How to Setup AI Agents That Your Customers Will Love

04/16/25 • 41 min

Another Agentforce Guinea Pig has joined the show... She’s here to tell you if you think rolling out AI is as easy as flipping a switch, think again.

From early mistakes to surprising wins, Laura Meschi, Customer Experience Manager at Secret Escapes, walks us through what it actually takes to train an AI agent that can truly support customers.

We dive into why ROI isn't the best measure of AI success, how customer effort scores skyrocketed after launching Agent Force, and why CX leaders need to start simple and think long-term. Laura also pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to train an AI agent — and why you absolutely shouldn’t DIY your rollout.

If you’re a B2B leader wondering how AI agents fit into the future of customer success, this conversation will hit home.

Key Moments:

00:00: Laura Meschi’s AI Agent Rollout at Secret Escapes

02:45: Secret Escapes’ Agentforce: Lessons from a First-Mover

11:14: Surprise Wins and the Underrated Power of Human QA

16:41: How Agentforce Reshaped the CX Team (Without Cutting Headcount)

22:26: Guardrails, Limits, and Finding the Sweet Spot for AI Use Cases

26:30: Why Clean, Centralized Data Is the Real AI Superpower

27:18: Don’t DIY Your AI: The Case for Bringing in Experts

29:58: How AI Improved CES and Transformed Customer Perception

34:50: What’s Next: Future AI Strategies and Upcoming Salesforce Tools

37:21: Reimagining CX: Using AI to Build Relationships, Not Just Efficiency

40:37: Start Simple, Prioritize Data, and Train for the Long Game

–

Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients.
Learn more at mission.org

Another Agentforce Guinea Pig has joined the show... She’s here to tell you if you think rolling out AI is as easy as flipping a switch, think again.

From early mistakes to surprising wins, Laura Meschi, Customer Experience Manager at Secret Escapes, walks us through what it actually takes to train an AI agent that can truly support customers.

If you’re a B2B leader wondering how AI agents fit into the future of customer success, this conversation will hit home.

Key Moments:

00:00: Laura Meschi’s AI Agent Rollout at Secret Escapes

02:45: Secret Escapes’ Agentforce: Lessons from a First-Mover

11:14: Surprise Wins and the Underrated Power of Human QA

16:41: How Agentforce Reshaped the CX Team (Without Cutting Headcount)

22:26: Guardrails, Limits, and Finding the Sweet Spot for AI Use Cases

26:30: Why Clean, Centralized Data Is the Real AI Superpower

27:18: Don’t DIY Your AI: The Case for Bringing in Experts

29:58: How AI Improved CES and Transformed Customer Perception

34:50: What’s Next: Future AI Strategies and Upcoming Salesforce Tools

37:21: Reimagining CX: Using AI to Build Relationships, Not Just Efficiency

40:37: Start Simple, Prioritize Data, and Train for the Long Game

–

Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients.
Learn more at mission.org

Previous Episode

The Art of Conversation Design for AI Agents

Agentic AI isn’t coming — it’s here and already changing everything.

Irina Gutman, Global Leader of AI Professional Services at Salesforce, breaks down what agentic AI really is and why it’s a huge leap beyond predictive and generative AI. We get into why your first AI agent should be boring (and repeatable), and why building the tech is easy compared to rewiring your people, processes, and leadership models.

Irina shares why businesses need strong guardrails, real operating models, and why AI adoption without organizational readiness is a recipe for disaster. We also talk about the skills humans actually need to stay relevant, how to spot hidden risks, and why the future belongs to companies who rethink their structure — not just their tools.

Key Moments:

00:00: Irina Gutman Explains Salesforce’s AI Agents
03:03: Predictive, Generative, and Agentic AI — What's the Difference?

05:20: How Agentic AI Thinks and Acts

08:32: Chatbots vs. AI Agents: Why It Matters

14:22: The 5 Building Blocks of an AI Agent

18:13: Organizational Readiness: New Skills, New Roles

22:26: The Right Way to Start with AI Agents

26:27: Future-Proof Your AI Strategy

29:53: Rethinking the Operating Model for AI

32:45: Upskilling is Non-Negotiable

35:14: Vendors Can Help You Be AI-Ready

36:25: Rethinking Change Management for Agentic AI

42:38: What’s Next: Multi-Agent Collaboration

48:09: Building AI Responsibly: Guardrails and Risk

51:39: Real-World AI: A Standout Customer Experience

–

Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients.
Learn more at mission.org

Next Episode

Customer Experience Is Changing. Meet The Host Who’s Leading The Conversation.

This episode’s a little different — and kind of emotional. Lauren Wood, our incredible host since day one, is passing the mic to the amazing Lacey Peace. Before she signs off, Lauren reflects on the wild ride: 75+ episodes, millions of downloads, and countless insights about CX, AI, and leadership. Lacey, who’s helped produce over 35 shows and reach 45+ million listeners as part of the Mission.org team, shares what drew her to the show (hint: she’s a storytelling nerd in the best way) and what she’s excited to explore next — from small business CX wins to how AI is quietly reshaping the employee experience. It’s a thoughtful, fun, and inspiring handoff that sets the stage for a bold new chapter. Tune in to discover the incoming shifts in the show’s guests, topics, segments, and more.

Key Moments:

00:00: Passing the Mic to a New Host
00:42: Lessons from 75+ CX Interviews: Lauren Wood’s Farewell Insights
01:42: Meet Lacey Peace: New Host with 45M+ Podcast Listener Reach
02:41: Building Brand Trust Through Storytelling and Customer Journey Mapping
03:47: Why Customer Experience Strategy Belongs to Every Business Function
07:32: The Role of AI in Scaling B2B Customer Experience and Success Operations
14:54: Empowering Teams: How Leadership and Employee Experience Drive CX
18:46: B2B Lightning Round: Actionable CX Takeaways for Marketing, Product, and IT

–

Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients.
Learn more at mission.org