Cresta launches Deputy Agent, an AI agent that keeps working after the customer hangs up
Industry News · Enterprise Software · October 19, 2026
The work that keeps a customer loyal happens after the call, and Cresta built an agent that finishes it over days or weeks
Cresta launched Deputy Agent on October 13, 2026. Deputy is a long-running agent for the back-office work that starts with a customer request. It runs multi-step workflows such as refunds, transaction disputes and insurance claim appeals until each one is done. These workflows can take days or weeks.
Deputy can start from a live call, a handoff, or a document that enters a back-office queue. It can also run with no customer interaction. When a workflow must wait for a document, a response or an approval, Deputy saves its progress. It resumes when the missing input arrives. If an integration between systems breaks, it flags the problem for repair.
The business sets what Deputy can do alone, what needs approval and who can intervene. When a decision is needed, Deputy assembles the case details, the supporting evidence and the reason for review. An audit trail records actions and approvals. Teams can see which workflows run, which step each one is on and where a person must step in.
Ping Wu, Chief Executive Officer of Cresta, said, “Customers only see the work that happens during the conversation.” Cresta said that the results that matter to customers happen behind the scenes, and Deputy carries that work to completion.
Dan Greer, Senior Vice President of Servicing Operations at Aqua Finance, said that Aqua wants to simplify refund processing and bring more of it in-house. He said that success means “a more predictable process and a better experience for our customers and employees.” Katey May, Vice President of Customer Success at Sunbit, said that Deputy keeps the care team focused on issues that need a person.
Cresta gave no pricing, no performance figures and no regional availability. The product page is live at cresta.com.
The takeaway
A promise made on a call is a retention event. Deputy turns the promise into a tracked workflow with an owner, a status and a log. Give your post-call work the same tracking that you give a sales pipeline.
Why it matters for agent-led growth
- Retention lives in the back office. A refund that takes three weeks cancels the goodwill from a good call. The agent that finishes the refund protects the renewal.
- Long-running agents need a status board. Deputy shows which step each workflow is on and where a person must act. Ask any long-running agent vendor to show you that board before you buy.
- Set approval rules by workflow. A refund under a set amount can run alone. A claim appeal needs a person. Write the rule for each workflow, not one rule for the agent.
- Measure time to resolution. Cresta published no numbers. Measure the days from request to refund before the pilot, then compare after it.
