and employees, personalising service interactions requires customer knowledge, which often is drawn from many different data sources. Empowering AI and employees with a complete view is a clear priority for UK decision makers, 74% of whom plan to boost investments in data integration over the next year.

More information

• Read the full State of Service report
• Explore more top generative AI statistics
• Register for our upcoming State of Service webinar
• Try this interactive calculator to learn about Service Cloud ROI

Methodology

Salesforce conducted a double-anonymous survey of over 5,500 professionals in roles including service operations, service agents, mobile workers, service managers/directors, and service leadership/head of service — including 300 from the UK. Respondents were sourced from 30 countries and five continents. The data was collected between December 8, 2023, and January 22, 2024.