As science fiction edges ever closer to reality, the way consumers engage with brands is undergoing a seismic shift. In the near future, personal AI assistants will not only help people shop but also handle their interactions with brands—from product queries to customer support. In this evolving landscape, customer experience (CX) is no longer just about deflecting issues—it’s about resolving them swiftly and intelligently. In this exclusive interview, Maureen Chong, RVP Asia and India at Zendesk, shares how agentic AI is set to transform CX, why businesses must prepare for a resolution-first approach, and how Zendesk’s new Resolution Platform is helping brands deliver seamless, AI-powered support that meets the demands of tomorrow’s consumers.
How is advanced AI influencing customer expectations and behaviours?
Advanced AI is dramatically raising the bar for customer expectations and behaviors, especially in India’s rapidly digitising market. According to Zendesk’s latest CX Trends Report, a resounding 85% of consumers in India believe that the use of AI in customer service is essential for delivering high-quality support. Furthermore, 84% want brands to leverage more advanced generative voice AI in their interactions, signalling a shift towards richer, more nuanced engagements.
The demand for hyper-personalisation is also intensifying–76% of Indian consumers expect more personalised service with AI, not just generic or automated replies. In parallel, 91% now consider it important for AI and AI agents to have human-like interactions, underlining the shift towards more intuitive, emotionally intelligent engagement.
AI is also redefining the standards of speed and responsiveness. AI agents are empowering businesses to move beyond basic efficiency, blending empathy, personalisation and rapid response to deliver experiences that build trust and loyalty. In a country where mobile-first consumers dominate, AI is no longer optional—it’s the backbone of meaningful engagement, marrying efficiency with emotional resonance to redefine customer relationships and set a new standard for service excellence.
How do you envision the way people shop and interact with brands changing over the next three years, especially with personal AI assistants?
The way people shop and interact with brands is becoming radically more intuitive, immediate, and personalised. Customers are increasingly seeking seamless experiences across channels, expecting brands to anticipate their needs, offer tailored recommendations, and resolve queries quickly. Personal AI assistants are accelerating this transformation—proactively guiding customers, comparing products and prices in real time, and surfacing choices that align with customer values, such as sustainability. Already, 3 in 5 shoppers would like to use AI while they shop, signalling a major shift in consumer behaviour.
One widely-discussed example of this transformation is conversational commerce. While it has been on the agenda for some time, it is advancements in generative and agentic AI that are finally enabling these experiences to become mainstream. Frictionless, natural conversations—across voice, text, and visual interfaces—are replacing static, transactional journeys with fluid, advisory relationships.
Trust is set to play a pivotal role in this new reality; 73% of CX leaders in APAC are preparing for consumers to use AI assistants as a core part of their customer service experience. Soon, AI assistants will interact directly with brands’ own AI agents to resolve issues, making AI-to-AI support the norm. For businesses, prioritising transparency and robust data practices will be essential, as personal AI assistants set new benchmarks for engagement, loyalty, and customer advocacy.
Agentic AI is transforming communication — what are the most significant changes businesses should prepare for?
Agentic AI is upending the very mechanics of how work gets done and value is created. No longer just another automation tool, AI agents are becoming autonomous decision-makers–capable of proactively resolving customer issues, orchestrating service journeys, and taking initiative independent of human intervention. By 2029, Gartner predicts that 80% of common customer service inquiries will be handled end-to-end by AI, driving both customer satisfaction and up to a 30% reduction in operational costs.
Inside organisations, agentic AI is democratising access to institutional knowledge. Every employee, regardless of role, can tap into real-time insights previously locked away in documents or specialist silos. We’re seeing the emergence of ambient collaboration, with teams and AI working in tandem to co-create solutions and respond to challenges on the fly—breaking down barriers between departments and regions.
Perhaps most transformative is the changing role of people themselves: empowered by AI insights, employees shift from reactive problem-solvers to become strategic orchestrators. To turn these shifts into an advantage, organisations must prioritise data literacy, agile upskilling, and cross-functional collaboration. Investing in robust governance and connecting AI tools to core systems will unlock new value—allowing service teams to move from simply keeping pace to truly shaping the future of engagement.
Zendesk announced earlier this year a shift towards resolutions—why is this change so critical now?
