Hertz has deployed Power Platform to build low-code applications and AI agents that directly address customer service friction, with an early pilot of a Copilot Studio-based agent reducing roadside assistance resolution time by over 15%. This represents a pragmatic approach to modernization: rather than wholesale platform replacement, Hertz layered agentic AI capabilities onto existing infrastructure through Microsoft's low-code tooling. The roadside assistance use case is particularly telling—it's a high-volume, time-sensitive problem where even modest resolution improvements translate to measurable customer satisfaction gains and operational cost reduction. The question for CX leaders is whether this pattern signals a broader shift away from purpose-built contact centre platforms toward embedded AI agents within existing enterprise stacks, particularly for organizations already invested in Microsoft ecosystems.
The 15% improvement in resolution time, whilst meaningful, warrants scrutiny around what "resolution" actually measures in this context. If Hertz's agent is handling first-contact resolution for straightforward roadside requests (towing location confirmation, basic troubleshooting), the gains are significant but narrow in scope. The broader implication is that agentic AI's value in customer service appears concentrated in specific, well-defined workflows rather than across entire support operations—a reality that should temper expectations for teams considering wholesale agent replacement. For Zendesk and Freshdesk administrators, this suggests the competitive threat isn't displacement but rather integration: vendors who can embed or orchestrate third-party agents within their platforms will retain relevance, whilst those treating agents as external tools risk becoming middleware rather than strategic systems.
Hertz drives process automation and AI-enabled innovation with Power Platform Microsoft
Hertz drives process automation and AI-enabled innovation with Power Platform microsoft.com