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The rules of customer service have changed forever

Your customers are already using AI agents.

We wrote the standard for how service works when AI agents are part of the conversation. We published it openly. And we build the service that delivers it.

Not a company? Build your own AI agent →
The Service Handshake — open standard

We wrote the open standard for services where one or more party is an AI agent.

Tested in live contact centres — human agents unaware they were talking to AI Published open standard — CC BY 4.0, citable, implementable today EU AI Act enforcement August 2026 — declarations map directly to compliance
The shift

Four modes. Most companies are designing for two.

Every customer service interaction now sits in one of these four modes. Modes 1 and 2 are designed. Modes 3 and 4 are already happening — and almost nobody is ready.

Human to human. High cost, high empathy, declining as a share of all interactions. Risk: over-investing while the world moves on.

A person contacts your company and interacts with your AI. Chatbots, voice AI, self-service. Designed for containment, not resolution. Every CCaaS vendor is selling the same thing.

A customer’s AI agent calls your contact centre. It passes verification. It explains the problem clearly. Your agent has no idea they’re talking to a machine. We have tested this. It works. Your operation isn’t designed for it.

Two AI systems interact directly. No human in the loop. Without declared goals, authority, and fallback rules, the interaction loops without resolution or causes active harm. The Standard defines how to design this safely.

The engine

One system. Built for all four modes.

Every interaction starts with a declaration. The engine operationalises it. The outcome is a service that works whether the customer is a person, an AI agent, or both.

Every interaction starts with a declaration

Before anything happens, each party declares their terms. These six elements come from the Service Handshake.

Goals Options & constraints Data permissions Fallback rules Cost parameters Authority level
What powers it
Knowledge packs AI models Processes & policies Load balancing Data & reporting Tools & integrations Workforce management
What the engine delivers
Structured knowledge AI agents built for resolution People who run both sides Aligned outcomes
The difference

Who’s ready for what’s coming?

Three approaches to service. Only one is designed for all four modes.

Traditional model AI-first model Neos Wave
Mode 1 Human ↔ Human Designed for this — but expensive to scale Deprioritised — seen as legacy Staffed with people who stay and compound
Mode 2 Human ↔ Brand AI Bolted-on chatbot, optimised for deflection Strong here — but generic AI, no domain depth AI fed by elevated knowledge — resolves, not deflects
Mode 3 Customer AI ↔ Human No awareness this is happening No awareness this is happening Designed for it — team trained, protocols in place
Mode 4 Customer AI ↔ Brand AI Not on the roadmap Not on the roadmap Defined the standard. Serving early cases.

Mode 1 — Human ↔ Human

TraditionalDesigned for this — but expensive to scale
AI-firstDeprioritised — seen as legacy
Neos WaveStaffed with people who stay and compound

Mode 2 — Human ↔ Brand AI

TraditionalBolted-on chatbot, optimised for deflection
AI-firstStrong here — but generic AI, no domain depth
Neos WaveAI fed by elevated knowledge — resolves, not deflects

Mode 3 — Customer AI ↔ Human

TraditionalNo awareness this is happening
AI-firstNo awareness this is happening
Neos WaveDesigned for it — team trained, protocols in place

Mode 4 — Customer AI ↔ Brand AI

TraditionalNot on the roadmap
AI-firstNot on the roadmap
Neos WaveDefined the standard. Serving early cases.
How we deliver

Three ways to run the engine

Same system, same standard. You choose the relationship.

Supporting you

Elastic Service

Your platform, our people and engine. Mode 1 and 2 coverage with Mode 3 readiness built in. Deployed when you need it, standing down when you don’t.

Product launches · Enterprises · Regulated sectors
With you

Managed Service

We plug in alongside you. All four modes covered, shared operation. Better results, same tools, less cost.

Switching BPOs · D2C · SaaS · Scale-ups
For you

Total Service

We run it. Every mode, end to end. You get outcomes, not headcount.

Start-ups · Scaling brands · New market entry
Supporting you
With you
For you
For people

Build your own AI agent

The same modes, from the other side. Your AI agent deals with companies so you don’t have to. The same engine we build for brands — assembled for you.

Time back

Bills, renewals, cancellations, complaints — the life admin that eats your evenings. Your assistant handles the conversations. You get the outcome.

You stay in control

Your assistant acts within the limits you set. It can negotiate your broadband bill — but it can’t cancel your contract. You define the boundaries. We call this a Service Handshake.

Loved ones supported

Set up an assistant for a parent or family member. It handles the conversations with providers on their behalf — and keeps you in the loop. Triadic authority, designed properly.

The Service Handshake in action

AI that knows its limits

A family member sets up an AI assistant for their dad. The assistant can research and compare — but it can't commit to anything without approval. Watch what happens when Dad wants to switch broadband.

Dadbot
Powered by the Service Handshake

Consumer assistants are coming. Want early access?

We’re building consumer services now. Leave your email and we’ll be in touch.

Who we are

Built by people who’ve done it. Writing what comes next.

Neos Wave exists because service operations weren’t designed for what’s coming. We’ve spent over two decades building and running CX at scale — and the past year testing what happens when AI agents enter the conversation. The Service Handshake standard came from that work. The engine came from everything before it.

25+ years building CX at scale
95% of work from recommendation
<5% team attrition — industry averages 30%
18 countries — global reach, local service

Trusted by teams at

Retail & Ecommerce ASOS, Selfridges, Kiko Milano, DFYNE, Karen Millen, Oasis, Cult Beauty, Laced, Dunelm, Monsoon
Tech & Finance Spotify, Atom Bank, Funnel, Openlane, Vodafone, ROLI, Melody VR
Lifestyle & Luxury Zegna, Bugaboo, Audi, Mercedes AMG Petronas, Years
Public, Social & Health Peabody Housing, Gravesham Borough Council, Pfizer

We wrote the standard. We build the implementation. We are not a consultancy, a BPO, or a software vendor. We are the team that defined what comes next.

Let’s talk.

Talk to AI Maria — she can answer your questions about the standard, the engine, or how we work. Or leave us a message and we’ll be in touch.

Talk to AI Maria

Ask about the Service Handshake, how the engine works, or what a pilot looks like.

Prefer email? Leave us a message.