Discover How AI is Changing Customer Service at Chess

Our journey begins in customer service, with our service teams who are at the heart of everything we do. The results are already transforming how we work. 

Michael Leighton, Customer Support Director, sums up our journey so far:

“Over the past six months, we’ve been hands-on with tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Agentic AI, learning from real customer journeys, refining our data foundations, and navigating the steep learning curve that comes with adopting new technology at pace.

Implementing AI at this scale has pushed us to rethink how we work, challenge old assumptions and embrace new ways of solving problems. It’s been a steep learning curve, but the progress we’ve made, and the benefits our customers are already seeing show just how powerful the combination of our people and smart technology can be.”

The Impact for You, Our Customer

Our new AI-driven support function is changing how customers interact with us by delivering:

• Faster resolutions - queries handled in minutes, not hours.
• Smarter, more consistent service across every channel.
• Instant answers for routine queries, reducing wait times significantly.

AI now handles a significant share of inbound calls, live chats, proactive check-ins, and cash-collection journeys with impressive accuracy - reducing wait times, improving consistency, and resolving routine queries instantly. This frees our people to focus on solving complex issues where personalised support works best.

How We’re Using AI Internally

Microsoft Copilot is helping teams across Chess:

• Speed up document production.
• Create stronger communications.
• Summarise customer cases.
• Generate insights and improve reporting.

This means less manual admin and faster, more informed decision-making. To support this growth, we’ve rolled out a network of AI Champions across the business. They help teams adopt AI safely, effectively, and confidently - accelerating adoption, identifying new use cases, and ensuring AI is built into workflows in a consistent and scalable way.

Agentic AI and Customer Value

Agentic AI continues to play a crucial role in orchestrating customer journeys and highlighting where automation adds real value. With the expertise we’ve built, we’re now proud to resell the Agentic AI platform to our customers, helping them unlock the same efficiency, consistency, and insight that have transformed our own operations.

Intelligent Automation in Action

From sending invoices and managing reminders to validating account details and supporting identification processes, automation now works seamlessly with our internal systems. This means:

• Quicker answers.
• Smoother journeys.
• Fewer hand-offs between teams.

These capabilities also deliver streamlined ticket creation, improved data quality, and more robust reporting - helping us identify issues earlier and respond more effectively.

What We’ve Learned

This journey hasn’t been without its challenges. We’ve discovered:

• The importance of clean, well-structured data.
• The need for consistent processes.
• A mindset of continual iteration.

One key takeaway? AI isn’t a “plug-and-play” solution. It requires thoughtful design, constant monitoring, and human oversight to ensure outputs are reliable, secure, and aligned with our service standards.

Tell Us About Your Chess Customer Experience

We also want to hear from you. How are you finding the use of AI in Chess customer service - the good and the bad? Your feedback will help us refine our approach and improve the journey as we gain more experience. Share your thoughts with us today and help shape the future of customer service at Chess.