What is Agentforce and Why It Matters

The future of customer service isn’t on the horizon — it’s already unfolding. In February, FLO had the privilege of joining the Agentforce World Tour in Sydney as a Gold Partner, where we connected with global leaders shaping the next era of customer experience (CX).

What we took away from the event was clear: AI agents are no longer a nice-to-have. They’re becoming essential to meet the rising expectations of customers who want fast, meaningful, and seamless support.

But while the technology is advancing at speed, the real question isn’t whether you’ll use AI agents — it’s how you’ll use them.

So, what is Agentforce?

Agentforce is Salesforce’s next-generation platform designed to bring AI-powered agents into the core of customer service. But this isn’t just about replacing human teams with bots. Agentforce is built around collaboration between AI and people, where each supports the other to deliver the best possible experience.

It's designed to give businesses a way to provide instant, personalised, always-on support — while making sure customers never feel like they’re trapped in an endless loop of robotic replies.

When done right, this kind of AI doesn’t just speed up service. It helps businesses create experiences that feel smoother, smarter, and more human.

Beyond the chatbot: why AI agents are different

The days of clunky chatbots that answer basic FAQs are long gone. AI agents have evolved into something far more capable — and far more valuable.

How is an AI agent different from a traditional chatbot?

Chatbot	AI Agent
Chatbot Follows a script	AI Agent Adapts in real time
Chatbot Handles basic FAQs	AI Agent Solves complex requests
Chatbot Limited to pre-written answers	AI Agent Generates personalised responses
Chatbot No memory	AI Agent Remembers context

Where a chatbot can only stick to its script, AI agents think on their feet. They recognise patterns, pull information from past conversations, and understand the bigger picture. They’re not here to replace human agents but to take the pressure off by handling repetitive tasks and escalating the tricky ones when needed.

“A well-designed AI agent can remove customer frustration and speed up service. But if it becomes just a cheap replacement for human support, it risks driving customers away.”

Andrej Hajek, CEO, FLO

Why getting AI right matters

We often hear businesses talk about the promise of AI agents — how they’ll cut costs, speed up response times, and run 24/7 without needing a coffee break. And that’s all possible.

But without thoughtful implementation, the reality can be very different. Instead of delivering seamless interactions, poorly designed AI can leave customers stuck in frustrating loops of generic replies, unable to reach a real person when it matters.

Recent data shows that a bad experience with AI support is enough to send over half of customers looking for alternatives. So while AI offers incredible potential to remove friction and boost efficiency, it must be built around actual customer needs — not just internal cost-cutting.

The takeaway? AI isn’t a shortcut to better service. It’s a tool. And like any tool, it only works when used thoughtfully, with a clear understanding of what your customers actually need.

FLO’s insight: AI is only as good as its design

From what we saw at Agentforce and through our own projects at FLO, the companies getting AI right are the ones focusing on more than just the technology. They’re thinking about the customer experience first and building from there.

That means being transparent about when a customer is talking to an AI. It means making it easy to switch from AI to a human — without repeating the same information all over again. And it means constantly improving the system based on real feedback, not just technical updates.

“The best AI agents work like trusted team members. They take care of repetitive jobs, know when to ask for help, and get better the more they work alongside people.”

Malcolm Vu, Salesforce Practice Lead, FLO

It’s easy to forget that customer service is, at its heart, about relationships. AI can support those relationships, but it can’t replace them. Not if you want customers to keep coming back.

At FLO, we’ve been actively working with our customers to explore the potential of Agentforce and how it can elevate their customer experience strategies. We’ve had ongoing discussions about its application across various industries and have been deepening our expertise through hands-on training. For the World Tour, we built a tailored demo to showcase the power of Agentforce in action.

What’s next for Australian businesses?

We’re seeing the first wave of large companies rolling out AI agents — banks, telcos, online retailers. But there’s still hesitation across the broader market.

Some businesses are waiting to see more evidence. Others are unsure whether the time and investment will pay off. And some are just overwhelmed by the complexity of getting started.

But as we heard repeatedly at Agentforce, this isn’t something that can sit on the sidelines for much longer. The brands that start now — and start smart — will be the ones setting the standard. Everyone else will be racing to catch up.

The good news is, the technology is ready. The knowledge is there. And with the right approach, AI agents can be a genuine advantage, not just a necessary upgrade.