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, conducted by Morning Consult, sought to better understand the connection between customer service and brand loyalty and the role AI plays in resolving issues and retaining customers. In Australia, issue resolution was found to be the most important factor for consumers when it comes to customer support”.
“The research showed speaking to a human agent wasn’t a high priority for Australians, as long as their queries are effectively handled. Factors like speed, knowledge of agents, and satisfactory resolution were found to matter most, with data security and privacy also of high importance”.
While human touch will always be valuable inefficient or slow human-led support can be more frustrating than a quick, effective, AI-driven solution.
Prioritising resolution over human interaction
The research indicates that speaking to a human agent is not a high priority for Australians. Instead, their primary concern is having their queries handled effectively, regardless of whether the resolution comes from a person or an AI. “Delivering an exceptional customer experience is crucial to cementing brand loyalty and gaining new customers. Around nine in ten (89%) Australians surveyed said they were more loyal to brands that have fast, effective customer service, while 83% will share positive experiences with others”, says Carruthers.
This suggests that efficiency and a satisfactory outcome are valued above all else. The study identified a range of key factors that matter most to Australian consumers:
- Speed: The quickness with which an issue is addressed and resolved.
- Agent knowledge: The competence and expertise of the support agent, whether human or AI.
- Satisfactory resolution: The successful and complete resolution of the problem.
- Data security: 91% of Australian respondents rated data security and privacy as very or somewhat important. 59% of Australians said they expected human customer service agents to perform better on data security, compared to just 14% who said virtual agents would do a better job.
Customers are increasingly focused on outcomes, and they are willing to engage with technology to get those outcomes faster. This suggests that companies should re-evaluate their customer service strategies, focusing on streamlining processes and empowering all support channels—human and AI—to deliver fast and knowledgeable resolutions.
The Importance of data security
Australian consumers are open to AI-driven solutions for efficiency, yet they remain highly concerned about the protection of their personal information. For brands, this means that any customer service solution, particularly those involving AI, must be built on a foundation of robust security measures to earn and maintain customer trust. Carruthers advises, “Organisations should be mindful that data security and privacy was found to be more important (91%) for Aussie consumers than overseas respondents and they are less trusting of AI. 59% of Aussie respondents say they expected human customer service agents to perform better on data security, compared to just 14% who said virtual agents would do a better job”.
“Therefore, having clear governance, guardrails and transparency around how personal information is stored and used will give customers assurance they are in safe hands and build trust”, he says.
The gaps between customer experiences and the expectations of Australian consumers.
According to the research, businesses are falling short in key areas where customers expect AI to perform:
- 86% of Aussies expect AI to escalate issues to a human when needed, but only 38% have experienced this regularly.
- Just 25% of Australian consumers say they’re regularly seeing businesses using AI to remember past interactions, despite 76% expecting it.
- Only 28% of Australian customers have always or often experienced AI anticipating their needs or issues, falling well short of the 74% who expect it.
“This signals a critical opportunity”, says Carruthers, “Bridging consumers’ expectation gaps isn’t just about improving satisfaction, it’s about restoring confidence in self-service altogether. When bots fail to deliver on expectations, they don’t just fall short, they frustrate and send customers away. Implementing the latest self-service innovations, powered by agentic AI, enables proactive support and clears the way for escalations, complete with context-rich summaries for the live agent”.
Implications for brands
The findings of this research have significant implications for brands operating in the Australian market. To foster brand loyalty, companies should focus on optimising their customer support systems for speed and effective resolution.
This could involve leveraging AI to handle common queries, freeing up human agents to tackle more complex issues, or using AI to equip agents with the right information quickly. The key takeaway is that brands that prioritise and excel at issue resolution—while also ensuring data privacy—are better positioned to retain customers and build lasting loyalty.
“Organisations should leverage smart, secure and intuitive AI agents and sophisticated CX solutions that integrate with complementary systems to unify customer information. By finding the right balance between human care and AI, combining technology with empathy, personalisation and strategic alignment, organisations can deliver better interactions and more memorable customer experiences”, says Carruthers.
“Today, customer expectations are high and personalisation is key. Businesses need to reimagine customer experiences and embrace AI-driven insights and omnichannel solutions that can turn pain points into loyalty. But they must set a clear evaluation criteria and regular audits to make sure it is working”.
The road ahead
AI is rapidly moving past simple chatbots. It’s now integrated into voice, workforce automation, and self-learning systems, fundamentally changing how all customer interactions happen. As Carruthers notes, “AI is expanding beyond chatbots. We’re seeing it integrate into voice, workforce automation, and even self-learning systems. This means AI is not just responding to simple queries anymore, it’s actively transforming how every interaction happens, across all channels”.
“We’re also entering the age of agentic AI. We’re moving away from AI-powered systems that simply provide insights, and into AI-first systems that are action-driven. This means AI isn’t just giving suggestions; it’s making decisions, automating tasks, and directly driving outcomes proactively”.
Agentic AI, which can make autonomous decisions and work toward set goals with minimal human input, is evolving rapidly. Companies that successfully integrate Agentic AI into their operations are poised to experience a significant step-change in business outcomes. This includes not only improved efficiency and reduced costs but also the potential for new business models and enhanced customer experiences.
Carruthers says, “Agentic AI is rapidly improving every day and has the ability to make decisions autonomously with minimal human intervention as it works towards a pre-determined goal. Businesses need to continuously digitally transform and embrace these new technologies to enhance business outcomes or be left behind”.
“Finally”, says Carruthers,” AI is breaking down silos to expand the influence of customer experience far beyond the contact centre. It’s no longer just about customer service. AI is integrating into broader enterprise workflows, connecting the contact centre with operations, marketing, sales, and IT. This creates a seamless, interconnected ecosystem that drives efficiency and delivers more value across the entire organisation”.
The findings of the Zoom-commissioned Morning Consult study highlight a clear priority for Australian consumers: effective issue resolution. The research confirms that speed, knowledgeable agents, and a satisfactory outcome are the most critical factors in customer support, outweighing the need to speak with a human.
As AI technology continues to advance, businesses that embrace efficient, AI-driven solutions to solve problems quickly—while also maintaining data security—will be best positioned to build lasting brand loyalty in Australia.
