2026 customer service planning series: Vol. 05

Capacity planning in customer service is evolving with the integration of AI, fundamentally altering traditional assumptions and requiring organizations to adapt to a new dynamic. AI's ability to resolve simpler customer inquiries shifts human roles to more complex tasks, necessitating a re-evaluation of productivity metrics and headcount planning. As AI takes on a greater share of the workload, it creates a dual effect of increasing demand while changing the nature of work that reaches human agents. To effectively plan for 2026, organizations need to focus on the "automation rate," which measures AI's involvement and resolution capabilities, to determine staffing needs and allocate resources effectively. They should plan for a reduction in traditional productivity metrics as human agents transition to more strategic roles, invest in AI ownership and content, and work closely with finance to maintain flexibility in plans as assumptions about automation and demand change. This approach ensures that customer service teams remain efficient and responsive to evolving demands while leveraging AI to enhance service delivery.