Zapier’s counterintuitive move to boost pay before seeing AI improvements

Rollouts of AI in customer service are often done outside the team: turn off the flow that goes to the humans, then lay people off. Not at Zapier. Lauren Franklin made clear to her team that they had to adapt, learn new skills, and hit new performance standards. She also:

. Raised base pay for her entire customer support team

. Invested heavily in hands-on training, experimentation time and cross-functional support

. Rolled up her sleeves -- she was in the queue every Monday morning

The results: Her team is now resolving significantly more customer issues while maintaining quality scores and customer happiness. Here's what I've learned from talking with Lauren and Brandon Sammut:

Be specific about performance expectations. Franklin didn’t speak in generalities about “embracing change.” She set concrete standards for customer satisfaction and resolution rates, as well as efficiency metrics.

Lead from the front lines. Working alongside employees using new tools provides insights about what's real, what's hype, and where teams are stuck.

Invest in people before demanding results. Whether it's pay, training time, or both, demonstrate commitment upfront.Franklin's approach recognizes a fundamental truth: people won't fully embrace technology that feels like a threat to their livelihood.