Today’s consumers demand more than just query deflection. They want faster resolution. The past tactic of query deflection and redirecting or delaying inquiries while managing volume often led to frustrated customers and unresolved issues. In an era where convenience, speed, and personalisation are so important, customer satisfaction and loyalty hinge on effective outcomes.
This shift is evident in India, where roughly two-thirds of customers are ready to delegate tasks like order tracking and personalised recommendations to AI. Furthermore, 85% of Indian consumers believe AI is essential for companies to deliver high-quality support. This points to the need for service technology to evolve beyond managing tickets to orchestrating meaningful, end-to-end solutions that anticipate and efficiently address customer needs, ideally on first contact.
Advances in AI are making this resolution-centric service scalable. Modern platforms, such as Zendesk’s, enable intelligent, context-driven assistance–guiding customers through complex issues to achieve real resolutions, eliminating the need to bounce between departments. This not only delights customers but also empowers human agents to dedicate time to more complex, high-value queries. In a market where convenience, speed and personalisation dictate loyalty, prioritising resolution over deflection is how leading businesses are setting themselves apart.
How is Agentic AI enabling brands to deliver faster and more effective resolutions for customers?
Agentic AI is vital to adopting a resolution-focused approach to customer experience. Today, brands can deploy a network of AI agents designed for every service role, working together to resolve even complex queries without human intervention. For example, Zendesk’s AI agents leverage adaptive reasoning–understanding context, sentiment and intent–to not only resolve issues quickly, but also prevent future ones. This proactive, intelligent approach builds trust through consistency and care.
Customers feel genuinely valued when their issues are resolved quickly, rather than being redirected from department to department. By redefining success around outcomes, not just response times or ticket closures, agentic AI empowers businesses to prioritise true resolution, meeting the expectations of today’s digital-first customers and ultimately strengthening customer relationships.
What real business impact have you seen from companies adopting agentic AI in their customer service operations?
The business impact of agentic AI is both measurable and compelling. Early adopters are 128% more likely to report high ROI from their AI investments, showing benefits that go well beyond efficiency gains. Take Lush, the global ethical beauty retailer: after implementing an AI-powered CX platform, the company achieved a 369% ROI and recouped its initial investment in under a year. By deploying an AI agent that resolved 60% of chats on first contact and gaining greater visibility into customer interactions, Lush improved agent productivity by 17% and manager productivity by 30%, leading to over £350,000 in annual savings from avoided headcount. These real-world results demonstrate that agentic AI isn’t just about smarter service—it’s delivering tangible business value across the organisation.
How does Zendesk’s new Resolution Platform help businesses break down silos and create seamless customer experiences?
Zendesk’s Resolution Platform dismantles traditional silos by unifying the tools, data and intelligence needed to resolve customer issues–fast. Instead of fragmented systems and disconnected channels, the platform centralises service knowledge, making it instantly accessible to both AI and human agents. This ensures every interaction–whether on chat, phone or email–feels consistent and connected, with customers never needing to repeat themselves.
Innovative features like the Action Builder and App Builder enables businesses to integrate workflows across various systems like Slack or Jira, all without complex coding. This means teams collaborate with ease, orchestrating resolutions that draw on expertise from across the organisation. With a resolution-first, outcome-driven approach, Zendesk helps businesses deliver truly seamless, unified, and highly personalised customer experiences that set them apart in a crowded marketplace.
What advice would you give to brands starting to integrate AI into their customer service strategy to stay ahead of these changes?
Investing in AI for customer service isn’t just a technology decision—it’s a strategic mindset shift. View AI as a tool to create more authentic, valuable connections with your customers and your employees, not just a shortcut to efficiency. Be intentional about where you use AI: prioritise areas where it can truly enhance the customer experience, such as personalising support or anticipating needs, rather than automating for automation’s sake.
Champion a culture of experimentation and learning. Encourage teams to test, iterate, and even fail fast, understanding that value from AI comes as much from adaptation as innovation. Empower your people—make sure your human agents are at the centre of your AI journey, using AI to augment their skills rather than replace them.
Finally, never underestimate the importance of trust. Be transparent about how AI is used and how customer data is handled. Prioritise ethical AI practices and communicate clearly with both your customers and employees. Those brands that approach AI with a foundation of trust, empathy, and continuous learning will ultimately stand out and succeed in the evolving customer service landscape.
