Salesforce’s successful implementation of Agentforce on help.salesforce.com demonstrates key strategies for AI adoption and provides valuable insights for companies navigating the integration of AI into their support operations. A 24/7 AI concierge, Agentforce is providing fast, accurate, and more actionable responses to thousands of customer inquiries every week. 

Why it matters: A recent Slack study found that only 7% of desk workers consider themselves expert AI users. And with 82% of companies planning to integrate AI agents into their workflows within the next three years, addressing employee concerns is critical to fostering adoption.

Salesforce VP Bernard Slowey, who helped lead the Agentforce implementation, reveals how Salesforce helped navigate employee hesitation and empowered the support team to embrace the technology:

• Initial resistance is natural: Acknowledge and address employee concerns about job displacement. “There was definitely a nervousness from support engineers … so one of the things we’ve really tried to do is emphasize it’s humans with AI together,” said Slowey.
• Early involvement is crucial: Include employees in the planning and implementation process to foster a sense of ownership. “We wanted to make sure support engineers felt very connected to this, so we’ve included them since we began planning this launch. They’re embedded in the change, and they’re helping ensure the success of Agentforce,” he said. 
• Highlight the “What’s in it for me?”: Clearly communicate the benefits of AI agents for employees and the organization, such as freeing employees from repetitive tasks and allowing them to focus on higher-value work, like complex support cases, or even helping improve the AI agents’ performance. Said Slowey, “We told our support engineers we want them focused on the harder problems that require a human touch. They’re pivotal to the success of Agentforce.”
• Focus on the growing importance of AI: Help employees understand that AI is here to stay and how embracing it will enhance their skills and future-proof their careers. “AI will empower our employees to do their best work, learn new skills, and contribute to a more efficient and effective support organization,” he said.

AI will empower our employees to do their best work, learn new skills, and contribute to a more efficient and effective support organization.

Bernard Slowey, VP of Digital Customer Success at Salesforce

Between the lines: Salesforce’s emphasis on humans with AI aligns with its core values of trust and customer success. By empowering employees and addressing their concerns, Salesforce ensures that AI agents are implemented in a way that benefits the workforce, company ROI, and the customer experience.

What’s next: The company is now handling about 32,000 customer conversations per week with a resolution rate of 83% through Agentforce. As Salesforce continues to expand its agent-first initiatives, the company’s focus on employees will serve as a model for other businesses seeking to successfully integrate AI into their operations.

Go deeper: 

• Discover how digital labor will reshape the enterprise
• The 10 collaborative skills needed for teams to succeed with AI agents
• Learn how Salesforce is using its own agent technology to power help.salesforce.com

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