Video • 2 min read
Four big shifts shaping customer service and our own strategy—from CTO Adrian McDermott
The rules of customer service are changing. Here’s where the industry, and Zendesk, is headed next.
Adrian McDermott
Chief Technology Officer at Zendesk
Last updated February 24, 2026
Great customer service used to be a nice-to-have. It was also almost economically impossible to scale. But AI is dramatically reshaping customer service as we know it. Nice-to-have is now expected.
Keeping up with these big market shifts has never been more important for businesses, not just for CX, but to the bottom line. At Zendesk, we’re using these trends to guide our own strategy – where we make investments and place resources – so we can continue to show up for our customers when and where you need us.
Let’s get a little more detailed. I’ll take you through the four biggest market shifts in the video below.
Didn’t have time to tune in? Here’s a few soundbites to catch you up to speed.
1. Best-in-class service is now expected every time, everywhere
Customer expectations are on the rise, but how do you keep up? Applications like ChatGPT have blurred the lines between consumer and business tools, causing people to compare every touchpoint to the best experiences they encounter, regardless of context. Businesses will increasingly demand cutting-edge AI and technology to best support their customers
2. Service now runs on AI
In years to come, AI will touch 100% of interactions in some way. Automating yes, but also acting as a co-pilot for agents, and a key business tool for admins.
AI is becoming a system of actions, where it can deliver the right blend of fast, automated service when you need it, and human service when you need it too.
3. Every defining ritual of customer service is being rewritten
It’s not just the technology that’s changing. AI is reshaping service roles, organizations, processes, and metrics. Metrics especially will shift to reflect real customer value in an AI-driven world, such as CSAT, NPS, and lifetime value.
4. Service is converging into one platform
Omnichannel and automation continue to erode traditional market and channel boundaries, converging service into a single platform that spans customer and employee service, contact center, workforce management, QA, AI tools, and knowledge. Buyers are more and more prioritizing value and return on investment from one vendor rather than a patchwork of point solutions.
Zendesk invests across all of them with one unified, native platform infused with agentic reasoning throughout.
As AI transforms service and customer expectations change to match, Zendesk is positioned to lead the transformation.
