Thought Leadership
How to Know If Your Support Model Is Overbuilt for Routine Work
Feb 10, 2026
AI now handles a significant portion of routine support interactions. Gartner has consistently reported that automation absorbs the majority of Tier 1 requests, shifting human agents toward fewer but more complex interactions.
Many organizations, however, still staff as if humans will handle everything. This creates structural mismatch and unnecessary cost.
This blog helps leaders assess whether their model is overbuilt for work that AI already handles.
Common challenges explored:
Human agents spending time on low-value tasks
Staffing levels based on outdated ticket mix assumptions
Difficulty reallocating capacity as automation improves
Supporting research:
Gartner, Customer Service Automation and AI
https://www.gartner.com/en/customer-service-support/research
Recommended tool: Elastic Support Model Self-Assessment