Customer support has always been important, but it is now increasingly recognized as one of the most critical functions within any organization because it is often the first meaningful interaction a customer has with a brand and the moment that determines whether they stay loyal or walk away for good. At the same time, rapid advances in AI and digital technology are transforming customer support through faster response times, greater personalization, automation, and the ability to serve customers at far greater scale. As a result, customer support now sits at the center of some of the biggest trends shaping business today, including AI adoption, workforce transformation, customer expectations, operational efficiency, and digital trust.
Richard Copeland, CEO, Leaseweb USA, and Estelle Azemard, CEO, Leaseweb Canada, had this to say on this topic:
Richard Copeland, CEO, Leaseweb USA:
“Customer support isn’t just about opening tickets and waiting for answers. In today’s AI and always-on economy, support has become part of the infrastructure strategy itself. That’s one reason more organizations are moving toward hybrid cloud models and providers that offer real expertise close to where their data lives. Customers want performance and flexibility, but they also want accountability, accessibility, and people who understand their business, their region, and the regulations they operate under.
That’s why customer support has become one of the most business-critical functions inside any company – a smart company, that is. When the stakes are high, these are the people your customers rely on the most! Successful businesses recognize this… and treat support that way by recruiting top talent, investing in training, rewarding performance, and retaining experienced experts long term. Frankly, if a company still sees customer support as a cost center, they’re already behind. The business organizations that win over the next decade will combine exceptional people with technologies like voice AI to deliver faster, smarter, more responsive experiences at global scale.”
Estelle Azemard, CEO, Leaseweb Canada:
“Indeed, customer service in today’s cloud and AI economy goes far beyond uptime and response times. It means companies are under increasing pressure to control where their data physically lives, who can access it, and which country’s laws govern it. Different countries and regions have different privacy, security, and data residency requirements, so businesses can’t always just put everything into one large public cloud environment and forget about it. Customers want partners who not only understand infrastructure, but also understand the legal, operational, and regulatory realities of the regions they serve.
Ultimately, of course, from high tech to coffee and donuts, regardless of the industry, customer service and the customer experience (CX) are what drive the business forward. When problems arise, expectations are high, or loyalty is on the line, these are the people customers depend on. Not surprisingly, those organizations that invest in top talent, continuous training, and long-term expertise retention as part of their core strategy, while not taking support teams for granted, are often the strongest and most successful. It means creating real career paths, offering competitive pay, meaningful bonus structures, and title growth that reflects the value these professionals bring to the business every day.
At the end of the day, yes, technology matters, but CX still comes down to whether you can reach knowledgeable people who genuinely understand your requirements, goals, and the challenges you’re facing, and can meet and overcome them accordingly.”
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This entry was posted on May 20, 2026 at 8:20 am and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Today Is Customer Service Day
Customer support has always been important, but it is now increasingly recognized as one of the most critical functions within any organization because it is often the first meaningful interaction a customer has with a brand and the moment that determines whether they stay loyal or walk away for good. At the same time, rapid advances in AI and digital technology are transforming customer support through faster response times, greater personalization, automation, and the ability to serve customers at far greater scale. As a result, customer support now sits at the center of some of the biggest trends shaping business today, including AI adoption, workforce transformation, customer expectations, operational efficiency, and digital trust.
Richard Copeland, CEO, Leaseweb USA, and Estelle Azemard, CEO, Leaseweb Canada, had this to say on this topic:
Richard Copeland, CEO, Leaseweb USA:
“Customer support isn’t just about opening tickets and waiting for answers. In today’s AI and always-on economy, support has become part of the infrastructure strategy itself. That’s one reason more organizations are moving toward hybrid cloud models and providers that offer real expertise close to where their data lives. Customers want performance and flexibility, but they also want accountability, accessibility, and people who understand their business, their region, and the regulations they operate under.
That’s why customer support has become one of the most business-critical functions inside any company – a smart company, that is. When the stakes are high, these are the people your customers rely on the most! Successful businesses recognize this… and treat support that way by recruiting top talent, investing in training, rewarding performance, and retaining experienced experts long term. Frankly, if a company still sees customer support as a cost center, they’re already behind. The business organizations that win over the next decade will combine exceptional people with technologies like voice AI to deliver faster, smarter, more responsive experiences at global scale.”
Estelle Azemard, CEO, Leaseweb Canada:
“Indeed, customer service in today’s cloud and AI economy goes far beyond uptime and response times. It means companies are under increasing pressure to control where their data physically lives, who can access it, and which country’s laws govern it. Different countries and regions have different privacy, security, and data residency requirements, so businesses can’t always just put everything into one large public cloud environment and forget about it. Customers want partners who not only understand infrastructure, but also understand the legal, operational, and regulatory realities of the regions they serve.
Ultimately, of course, from high tech to coffee and donuts, regardless of the industry, customer service and the customer experience (CX) are what drive the business forward. When problems arise, expectations are high, or loyalty is on the line, these are the people customers depend on. Not surprisingly, those organizations that invest in top talent, continuous training, and long-term expertise retention as part of their core strategy, while not taking support teams for granted, are often the strongest and most successful. It means creating real career paths, offering competitive pay, meaningful bonus structures, and title growth that reflects the value these professionals bring to the business every day.
At the end of the day, yes, technology matters, but CX still comes down to whether you can reach knowledgeable people who genuinely understand your requirements, goals, and the challenges you’re facing, and can meet and overcome them accordingly.”
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This entry was posted on May 20, 2026 at 8:20 am and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.