New HBR research: the AI mismatch in complex B2B service

No dark-mode styles — this email renders the same in a dark client.

Why deflection-first AI breaks down when resolution takes three teams and a full account history.

The coordination gap (https://czgJM04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/czgJM04/VXdrtk2n-4NZW7VlSWs8p9qPpW56dvtZ5VfxcHN4dVQcM3gVDYW8wLKSR6lZ3mxW7w5Msn7MhY34W3MNRzc8p8yJnW4Pblng8Jjr1GW4MgLnC8ysK-fN7BxKyK1KnG-W8zbZsD2PlCGxW2V5Ns61l_LvjN3gsk7y-q3hKW3kJWY64cjCtwW5WmDnn1fZD2fW3fWNWX7FhPPBW27TmjL3lk0L0VD6tst5jflY9N8RXVzzWvbjtW33fGZF4gMgBjW2QJwTQ5S1TKpW5n8nRp4cmlv3W1S4l6p4ZPMryVYbz_N4QcNTvW4K7gBf676M4nW6c-9Xn5kqYT8W25g3wv2lGDMFW2t1H3Y5xCFKZW1xptG224rKg2W1Fk69013xlCjW54CSJR6FqD8QW2Ypnfn42ZN6rW3vV_t61wk_VRf3lMD0x04 )

Hi Emre,

Almost every AI customer service tool is built for simple deflection: resolving high volumes of routine inquiries without human involvement.

While that works for basic operations, it fails when resolving an issue requires cross-functional alignment, such as pulling in engineering, checking operational commitments, and reviewing account history. Deflection is not the metric that matters. Coordination is.

To address this gap, Front commissioned Harvard Business Review Analytic Services to publish The Coordination Gap (https://czgJM04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/czgJM04/VXdrtk2n-4NZW7VlSWs8p9qPpW56dvtZ5VfxcHN4dVQ9-5fr76W50kH_H6lZ3nJW5CqXLD22zTKsW607MKp2qNWjMN6fg5n64hB3bW6Gcg3t38FRmNW4VL5JQ3w_JJhW604SM_1rGc-xW37wgW-5KP7SRW3hm5xm504t1ZW6lyqKX1tV5RWW1jl-Zd1g4vw8W8nGr473Ts5BFW7rVCr-30NfGxW6-cNGQ2sWCb2W96fdXF4Hk84JW1Rh5Rl4TnSP4W49jBqD3zB3gqW17PC7L73VR0xW8tC0kk7j-NmHW8JZ0Vf6wcJJdW7dzYQG4BJKLhW1NKX5-6GCPGKVMcbZh7-twjsW7MyTB243VpJ6W7mM0n23PCp_-W4jQP-R2Mql5QW6hBHCd3-XWcBW1tN3jc5-FDGzW3MTBxN8NX-s1W51XcTK819D66VMjzNf2JDjS2W7bY_0S1TlBLXW3lgYj559KHX3f3kSs1204 ) , a research paper based on insights from leaders running complex service operations.

Inside the report, you'll learn:

-

Design flaws: Why standard AI tools break down in context-heavy, multi-team workflows

-

Common failure modes: Lost context across handoffs and unaligned AI commitments

-

Demo vs. reality: Tool categories that look impressive in sales pitches but fail in production

-

Evaluation framework: A 3-question diagnostic to assess AI investments for complex operations

Get the report
(https://czgJM04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/czgJM04/VXdrtk2n-4NZW7VlSWs8p9qPpW56dvtZ5VfxcHN4dVQ9-5fr76W50kH_H6lZ3nJW5CqXLD22zTKsW607MKp2qNWjMN6fg5n64hB3bW6Gcg3t38FRmNW4VL5JQ3w_JJhW604SM_1rGc-xW37wgW-5KP7SRW3hm5xm504t1ZW6lyqKX1tV5RWW1jl-Zd1g4vw8W8nGr473Ts5BFW7rVCr-30NfGxW6-cNGQ2sWCb2W96fdXF4Hk84JW1Rh5Rl4TnSP4W49jBqD3zB3gqW17PC7L73VR0xW8tC0kk7j-NmHW8JZ0Vf6wcJJdW7dzYQG4BJKLhW1NKX5-6GCPGKVMcbZh7-twjsW7MyTB243VpJ6W7mM0n23PCp_-W4jQP-R2Mql5QW6hBHCd3-XWcBW1tN3jc5-FDGzW3MTBxN8NX-s1W51XcTK819D66VMjzNf2JDjS2W7bY_0S1TlBLXW3lgYj559KHX3f3kSs1204 )

It is worth the read before your next vendor call.

