The Execution Gap
Why Servicing will define the winners in the AI era
Between 2018 and 2024, neo-banks grew their share of the UK banking market from 16% to 50%1. The incumbents that lost ground had strong brands, loyal customers, and decades of trust. What they didn’t have was frictionless resolution. Customers didn’t leave for better rates. Customers left for time back — faster fixes, instant answers, problems solved before they became problems.

The institutions that moved earliest retained the most. Travel is at the same inflection point. And the trigger is AI.

Price will still matter. It will always matter. But in the AI era, price alone will not be enough to win, or keep, the customer. As discovery and booking become faster and easier, competitive advantage shifts downstream, to what happens after the booking.

Servicing is becoming the next battleground for acquisition, retention, margin, and trust. Most of the industry is not equipped to compete there.