From safety to strategy: How Yarra Valley Water is redefining CX

Customer experience (CX) is often equated with personalisation and speed. Companies strive to collect more and more data to anticipate needs and streamline interactions. But what happens when that pursuit of convenience clashes with the fundamental need for security and safety? For Yarra Valley Water (YVW) this question is at the heart of its CX …

Customer Technology

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Driving growth from the front line – understanding the metrics

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally changing how organisations listen to, understand, and act on customer feedback. Moving beyond the limitations of traditional, structured surveys (like NPS or CSAT scores), modern AI solutions are capable of analysing vast amounts of real-time, unstructured data. To fully grasp the success of AI, organisations must be able to understand …

Crayon IQ’s guide unveils the future of contact centres in APAC

Recently founded research and advisory firm, Crayon IQ, has released its inaugural “APAC Contact Centre CX Platforms With AI buyer’s Guide.” This report is the first independent, regional analysis to assess and rank 17 major vendors, providing a local perspective on a market often dominated by North American research. According to Audrey William, founder of …

Beyond the buzzwords – Why Australia’s CX job market demands strategic thinkers with tech smarts

The Australian Customer Experience (CX) job market is currently experiencing solid growth, with strong demand in the financial services, retail, and healthcare sectors. While competition for senior roles is high, there’s a notable need for professionals who can combine strategic thinking with hands-on technical skills and data analysis. CXFocus editor, Mark Atterby  talks to Fiona …

How AI is accelerating the “Listen, Learn, Act” cycle – interview with Medallia’s Fabrice Martin

Intelligent experiences, powered by AI, are no longer a theoretical concept. They’re a tangible reality that’s transforming how businesses operate and how they connect with customers and employees. I recently spoke with Fabrice Martin about the trends reshaping customer engagement through AI and how Medallia’s roadmap is evolving to meet this trend. Mark Atterby (MA): …

The great CX divide – A tale of two perspectives

Research shows a clear and concerning disparity. Despite 79% of business leaders claiming to deeply understand their customers, consumer behaviour tells a different story: 58% will walk away from purchases if the experience doesn’t feel relevant. 86% of Australian businesses believe they provide good or excellent customer engagement, only 54% of consumers agree. This chasm …

ANZ appoints Violet Lazarevic-Sittrop to bring customer stories to life

Violet Lazarevic-Sittrop has taken on the role of Head of Customer Experience for the Commercial Bank at ANZ. In this position, she is responsible for the end-to-end customer experience for small and medium-sized businesses in Australia. Her role involves ensuring customer-centric strategies are integrated and aligned across the bank, optimising them to meet customer needs. …

You talkin’ to me? How conversational search is responding to customers

The iconic scene in Taxi Driver where Robert De Niro’s character, Travis Bickle, stares at his reflection and asks, “You talkin’ to me?” reflects the shift that conversational search has brought to the customer experience. Traditional keyword-based search is like Travis talking to himself—a one-sided, often frustrating monologue. The user types a query, and the …

Aussie customers speak – Forget the agent, solve my problem fast

A recent study by Morning Consult, commissioned by Zoom, reveals a strong connection between effective customer service and brand loyalty among Australian consumers. The research also found that issue resolution is the most critical factor for Australians when they interact with customer support. Luke Carruthers, Head of CX for Zoom APAC, comments, “Our Zoom-commissioned research, …