Creating student-first experiences: CSU’s Journey to proactive, empathetic support

The student experience at Charles Sturt University (CSU), particularly for those studying online, has recently undergone a fundamental transformation. Moving away from a limited 9-5 phone based support service, CSU has adopted a modern, highly engaged, and student-centric approach. Historically, enquiry services at Charles Sturt University (CSU) were largely phone-only and operated within a rigid …

Why Zendesk predicts contextual intelligence to be the new CX Standard – Interview with Kellie Hackney

Kellie Hackney, ANZ Regional Vice President for Zendesk, identifies ‘contextual Intelligence’ as the dominant trend poised to disrupt both Australian and international markets, projecting that it will set a new CX standard by 2026. This paradigm moves beyond static systems, focusing instead on the real-time infusion of AI, data, and human insight to create experiences …

Ready Maestro! Genesys unveils its strategy for an orchestrated future

Genesys explained its vision for the future of AI and CX at their Xperience event in Sydney today. That vision embraces the concept of universal experience orchestration – the ability to coordinate every customer and employ interaction, across the entire organisation and in real-time. Genesys’s roadmap for experience orchestration centres on advancing the Genesys Cloud …

Is CX in existential crisis? Why 2026 will be an Inflection Point

Customer Experience is not just facing a challenge, but an existential crisis, according to Riccardo Pasto, Principal Analyst on the Customer Experience team at Forrester. In a recent interview, Pasto painted a not so rosy picture for the future of CX, predicting a critical divide where only a few elite teams thrive, leaving the majority …

Voice AI: The future of the contact centre is not automation — it is true conversation

The traditional contact centre is undergoing a profound transformation. Central to  this shift is Voice Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is moving far beyond simple automation to fundamentally reshape how organisations manage both their inbound and outbound call operations. It represents a fusion of different AI technologies to to deliver immediate, intelligent and scalable 27/7 customer …

How AI is reshaping the patient experience in Australia?

The future of healthcare in Australia promises a patient journey and experience defined by seamless integration, proactive care, and intelligent support, powered by technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). This transformation moves away from fragmented, reactive care to a highly coordinated, predictive, and patient-centric model. Dr Amith Shetty, Emergency Physician and Clinical Director in the System …

How the Qualtrics-PG Forsta merger will reshape the VoC market

The recent acquisition involving Qualtrics and PG Forsta (which had previously acquired InMoment) signals a major consolidation at the top of the Voice of Customer (VoC) and Customer Feedback Management (CFM) market. This move has created a ripple effect, injecting both uncertainty and opportunity into the industry, especially in the ANZ region. According to Melanie …

For Kapitol Group human connection & trust wins the business

In the first installment of our CX Predictions 2026 series, I sat down with Laurence Fox from Kapitol Group to discuss how a high-growth, Tier 1 construction firm navigates the tension between maintaining efficiency and the essential human relationship needed to build trust on multi-million dollar projects. Mark Atterby (MA): Hi Laurence, thank you for …

CX Retreat 2025 – customer focus takes centre stage

The CX Retreat 2025, hosted by Ashton Media, convened top customer experience leaders for two days of deep dives, networking, and candid discussions. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) remained the undeniable hot topic, the overwhelming consensus moved beyond the ‘shiny new tool’ hype toward a grounded, customer-centric approach. Leaders expressed a healthy scepticism about some of …

The five-year CX strategy that elevated JAX to industry leader

JAX Tyres & Auto is a great example of an Australian organisation pushing the envelope in CX. More importantly, perhaps, they’ve been able to clearly demonstrate the tangible business benefits of investing in CX capability, directly connecting that investment to revenue results. JAX Tyres & Auto is a leading Australian automotive service provider, specialising in …