In 2025, elevating the customer experience is the top agenda item for Australian and New Zealand financial services institutions.Understandably so. The market is not just mature and crowded; it is being reshaped by an unprecedented wave of mergers in the customer-owned sector and intense pressure from the ‘Big Four’ and a new generation of digital …
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 shift to cloud-based Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) aimed to modernise operations. While this has introduced new front office capabilities, it has also resulted in a separation between the contact centre and other areas of the business. Customers now find themselves trapped in a front-end office optimised for speed of answering calls. Frustration …
Does your organisation’s contact centre provide swift, seamless service to customers whenever and however they choose to get in touch? If you’re not able to answer with a resounding ‘yes’, you’re missing a golden opportunity to build the trust and loyalty that’s become the sine qua non of every successful commercial enterprise, irrespective of the …
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 …
One of my sons is heading toward to the end of his teen years. He’s sailing through it like an OG. Assured. Confident. Way too adult in some ways, but I’m proud of him. Unlike his old man at the same age, he’s comfortable in his skin, knows who he is. But that’s not the …
As competition grows and customer expectations continue to rise, experience has become one of the few remaining levers for differentiation and customer loyalty. For CX leaders, the challenge is no longer limited to resolving issues efficiently, it’s about moving beyond transactional interactions to ones that foster trust and long-term relationships. AI agents have emerged as …
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. …
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 …
Today’s customers are an exacting lot with little tolerance for suppliers that fail to meet their ever-increasing expectations. Almost 94 per cent of Australian consumers stopped purchasing from at least one company after a negative experience, according to CPM’s 2025 The State of Customer Experience in Australia Report. Getting the basics right As to what …