## Weekly Customer Service AI Update

Freshworks Transforms Customer Service with Smart AI Agents

Freshworks, a company that makes customer service software, announced exciting new AI features on November 13. The main update is called Freshdesk Command Center, which brings all customer messages from different platforms—like email, chat, and phone—into one easy-to-use workspace. This means customer service teams don't have to jump between different apps anymore; everything they need is in one place. The company also introduced something called Vertical AI Agents, which are AI systems designed specifically for different types of businesses. If you work for an online store, an AI agent understands online shopping problems. If you work for a bank, the AI agent understands banking questions. These agents automatically handle routine tasks like answering frequently asked questions, checking order status, or explaining policies. This lets human workers focus on harder problems that need real thinking and kindness.

Energy-Saving AI in Spain Powers Better Customer Service

On November 12, Telefónica, Spain's biggest phone company, partnered with Multiverse Computing to create smaller, smarter AI systems for customer service. Here's why this matters: regular AI systems can use lots of electricity and computing power, which costs money and hurts the environment. Multiverse Computing used special techniques to compress these AI systems by up to 80%, making them much smaller and faster. The best part? Even though the systems are smaller, they still give accurate answers to customer questions. By using compressed AI, Telefónica will use 75% less energy for the same quality work. The company plans to use these improved AI systems in their new customer service chat system called "Movistar por ti," which means "Movistar for you" in Spanish. This shows how companies are finding ways to make AI both more powerful and more eco-friendly.

Google Gives Marketing Teams New AI Helpers

Google announced that it's giving all English-language users access to two new AI assistants called Ads Advisor and Analytics Advisor on November 14. These AI helpers use Google's Gemini AI technology to help marketing teams work faster and smarter. Instead of clicking through lots of menus and buttons, marketers can simply ask the AI questions in normal language—like "Why are my ads not performing well?" or "What changes should I make to improve my website traffic?". The AI understands what they're asking and provides recommendations based on real data. Ads Advisor helps teams figure out why their advertising campaigns are working or not working, and it can even suggest better ways to set up campaigns. Analytics Advisor looks at all the information about website visitors and explains what's happening. This is helpful for teams that don't have specialists on staff who know every technical detail.

Big Picture: The Future of Customer Service Is AI

All these announcements point to the same major trend: AI agents and AI helpers are becoming normal tools for customer service, just like phones and computers are today. Industry research shows that 81% of businesses have already put AI into their customer service operations, and this number keeps growing. Most company leaders believe AI will significantly change how they serve customers within the next few years. The reason companies are investing so much in AI agents is that they solve big problems: they work 24/7 without needing breaks, they never get tired or frustrated, and they can answer questions immediately instead of making customers wait. However, the smartest companies understand that AI shouldn't completely replace human workers; instead, AI should handle the easy stuff so humans can handle the complicated, sensitive situations where being thoughtful and understanding really matters. By 2027, experts predict that about half of all customer service cases will be handled by AI, though the most challenging problems will still need human judgment and empathy.