Best,

The Front team

LinkedIn (https://czgJM04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/czgJM04/VXdrtk2n-4NZW7VlSWs8p9qPpW56dvtZ5VfxcHN4dVQcM3pyd0W8wLKSR6lZ3mgF2CF5-s7G9ZW4_CJs15sG20_N5S80xDF_g1HW2Ltv-07cmg3ZW4Rv5vH44p0K4W619bv92d-84BW2ltB3G3CsFw3W4JsZ9h3V6Zv3W8xLR3p10MWw1W9l44s28GCp8CW1pR5X86Nr2ssW8TbCwR873lzRW992yyC2PZzz3N56G0t6Ytk8gW43g7lv8hnL7VW1wS10-1KsWFgN5pFqGTr2NgqW5qdY5g7mlf5VW7JRHRt2n6TD5W2qr9zc4w6Kn8W96Fgxg2C2lSYW4YxVXK8vZDpqW20PgfW1fdGCgVsjyvW7HSzb_VNF3rp2VmwQjN3Jgqd-ZRH5sW3wsDb-6g74MKW1gPXkQ7h08RKf70LVX604 )

Facebook (https://czgJM04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/czgJM04/VXdrtk2n-4NZW7VlSWs8p9qPpW56dvtZ5VfxcHN4dVQcM3pyd0W8wLKSR6lZ3mjW9kghN33RdDY6W5l81qc31R8-DW66CvlX7yfP6NW7wDVJ25RnR4kW75xXH17082kmVZtXT45JF5f-W6Q6rJ39lV2GGW6xX-V269z_rGW8Z408l1Dj9YCW17lH_35jLMpyW7vRVsV3-GfhBW1MwrWW6K-6XxVR2p_454FDCbW7dxPKt3C1vY4W1j8Rjc5cf00QW4nM7MG1dfwgkW43mKs37QpHR0W7ZDyLx3tZ34SVh8bZn7q7tVYW4sJfmX4ffVzdN6XMp7RzYY9qW4BTWRs5YLrWRW6F1j4b5jB3nPW3X4S6Z3zsvpLN45bP6Wp7RQ-W1pGZL-8cS2pdW8QJ6z55lRp7KW5npMsR6G-PJfdrF-5204 )

Twitter (https://czgJM04.na1.hubspotlinks.com/Ctc/RG+113/czgJM04/VXdrtk2n-4NZW7VlSWs8p9qPpW56dvtZ5VfxcHN4dVQcs3pyd0W7Y8-PT6lZ3lqW7r5h8J3xwbn6W75Gt0723m1DSN8MtT36Xmh-XN82l9hw8RGWbMt6WYwlr925W7y1FV47rTHnCVz-pnj6nyM3jW93Bdq060mKwSN7xYNZl3BX-GV8BmBK6Tndq2N42-cV4xrlH6W5G4fHt16smjTW1v0P0G82g3DHW6pg7vP7-DbvpW72CcNx52vnKHW1DHkxn27XMGgW3DJ2Gc7ZJHhsVFCQV-72mgBRN8nKFbZgS1FhW8wmGzW6j_-xNW3p8B-J7gdgkMVMwh0k1wXvgPW5_RJhW3ZByPKW6nkGzZ1Dybj5W5k-2tB8qKFXkW8KXCKX6M2gSLf2BdLPs04 )

