Customer service stories - Page 6

Kick ICT has appointed Steven Brown as chief executive, succeeding retiring founder Tom O'Hara as the group targets its next growth phase.

European banks expect AI to shrink staff only slightly, with most projected job losses coming through routine attrition, not mass cuts.

Elyos AI raises USD $13m to grow its AI agents that answer calls, book jobs and automate admin for trades and field service firms.

Hayo upgrades its National Mobile Registry with real-time tools to detect SIM swap fraud, stolen phones and illegal devices on networks.

Rimini Street secures multiple awards for agentic AI, customer service and leadership, as Hitachi Vantara client also earns industry honour.

Newo.ai and IONOS have launched a plug-and-play AI receptionist, promising SMEs 24/7 call handling, missed lead recovery and quick setup.

Manhattan rolls out embedded AI agents across its Active suite, promising real-time automation and custom agent creation for retailers.

Shadow AI and shaky data foundations are undermining UK corporate AI rollouts, with leaders warning of weak controls and executive blind spots.

FourKites has created a manufacturing advisory board of senior supply chain leaders to steer its product roadmap and AI-driven logistics tools.

Five9 and Google Cloud unveil a joint AI-powered CX platform, unifying contact centre workflows and customer data across all channels.

Chargebacks surge after record online holiday sales, with USD $181 billion in returns putting retailers' first-quarter profits at risk.

Google launches a Universal Commerce Protocol and Business Agent tools as it bets on AI agents to drive the next era of online shopping.

Ant backs Google's new Universal Commerce Protocol to standardise how AI agents handle shopping, payments and post-purchase support.

Nintex warns enterprise agentic AI will face a 2026 reality check, with tighter budgets, targeted use cases and tougher governance.

AI will reshape risk, trust and compliance in 2026 as firms swap hype for embedded tools, tighter controls and higher regulatory scrutiny.

SAS predicts agentic AI will run core banking by 2026, reshaping trust, fraud defences, climate risk and quantum-powered decision making.

Klaviyo forecasts 2026 surge in AI voice shopping, automated returns and connected-device purchases reshaping how consumers buy.

AI agents will reshape how shoppers discover brands, forcing retailers to rethink visibility as SaaS vendors and ad budgets come under strain.

UK councils ramp up AI spending to boost efficiency and services, but poor strategy and complexity risk wasting taxpayers' money.

Salesforce launches Agentforce 360 retail tools to unify AI across marketing, eCommerce and service, promising smoother shopper journeys.