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Raise your hand if the thought of ‘AI’ thrilled you a decade back. And you instantly visualized a virtual robot with human-like intelligence that can do stuff on your behalf? Well, Salesforce heard you loud and clear. Dreamforce 2024 witnessed the launch of Agentforce—a virtual agent that comes close to what you had imagined ‘AI’ to be in the first place. Or, as Salesforce says, “What AI is meant to be”.
Imagine having an assistant of your own. Agentforce provides an always-on support system that’s as efficient as it is intelligent. It’s not just about customer service anymore. It’s about streamlining your entire business operations, from internal processes to external communications using Agentforce Agents.
In this blog, you are going to learn everything that you need to know about Agentforce. You’ll see how Agentforce supports both your customers and employees, empowering you to stay ahead without breaking a sweat.
Table of Contents
Agentforce vs. Copilot: How They Are Different
- Healthcare Agent
- Banking Agent
- Retail Agent
- Operations Agent
- Customer Experience (CX) Agent
- Analytics Agent
- IT Agent
- Finance Agent
- Sales Agent
- HR Agent
What is Agentforce?
Agentforce is an autonomous AI agent built to enhance support for both your customers and employees. It doesn’t require any human interference to execute tasks. It purely works on your company’s business knowledge and data to finish those tasks.
For example, consider a customer who wants to return an item they recently bought and immediately get a refund. It’s a busy Wednesday and all your customer service reps are occupied. A customer service agent can be deployed to address this issue and close it instantly without requiring any human interference. Agentforce is capable of making important decisions based on specific triggers, and taking actions on the go.
On the pricing front, Salesforce is charging $2 per conversation for Agentforce.
Agentforce vs. Copilot: How They Are Different
While it might sound confusing, both Agentforce and Copilot have their own set of features and purposes. Let’s outline the differences between them.
| Feature/Aspect | Agentforce | Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Core Functionality | Automates customer and employee interactions, providing real-time support for tasks like inquiries and order processing. | Enhances productivity by providing contextual suggestions and insights during various workflows. |
| User Interaction | Engages users directly through chat interfaces or integrated applications for immediate assistance. | Operates in the background, offering suggestions as users work within Salesforce applications. |
| Use Cases | Ideal for quick responses and support tasks (e.g., checking order status, troubleshooting issues). | Best suited for complex tasks that require planning and drafting (e.g., creating reports, composing emails). |
| Customization and Control | Highly customizable using low-code solutions; businesses can tailor agents to specific tasks. | Less customizable; adapts to user behavior but doesn’t allow extensive modification of functionalities. |
| Integration with Other Tools | Integrates seamlessly with Salesforce Data Cloud and other tools to access real-time data for accurate responses. | Works within Salesforce applications, enhancing existing workflows without extensive integration capabilities. |
| Target Audience | Targets both customers and employees for improved service and operational efficiency. | Primarily targets internal users (e.g., sales reps, marketing teams) to boost productivity and collaboration. |
The Backstory of Agentforce
In Dreamforce 2023, Salesforce announced the Einstein Copilot Studio, which includes Copilot, Prompt Builder, and Model Builder. But they didn’t bring the growth Salesforce expected. One of the reasons could be that many businesses aren’t ready for AI. Large language models (LLMs) still give simple answers. And there aren’t enough strong use cases yet.
In fact, in this year’s keynote, Salesforce shared that over 82 billion flows are launched each week compared to only 122,000 prompts. Flow has been around for years, so the comparison isn’t perfect. But on average, there’s less than one prompt per Salesforce customer per week. This shows slower adoption of complex AI tools like Copilot.
Agentforce is also reported to be partly inspired by Salesforce’s acquisition of Airkit.AI, which claims to resolve 90% of customer queries through its platform. At Dreamforce, Salesforce even set up dedicated launchpads to help customers begin building their own agents.
Now, many people are confused between Agentforce and Copilot. Are both the same? Or are they different? Which one should you go with? Let’s find out in the next section.
How Agentforce Works
Agentforce is both intuitive and powerful. It operates on Salesforce’s core platform, ensuring seamless integration with the tools your business already uses. The Agent Builder enables you to create and customize virtual agents to handle specific tasks, both for your customers and employees.
The best part is that you don’t need to be a developer to set it up. The low-code platform makes building agents simple and easy. This means it’s easy for you to customize your agents as much as you want.
Types of Agentforce Agents
Salesforce offers a range of Agentforce agents. They come with pre-built templates and functionalities. However, you can customize them to meet the specific needs of your business. Here’s a closer look at the various types of Agentforce agents:
1. Healthcare Agent
The Healthcare Agent helps manage patient inquiries, appointment scheduling, and medical information requests. This agent assists patients in navigating health services and retrieving their medical records.
2. Banking Agent
The Banking Agent caters to financial institutions. It assists customers with account inquiries, transaction details, and loan applications. It guides users through complex processes, such as opening a new account or applying for a mortgage.
