Half of small businesses in the United States already use artificial intelligence to elevate customer service; 9 out of 10 will keep or grow their human service teams
New research shows small business optimism for customer experience investments to drive loyalty despite economic pressures
PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Talkdesk®, Inc. today revealed new research from a customer service and artificial intelligence (AI) survey of United States (U.S.) small business owners. Half (51%) of small businesses have already integrated AI into their customer service operations, and 94% expect to either grow their customer service teams or maintain current staffing levels over the next two years.
These findings come alongside nearly one in three small businesses (32%) saying they are doubling down on customer experience (CX) to strengthen loyalty and resilience in the face of economic headwinds. However, while customer service is recognized as a differentiator, small businesses are split on the role of AI to achieve superior CX.
Small Businesses Investing in AI View it as a CX Multiplier
The half of small businesses investing in AI are using it across multiple touchpoints in the customer journey:
- 74% use AI-powered chatbots
- 51% rely on AI-driven knowledge bases or help centers
- 39% equip live agents with AI assistance
- 38% apply AI analytics for insights
- 32% use voice AI or interactive voice response (IVR) solutions
These businesses reported faster resolution times (65%), round-the-clock support (60%), and higher customer satisfaction (40%). Additionally, almost one in five (18%) have seen increased sales through access to information enabled by AI.
“Small businesses are showing us that even lean teams can harness AI to deliver faster, smarter, and more valuable experiences to their customers,” said Neville Letzerich, chief marketing officer of Talkdesk. “By combining new technologies and the human element, they’re proving investments in modern customer service can reap dividends, and CX can be a source of optimism for businesses during uncertain times.”
But Not Every Small Business Is On Board with AI Yet
Among those small businesses not yet using AI in customer service, opinions are divided on future investments:
- 31% plan to adopt within the year
- 32% do not plan to adopt
- 37% remain unsure
Concerns about adopting AI include relevance (59%), fear of losing the “personal touch” (30%), and perceived complexity (21%).
Finding the Balance Between People and Technology
The half of U.S. small business owners already using AI in customer service follow several best practices to ensure AI supports a customer-first ethos:
- 43% prioritize human oversight in customer interactions
- 42% train staff on AI’s strengths and limitations
- 41% set clear AI usage guardrails
- 34% disclose AI use to customers
“If you’re a business leader and you see a gap in your customer service — such as missing calls during off hours or customers experiencing long resolution times — this research underscores how the right approaches to deploying AI can modernize operations without ever losing authentic, personal customer service,” continued Letzerich.
Methodology: Talkdesk commissioned Pollfish to survey 400 U.S. small business owners in August 2025.
About Talkdesk
Talkdesk® is leading a new era in customer experience with Customer Experience Automation (CXA)—a new category and platform designed to automate the full complexity of modern customer journeys. CXA replaces fragmented, human-coordinated workflows with autonomous, multi-agent AI orchestration that delivers intelligent, scalable, and outcome-focused service across the entire CX lifecycle.
At the core of CXA is the Talkdesk Data Cloud, which turns transcripts, call recordings, case notes, and customer records from across CRMs and systems of record into real-time, actionable knowledge. This enables AI agents to operate with full context, collaborating seamlessly to resolve complex customer problems with speed, precision, and adaptability.
Talkdesk CXA supports both cross-industry workflows and industry-specialized use cases in sectors like healthcare, financial services, retail, utilities, travel, and government. With prebuilt AI agents, a virtuous automation cycle (Discover, Build, Orchestrate, Measure), and rapid time-to-value, Talkdesk helps enterprises modernize customer experience without the need for a full rip-and-replace.
Trusted by global brands and recognized for continuous innovation, Talkdesk empowers organizations to grow revenue, reduce costs, and transform service delivery through coordinated, AI-driven automation. Companies that love their customers use Talkdesk.
Talkdesk is a registered trademark of Talkdesk, Inc. All product and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
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