Maureen Chong, RVP, Asia and India at Zendesk, explains how AI agents are evolving into critical brand ambassadors by delivering empathetic, context-aware interactions. She highlights the importance of aligning AI with brand values, balancing automation with human empathy, and the significant ROI AI adoption can bring in customer experience, citing examples like Lush achieving 369% ROI in under a year.
IT Voice- How and why are AI agents evolving into brand ambassadors?
Maureen Chong- As AI adoption accelerates, AI agents are now often a brand’s first and most critical touchpoint for customers, shaping perceptions from the outset. Unlike traditional chatbots, today’s AI agents operate with real-time autonomy, learn from each interaction, and seamlessly collaborate with human teams to deliver outcomes that matter–setting new standards for engagement.
Zendesk’s CX Trends Report highlights a pivotal shift: 86% of consumers notice a widening gap between companies that use AI effectively and those that have yet to. This shift is reinforced by changing customer attitudes, as many now prioritise problem resolution over who (or what) delivers it. In fact, 69% of frequent service users say they would prefer AI if it could match a human’s ability to understand context and tone.
When AI agents are designed to express empathetic, branded communication, they transform from support tools into genuine brand ambassadors—trusted, responsive, and tailored. As brands train AI to reflect their brand voice and core values, these agents become “living” extensions of the brand, promoting trust and loyalty by delivering experiences that are both seamless and tailored. Their ability to reflect core values and provide consistent experiences makes them vital for companies operating in diverse and high-volume markets like India, where customer expectations and digital engagement are rapidly evolving.
IT Voice- How can businesses ensure agentic AI reflects their brand values?
Maureen Chong- Ensuring that AI agents consistently embody brand values hinges on two factors: the ability for businesses to define clear communication guidelines and the power of quality assurance. Today’s low- and no-code AI platforms enable brands to shape AI agent behaviour—setting tone, escalation protocols, and personalisation, without developing foundational models from scratch.
The real transformation is powered by AI-powered quality assurance. According to Zendesk benchmark data, manual QA processes typically allow human reviewers to cover only 2-5% of customer interactions. This makes it difficult to identify trends or recurring issues within the broader customer experience. In contrast, AI-powered QA can monitor and evaluate 100% of both AI agent and human interactions in real time. This holistic approach ensures ongoing adherence to brand voice and guidelines, while instantly surfacing areas for coaching or intervention. Leveraging comprehensive, data-driven reviews, businesses can maintain consistency, identify emerging needs early, and ensure that every customer conversation strengthens their brand promise.
IT Voice- Steps to consider before deploying AI agents in CX
Maureen Chong- Before deploying AI agents, business leaders should begin with a rigorous assessment of their organisation’s readiness and strategic goals. Start by analysing the volume and nature of customer interactions: Are there significant repetitive, high-volume queries that could be automated for efficiency gains? Consider your customers’ expectations for speed, availability, and seamless engagement across channels. Assess the maturity and completeness of your existing knowledge base, as AI agents are only as effective as the information they can access.
While keeping pace with AI innovations is vital, urgency cannot override preparation. Without the right foundation of knowledge, properly defined use cases, and robust integration into existing systems, even advanced AI agents may fail to meet customer expectations. This can lead to frustrating dead ends, negatively impacting customer satisfaction and potentially damaging loyalty. Only once genuine need, internal readiness, and a clear scope for success are established should businesses proceed with deployment. This thoughtful approach helps ensure that AI will truly elevate the customer experience, avoiding costly missteps and missed opportunities.
IT Voice- How do leaders balance automation with human empathy in the CX journey?
Maureen Chong- Balancing automation with human empathy in customer experience requires a two-pronged approach. First, AI agents must be designed to deliver more human-like, empathetic interactions—understanding customer context and intent, responding with appropriate tone, and recognising sentiment. This is critical, as Zendesk research shows 81% of consumers would engage more often with AI agents if their interactions felt more human. By building these human-like qualities, Indian businesses can make automation feel more personal and trustworthy.
Equally important is recognising when the complexity or emotion of a query surpasses the AI’s capabilities. Although AI agents today are far more autonomous, equipped to manage complex queries and able to adapt and refine their response on the go, some scenarios still require human empathy, judgment, and creativity. Recognising this threshold, the AI agent should seamlessly escalate the conversation to a human agent, ensuring the customer receives genuine empathy and contextual understanding.
This balanced approach ensures efficiency for routine questions while preserving India’s long-standing tradition of relationship-driven customer support, delivering speed without sacrificing genuine connection.
IT Voice- What are the ROI and long-term competitive advantage of AI adoption in CX?
Maureen Chong- A Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study, commissioned by Zendesk, assessed the financial and operational effect of adopting Zendesk’s AI-powered solutions using a composite organisation based on real customer interviews. The study found that, over three years, the composite organisation realised total benefits valued at US$30.9 million, resulting in a net present value of US$23.2 million, a 301% return on investment (ROI), and a payback period of less than six months. By automating 30% of customer queries by the third year, the composite organisation achieved US$6.5 million in cost savings, reduced average handle times by three minutes, and decreased implementation and maintenance costs—enabling scalability without proportional staffing increases.
A real-world example is Lush, the global ethical cosmetics brand. By implementing an AI agent to tackle repetitive, high-volume inquiries, Lush achieved autonomous first-contact resolution for 60% of chat interactions. This shift allowed their human support team to focus on complex, high-value issues and foster deeper customer loyalty, while efficiency savings translated to roughly five minutes saved per ticket and 360 agent hours each month. Remarkably, Lush realised a 369% ROI in less than a year.
While individual outcomes will differ, these examples demonstrate how strategic AI deployment can transform efficiency, free up teams for meaningful engagement, and deliver significant long-term value.
