As aftermarket revenues surge, Europe’s manufacturers must rethink support, according to Roshan Pinto, SVP & Head of Manufacturing at Tavant. AI agents are emerging as always-on partners, transforming dealer service, consistency, and customer trust after the sale.
Europe’s manufacturing industry growth increasingly depends on what happens after the sale. Service and aftermarket revenues are rising faster than new equipment sales, and leading industrial players now generate one-third or more of total income from aftermarket services.
For Europe’s vast service ecosystem from automotive to industrial equipment, this shift is structural: the vehicle fleet keeps getting older and complex equipment stays in service longer, expanding demand for timely, high-quality support. The opportunity is big; so is the operational strain on OEMs, suppliers, and dealer networks.
Fragmented service systems and rising customer expectations are forcing OEMs to rethink their support strategies. It’s time to augment the frontline with Customer Success AI Agents: autonomous digital team members that understand context, act within enterprise systems, and learn continuously, so every dealer and partner interaction delivers consistency and builds trust.
The dynamics shaping partner support today
Aftermarket and dealer support operations across Europe and globally are navigating several converging dynamics:
1) Multiple systems, manual lookups
Support teams often work across multiple platforms—CRM, ERP, warranty, and knowledge bases—to answer a single query. As volume increases, response times can lengthen, backlogs expand, and escalation costs rise.
2) Varied experiences across regions, languages, and channels
A European dealer network spans languages, time zones, and tools. Manuals may exist in only one language, service advisories land late, and tone varies by region. Delivering consistency across channels requires multilingual, omnichannel capabilities.
3) Complex product lines; steep learning curves
Ever-expanding SKUs and software-defined machines mean longer “time to competency” for staff, heavier reliance on scarce experts, and variability in fix rates—especially for first-line partners.
Meet the customer success AI agents
Imagine if every dealer and partner could access a tireless, always-on expert, one that understands the nuances of your products, speaks your partners’ languages, and never forgets a detail. That’s the promise of the Customer Success AI Agent. Learn more
Manufacturers deploy agents that move beyond FAQs and manuals—learning from each interaction and adapting to product change. These agents are more than chatbots; they can:
- Distinguish emotions from transactional requests: Detect sentiment, adjust tone, and escalate when a relationship is at risk.
- Provide 24/7 multilingual support: Whether your dealer is in Lyon, Milan, or Warsaw, they receive consistent, expert assistance in their native language, at any hour.
- Leverage multi-agent collaboration: Advanced support leverages a team of specialized AI agents (for triage, troubleshooting, escalation, etc.) that work together seamlessly, ensuring every inquiry is handled by the best “virtual expert” for the job.
Check out our monthly thought leadership webcast series showcasing how AI Agents are transforming manufacturing aftermarket operations.
The technology behind customer success AI agents
The capabilities behind these AI agents aren’t just raw computing power; it’s a stack of technologies purpose-built for manufacturing:
- Domain-tuned Large Language Models (LLMs): Unlike generic AI, these are fine-tuned on technical manuals, service histories, and even warranty data, so they understand not just language but the context of manufacturing and service.
- Deep system integration: AI agents can perform secure operations directly in your ERP or CRM, logging cases, checking inventory, or scheduling field service, without human intervention.
- Real-time analytics and anomaly detection: By scanning support tickets and IoT sensor data across your dealer network, AI agents surface emerging issues (e.g., a batch of faulty sensors in France) before they become costly recalls.
- Built-in compliance and knowledge management: With strict data protection standards like GDPR in play, today’s AI agents are designed with privacy, security, and auditability from the ground up.
Benefits for OEMs, dealers and partners
1) Faster response and resolution – Automation clears queues, routes issues to the right expert, and resolves repetitive cases quickly and efficiently, giving service networks resilience as volumes and complexity grow.
2) Higher partner satisfaction & loyalty – Consistency across languages and channels builds trust. Faster time-to-answer and first-time-fix lift NPS.
3) ROI & continuous improvement – Service is now a growth engine, AI agents amplify that momentum by reducing cost-to-serve and creating a self-improving knowledge flywheel.
Five AI agent capabilities powering customer success
Leading solution providers bring these capabilities together through domain-trained, production-ready AI agents designed for manufacturing aftermarkets. Each capability directly contributes to stronger customer relationships and dealer success:
1. Early-Warning Insights Agent – detects emerging product issues by analyzing service and sensor data so OEMs can act before problems spread.
2. Knowledge Management Agent – summarises complex troubleshooting steps from manuals, videos, and historical cases, making expertise accessible to every partner.
3. Multilingual Support Agent – delivers consistent, high-quality guidance in German, French, Italian, and beyond, reducing errors and enhancing the dealer experience.
4. Ticket Triage & Technician Assist Agents – automate case prioritization and equip technicians with on-demand, step-by-step instructions, driving faster repairs and higher first-time fix rates.
5. Sentiment Monitoring Agent – spots and acts on signs of frustration or dissatisfaction before they escalate, protecting dealer relationships and loyalty.
The new standard for European manufacturing support
Europe’s aftermarket is expanding, and equipment is ageing, creating more opportunities to win or lose dealer loyalty. AI-powered solutions built with an agentic approach are purpose-built for this reality: domain-tuned, transaction-capable, multilingual, and compliance-ready, so your dealers and partners get fast, consistent, and trustworthy support.
OEMs investing in Customer Success AI Agents today are setting a new standard—delivering faster, more consistent, and more empathetic service on scale. Those who act now will strengthen their dealer networks, reduce support costs, and unlock new revenue streams. The future of intelligent service is here—and it speaks your language.
Ready to transform your aftermarket operations? Discover how Tavant’s Service Lifecycle Management solutions leverage agentic AI. Visit Tavant.com to learn more or request a demo.
This article was originally published by Tavant on The Manufacturer.
