Agentic AI in Customer Support: Transforming 2026

In 2026, customer support is undergoing a transformative shift thanks to Agentic AI, enabling autonomous resolutions and proactive engagement across channels. This innovative approach promises to reduce costs and increase satisfaction, marking a significant departure from traditional support methods.

What is Agentic AI?

Agentic AI refers to autonomous AI systems capable of planning, acting, and making decisions without step-by-step human input. In customer support, this means more than just answering FAQs. These agents manage workflow tasks, oversee human handoffs when necessary, and continue learning from interactions.

• Multi-step task completion: Agents troubleshoot issues, process refunds, and reschedule deliveries autonomously.
• Human handoffs: Seamlessly passing complex cases to live agents ensures customers aren't left hanging.
• Context retention: Modern AI remembers past interactions, eliminating the need for customers to repeat themselves.
• Learning over time: Every interaction helps these systems adapt to business rules and customer preferences.

Old Chatbots vs. Agentic AI: What’s Changed?

Feature	Traditional FAQ Chatbots	2026 Agentic AI Bots
Autonomy	Passive, only respond to triggers	Independently plan and act on goals
Task Handling	Handles only basic FAQs	Executes multi-step workflows like refunds and returns
Adaptability	Static, needs reprogramming	Adapts from interaction data
Context Retention	Forgets session history	Remembers across channels and time
Error Handling	Gets stuck without instruction	Self-corrects or escalates smartly

How Are Saa S and CX Leaders Using Agentic AI?

Saa S platforms and customer support leaders are embracing the capabilities of agentic AI, ditching static rules for dynamic, workflow-integrating bots. According to Crescendo, 72% of business leaders now believe AI outperforms human agents in most inquiries. Key applications include:

• Proactive issue prevention: Catches problems before they escalate to support tickets.
• Complex case management: Manages returns and onboarding with minimal human involvement.
• Instant self-service: Guides users through tasks autonomously.
• Hyper-personalized engagement: Recommends solutions based on conversation and context.

AI Chatbot Workflows in Action

Examples of agentic AI automations in customer support:

• Onboarding journeys: Guides Saa S users, completes technical setups, flags questions for humans only when needed.
• Refund processing: Checks order details and processes returns autonomously.
• Subscription updates: Manages billing changes and plan upgrades without a support engineer.
• Proactive troubleshooting: Notices app issues, messages users, and provides real-time fixes.

2026 Trends: What’s Driving Adoption?

Agentic AI's rise is fueled by trends such as:

Trend	Impact on Customer Support	Projected Outcome by 2026-2029
Agentic Autonomy	Resolves up to 90% of tickets automatically	80% of issues solved without human input
Proactivity	Anticipates needs, slashes open tickets	10x faster resolution with high accuracy
Multimodal & Personalization	Adapts in real-time to queries	Hyper-personalized loyalty and retention

Challenges and Considerations

While agentic AI presents many opportunities, it also brings challenges:

• Reliability: Up to 40% of projects might fail if systems are outdated.
• Escalation logic: Balancing AI and human roles to avoid over-automation.
• Bias and explainability: AI decisions need transparency and regular audits.
• Security and compliance: Requires strong privacy and audit controls.

What Should CX Leaders Do Next?

To capitalize on agentic AI:

• Audit legacy systems: Ensure they support AI and secure data sharing.
• Experiment with workflows: Test low-risk processes and iterate based on feedback.
• Invest in design: Combine automation with human escalation for comprehensive support.
• Monitor and improve: Use analytics to refine processes.

Gleap supports these strategies with AI-driven chat, live chat, and workflows across all channels. As businesses integrate agentic AI for customer support, they evolve to focus human effort on complex cases while letting AI handle the routine.