Author: Mark Atterby

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 suggests a fundamental misunderstanding within businesses about what truly constitutes effective personalistion. The root of this problem often lies in a lack of a unified internal strategy. Different departments, like marketing and customer experience, may have conflicting ideas of what personalisation means. Without a shared…

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. Violet has an impressive background as well as qualifications in customer experience and market research. On top of her academic background, she has worked for organisations such as Telstra, Endeavour Drinks Group and Visit Victoria. I recently interviewed Violet on her new role and how…

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 search engine returns a list of links, forcing the user to sift through them to find what they need. The interaction is impersonal and lacks context. Squiz Co-Founder and CEO, John-Paul Syriatowicz, comments, “Traditional keyword search acts like a research assistant, surfacing links that users can…

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…

Medallia’s Experience World Tour took place yesterday at the Sydney Opera House, where the company unveiled its vision for the future of CX and AI. Set against the striking backdrop of the harbour, the event brought together partners, customers, and international speakers.It was an opportunity for Medallia to make some preliminary announcements about their product roadmap and the enhanced features they’ve been making to their experience management solutions. More announcements are expected in the following weeks as the new features are rolled out globally. During the keynote presentation, Sid Banerjee Chief Strategy Officer, explained Medallia’s vision to move beyond traditional…

The demand for highly skilled and strategically adept CX professionals is on the rise. While various certifications exist, a new credential, the Mini MBA in Customering from the Field Bell Institute, is emerging as a significant contender, promising to accelerate careers by addressing fundamental gaps in customer education. For years, the customer field has grappled with a lack of comprehensive, university-level education. Aarron Spinley, a Fellow of The Field Bell Institute who teaches the program, comments, “The existing ‘commodity certifications’ fall well short of providing the rigorous, foundational knowledge needed to effectively manage a customer base. Our 2023 study highlighted…

The customer journey is rarely linear. Customers engage with businesses across a multitude of channels creating a complex web of touchpoints that can happen in any order. In the past, deciphering these intricate paths was an intensive process. However, the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is ushering in a new era of precision, efficiency, and predictive power in customer journey mapping. “A major challenge in customer service”, according to John Finch, CX Portfolio Lead at RingCentral, “is simply understanding a customer’s journey from start to finish. Often, solutions are siloed. For instance, a customer might contact the call centre, then…

Anytime Fitness’s vision for “one million healthier lives” guides their innovative marketing, retention strategies, and unwavering focus on empowering individuals through mind, body, and community. I recently sat down with Caitlin Bancroft, Group Chief Brand & Marketing Officer for Anytime Fitness, to explore how Australia’s largest gym network is inspiring healthier lives. From championing inclusivity to leveraging cutting-edge technology, Caitlin shares her journey into the fitness industry and reveals the strategic initiatives driving Anytime Fitness’s commitment to a seamless and engaging customer experience. Caitline will be presenting at the upcoming CMO Summit, organised by Marcus Evans in the Gold Coast.…

The impact of AI on Customer Experience (CX) is immense. Many companies find themselves, however, grappling with a landscape bombarded by often exaggerated claims and false promises. While AI offers genuine, measurable benefits, navigating the hype, understanding current limitations, and strategically implementing solutions are crucial for realising true return on investment (ROI). Tom Lewis, global leader of CX transformation at TTEC Digital, observes, “Companies are being bombarded with offers from AI companies proposing dramatic reductions in costs and increases in revenue. Companies are starting to not believe any of it. There is benefit from implementing many AI-oriented CX solutions but not…

In the quest for superior customer experience, businesses traditionally rely on direct feedback channels like surveys, feedback forms, and product reviews. While invaluable, these methods often present a curated view of customer sentiment. The true goldmine of customer insights lies in the vast, unstructured world of indirect customer feedback – the unsolicited data generated through everyday interactions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising our ability to understand these unspoken truths, the challenges involved, and the transformative business outcomes that emerge. Michael Michaloudis, Regional Director ANZ & ASEAN, Medallia, comments, “AI-powered text and speech analytics are no longer optional. They are crucial…