Front, 1 Montgomery Street, Floor 13, San Francisco, CA 94104

Unsubscribe (https://hs-4766782.s.hubspotemail.net/hs/preferences-center/en/direct?data=W2nXS-N30h-BmW1XhBQY2CNy1lW1X62SY3HcwQXW2KxSgY3N-MQfW25d5KH1Lw0gQW1_8ycG3Vxtg1W1N4Q554hgWlvW3zkZfL4frspSW47DGY9215nWXW25nTXk4pB0H5W3F7sPz3_-QmwW4cqQFD1SkgQwW47nhTv4kvQtZW43BZqv1BgwswW2-fl9h2qPDcGW1BFZDs4hxfnxW3dqDcm4mCVWbW3XwrGD3ZVCxFW1Xtzlc3_JQkCW49M6rV3LXfy9W3bCqxh4hLvsqW2WdTpW2r5gDvW3ddJZS2-nj-mW4tGx9n2TyLMYW1Vbqp32FttXDW3yXX7c3f_b2VW2Tt6r11NyKZbW3V-cF53ZFkWYW2nXS9H1LkR8SW4twff94tpTtXW252XfQ3P8RzXW3VKPLp49M6hwW1Zm6Mn3V-c57W2FVDDP32m4NtW21m_y34mJ3l-W4clKvr4fr6pVW4pDxGr25nTMqW3NLq7d2CLTx2W34zwzH2-L7lPW30mkfh2PQ0lSW49z6_41BHbTNW20XNJh32J1bPW1VhMxc4hrjjCW23rwSk32DdWxW3djPSz2nSg2_W30yjWY32xJ9qW2xxGcl2WysBbW3275tl2zDP_1W4kcVRN1Lg-D4W4rgz1b3gnNXVW3_tnJ12nQD6tW3QQnf42vHn88W214D5Z2KpmCVW4hNC2f21k0f-W3R3_hY2y0W-fW4pCdZj3QMwDzW1Lkvk-1NkdsHW3gg7c82YtZmzW3XR4hJ1Xr-yQW2D0Wx02zK2GvW1Vqv3F3ZXG48W4rpfnw3K776XW1NctkC43P29xf3VYVDQ04&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_UQ_t2c5V1z9RmCcE-qIcAnpfBRSTt8auqrAs-smg19Iy-zx_qISgCKlZW_5LR9ma8O5jNHS6XpnmIrrNqljXCJk5oEBwMl4qnPt5V7cu-_vDaw47plXQSNas9XNdbB2WBXd-d&_hsmi=439976889 )
Manage preferences (https://hs-4766782.s.hubspotemail.net/hs/preferences-center/en/page?data=W2nXS-N30h-BmW1XhBQY2CNy1lW1X62SY3HcwQXW2KxSgY3N-MQfW25d5KH1Lw0gQW1_8ycG3Vxtg1W1N4Q554hgWlvW3zkZfL4frspSW47DGY9215nWXW25nTXk4pB0H5W3F7sPz3_-QmwW4cqQFD1SkgQwW47nhTv4kvQtZW43BZqv1BgwswW2-fl9h2qPDcGW1BFZDs4hxfnxW3dqDcm4mCVWbW3XwrGD3ZVCxFW1Xtzlc3_JQkCW49M6rV3LXfy9W3bCqxh4hLvsqW2WdTpW2r5gDvW3ddJZS2-nj-mW4tGx9n2TyLMYW1Vbqp32FttXDW3yXX7c3f_b2VW2Tt6r11NyKZbW3V-cF53ZFkWYW2nXS9H1LkR8SW4twff94tpTtXW252XfQ3P8RzXW3VKPLp49M6hwW1Zm6Mn3V-c57W2FVDDP32m4NtW21m_y34mJ3l-W4clKvr4fr6pVW4pDxGr25nTMqW3NLq7d2CLTx2W34zwzH2-L7lPW30mkfh2PQ0lSW49z6_41BHbTNW20XNJh32J1bPW1VhMxc4hrjjCW23rwSk32DdWxW3djPSz2nSg2_W30yjWY32xJ9qW2xxGcl2WysBbW3275tl2zDP_1W4kcVRN1Lg-D4W4rgz1b3gnNXVW3_tnJ12nQD6tW3QQnf42vHn88W214D5Z2KpmCVW4hNC2f21k0f-W3R3_hY2y0W-fW4pCdZj3QMwDzW1Lkvk-1NkdsHW3gg7c82YtZmzW3XR4hJ1Xr-yQW2D0Wx02zK2GvW1Vqv3F3ZXG48W4rpfnw3K776XW1NctkC43P29xf3VYVDQ04&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_UQ_t2c5V1z9RmCcE-qIcAnpfBRSTt8auqrAs-smg19Iy-zx_qISgCKlZW_5LR9ma8O5jNHS6XpnmIrrNqljXCJk5oEBwMl4qnPt5V7cu-_vDaw47plXQSNas9XNdbB2WBXd-d&_hsmi=439976889 )

Accession

nse/front/2026-09-22/2196

From

Front · updates@frontapp.com

Sent

22 September 2026 · 17:00 UTC