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 …

ANZ mid-tier banks should partner for CX Success

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 …

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): …

Your contact centre is a potential goldmine – how to unlock it for 2026

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 …

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 …

Beyond the transaction – Build trustworthy AI to win customer loyalty

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 …

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 …

Going above and beyond in 2026

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 …

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, …