Avant Deploys AI Virtual Agent to Handle 62% of Customer Service Calls
Avant, a financial technology company, has deployed an AI virtual agent across its credit card customer service operation in partnership with Replicant, a conversational AI platform. Since launching in January 2026, the system has completed approximately 62% of customer calls without transferring to a human agent.
Customers rated the virtual agent 4.6 out of 5 on post-call surveys since launch. The system handles routine inquiries, freeing human specialists to focus on complex conversations that require judgment.
How the System Works
Avant built the virtual agent around five operational principles:
- Always-on availability
- Automatic handling of routine requests
- Structured data capture from every interaction
- Instant scaling during demand spikes
- Consistent, compliant communication on every call
The structured data flowing from virtual agent conversations gives Avant's teams clearer signals about what customers need. This feedback loop is difficult to achieve at scale with human-handled calls alone.
What Changes for Customer Service Teams
With high-volume, repetitive requests handled by the virtual agent, Avant's customer service specialists now spend time on conversations that define customer relationships. The system also absorbs unexpected volume surges without requiring additional hiring.
"Our goal is to build a more responsive operation where AI handles complexity at scale, our talented team of customer service human specialists focuses on the work that demands judgment and empathy, and the entire system generates better intelligence about customer needs over time," said Margaret Hermes, Chief Operating Officer at Avant.
The company plans to expand the virtual agent platform to other customer support operations.
For professionals in customer support roles, this deployment illustrates a broader shift: AI for Customer Support now handles routine work at scale, while human expertise concentrates on high-judgment interactions. Understanding how AI Agents & Automation fit into support workflows has become practical knowledge for the field.
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