3. Retail Agent
Aimed at the retail sector, the Retail Agent enhances the shopping experience by answering product questions, checking stock levels, and assisting with order processing. Customers can engage with the agent to find specific products or inquire about promotions.
4. Operations Agent
The Operations Agent focuses on internal business processes, helping employees streamline workflows and manage operational tasks. This agent assists in supply chain management, inventory tracking, and logistics.
5. Customer Experience (CX) Agent
The CX Agent enhances customer satisfaction by managing inquiries and resolving issues promptly. It handles feedback, complaints, and service requests, ensuring a seamless experience.
6. Analytics Agent
The Analytics Agent supports data analysis and reporting tasks, helping users derive insights from business data. It generates reports, visualizes data trends, and provides recommendations based on performance metrics.
7. IT Agent
The IT Agent assists employees with technical issues, software troubleshooting, and system access requests. It guides users through common problems, such as password resets or software installations.
8. Finance Agent
The Finance Agent is tailored for financial services, assisting with budgeting, expense tracking, and financial planning. It helps users analyze their spending patterns or provide insights into investment options.
9. Sales Agent
The Sales Agent supports sales teams by providing leads, managing customer interactions, and tracking sales performance. It can help sales representatives prioritize their follow-ups and provide insights into customer behavior.
10. HR Agent
The HR Agent focuses on human resources tasks, helping employees with inquiries about benefits, policies, and onboarding processes. It can assist in managing employee records and addressing common HR-related questions.
Agentforce Agent Builder
The Agent Builder is where Agentforce agents are built. It’s a low-code tool that allows you to create custom agents tailored to your specific business needs. No matter the level of customization, it’s easy to get started.
First, you need to define the purpose of your agent followed by a set of instructions.
Agentforce lets you add unlimited instructions to your agents. The more specific you are, the more effective your agent will be. Look at this set of detailed instructions:
As you can see, this is a customer service agent being developed using simple instructions. Once done, you must set up the actions you want the agent to take:
And that’s it! You have your own customer service agent created in minutes!
Watch the full tutorial from Salesforce here.
However, what sets Agentforce apart is that it makes interactions feel conversational and human-like through natural language understanding. When users input a query, Agentforce doesn’t just look for keywords—it understands the intent behind the message.
By using advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI models, Agentforce handles complex or vague questions, guiding users to the right solutions without them needing to use technical terms. This intuitive language processing ensures that anyone can interact with the platform effortlessly.
And it doesn’t stop there. With Salesforce Data Cloud, your agents access real-time information. That means every interaction is based on the latest data, ensuring accuracy and speed in responses.
Industry Use Cases
Agentforce is adaptable and works across various industries. Here are specific scenarios illustrating how different industries can implement Agentforce to meet their unique needs:
I. Retail
Imagine a customer is shopping online for a dress. They like one but aren’t sure if it’s available in their size. Instead of waiting for a live chat representative, the customer clicks on the Agentforce chat window. The agent quickly pulls up the inventory, confirms that the dress is available in their size, and even suggests similar styles. The customer completes the purchase without any hassle.
II. Finance
Assume that a customer wants to transfer money but is unsure how to navigate the bank’s mobile app. The customer initiates a chat with an Agentforce banking agent, who provides step-by-step guidance on the transfer process. The agent confirms the amount, verifies customer identity, and completes the transaction, all within minutes.
III. Healthcare
A patient needs to schedule a follow-up appointment after a recent visit to the doctor. The patient uses the hospital’s website and interacts with an Agentforce agent. The agent checks the doctor’s availability and quickly offers the patient a few time slots. The patient picks one and confirms the appointment, all without needing to call the hospital.
IV. Telecommunications
A telecom customer is frustrated because of slow internet service. Now, instead of waiting on hold for customer service, the customer contacts the Agentforce agent through his provider’s app. The agent quickly diagnoses the issue, informs the customer about a temporary outage in the specific area, and provides an estimated time for resolution. The customer feels reassured, knowing that the problem is being addressed.
V. Ecommerce
An online shopper is ready to check out but has a question about the return policy. The customer types a query into the Agentforce chat. The agent provides a detailed explanation of the return process and offers a link to the policy page. Being assured that the item can be easily returned, the shopper feels confident and completes the purchase.
What the Future Holds for Agentforce?
Salesforce has made it clear that automation and AI-driven support are central to its future vision. While human agents still play an important role, Agentforce signals a shift towards more automated support systems. The move toward AI doesn’t mean replacing your people—it means augmenting them. Agentforce takes on the grunt work, so your employees are able to focus on delivering a better, more personalized experience.
That’s a Wrap
Agentforce is more than just a tool—it’s a comprehensive support system for your entire business. From assisting customers to helping employees, Agentforce works around the clock to provide quick, reliable service. By reducing manual tasks, it frees up valuable time for your team to focus on what matters most. If you’re looking for an Agentforce solution that helps both inside and outside your business, a Salesforce Einstein Services Provider might help you get started.
