80% of organisations face hurdles improving customer experience, but the ROI makes it worth solving. Monica Ryan reveals how Agentic AI could transform CX for growing businesses.
What’s happening: New research from the Concentrix ANZ CX Index reveals businesses leading in customer experience are nearly twice as likely to achieve revenue growth compared to those lagging behind. However, 80% of organisations report significant hurdles in improving their CX programs.
Why this matters: For Australian SMBs, customer experience represents a high-ROI investment that can differentiate growing businesses from competitors. The research provides a financial framework showing CX investment directly correlates with revenue growth and business resilience.
Australian small and medium-sized businesses have a powerful lever for growth at their fingertips, but many are failing to pull it effectively.
New research from the Concentrix ANZ CX Index, conducted in collaboration with AWS, reveals customer experience is not just a ‘soft’ metric but a critical driver of financial performance. The findings offer a roadmap for ambitious SMBs looking to scale sustainably.
The CX revenue gap
The data exposes a stark divide in business performance based on customer experience investment. ‘CX Leaders’ are nearly twice as likely to see revenue growth at 84%, versus ‘CX Laggards’ at 46%.
“For an SMB, this is the difference between healthy cash flow and a struggle to grow,” says Monica Ryan, Vice President of Concentrix Australia & New Zealand. “It’s the tangible result of having long-term customers and stronger word-of-mouth referrals.”
Ryan explains that whilst the survey focused on large enterprises, the financial framework it provides is vital for growing businesses navigating the challenge of maintaining customer focus whilst scaling.
“Every Australian entrepreneur knows the challenge of scaling,” she says. “As you grow, the focus you put on your customers’ journey that powered your startup can get lost, stalling momentum and putting your business at risk.”
Implementation challenges persist
Despite widespread recognition of CX’s strategic importance, a substantial 80% of organisations report encountering significant hurdles in their efforts to improve it.
The most common barriers include talent shortages at 30%, limitations in data and insights at 28%, the difficulty of measuring and proving ROI at 26%, and persistent budget constraints at 25%.
Ryan highlights a critical internal disconnect amplifying these challenges. Whilst C-suite executives report the highest confidence in their CX programmes, scoring 77.50, individuals in dedicated CX and customer roles register the lowest confidence at 63.87.
“Bridging this disconnect is critical to business growth, and technology is the key enabler,” Ryan notes.
Agentic AI emerges
The research indicates CX is rapidly becoming a core strategic asset. 31% of respondents project it will be a primary driver of revenue and competitive advantage within the next five years, with another 43% viewing it as a key enabler of growth.
The future of CX delivery is expected to hinge on Agentic AI. A substantial 40% of those surveyed anticipate Agentic AI taking the lead role in CX, managing most customer interactions with minimal human intervention. Another 48% expect it to serve a critical supportive function for either customers or employees.
“Its deployment requires a thoughtful strategy focused on governance, ethical standards, and essential human oversight to maintain trust and accountability,” Ryan says.
Australian businesses are already adapting their CX structures to prepare for these AI-enabled, data-driven experiences. The momentum is evident in the strong shift to cloud-based technologies, with 50% already using a solution such as Amazon Connect, and an additional 36% actively piloting or planning its adoption.
Building smart foundations
Ryan emphasises that SMBs don’t need enterprise-sized budgets to achieve high-return CX strategies.
“The solution lies in being smart and building the right foundations early,” she says. “Elevating CX requires more than just new tech, it requires total organisational buy-in. CX must evolve from being a short-term project and become a core strategy woven into your company’s vision and culture.”
She argues that by making CX a measurable part of growth strategy, businesses create more than just loyal customers.
“You’re building a more profitable, resilient, and purpose-driven business that people are proud to work for and buy from,” Ryan concludes.
The full findings are available in The CX Divide: The Cost of Underinvestment report.
Input by Monica Ryan, ANZ Vice President at Concentrix
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