Australians are often seen as laid-back, taking things as they come. However, this doesn’t translate to their need for great customer experience. When we analyzed the Australian results of Forrester’s Customer Experience Index (CX Index™), we found that the vast majority of companies in Australia are still providing only mediocre CX.

In his report “The Australia Customer Experience Index, 2016,” my colleague Tom Champion shows how companies in more CX-mature markets in North America and Europe have turned their attention toward making positive emotional connections with their customers to drive loyalty. However, the focus in Australia is still very much on measurement.

So, what’s going on in Australia? How can companies live up to the changing expectations of their customers?

Our research shows that Australian consumers crave convenience. Forrester’s Empowered Customer segmentation reveals that a third of Australian consumers are so-called Convenience Conformers: They use technology to make their lives easier but only after the technology has gained acceptance in the market. And when we look at their financial behaviors, we see that Australian online adults spend little time and energy on their personal finances. But Australian consumers do expect firms to anticipate their needs and offer what they're looking for — sometimes before they even know what they want.

Please join us at our upcoming Customer Experience Forum in Sydney on May 9 to learn more about delivering exceptional digital customer experiences and how today’s CX leaders must create experiences that meet or exceed customer expectations to drive profits.