Customer experience: Simpler, better, and now powered by AI

By Aleen Da Silva and Catherine Yong

Recent Zendesk research shows 78% of ASEAN consumers already see a gap emerging between organisations that leverage AI effectively in customer service and those that fall behind. More significantly, 82% of ASEAN CX leaders agree that only companies that adopt AI at scale will survive the next five years of competition.

When Zendesk first entered the customer service software market in the late 2000s, the industry was dominated by complex, unwieldy solutions designed for large enterprises. “We were founded on the belief that customer experience could be simpler and better,” recalled Colin Murphy, Zendesk’s Chief Customer Officer.

“Back then, CRM solutions were getting very complex, very quickly. We disrupted the industry with an approach that allowed businesses to be up and running in hours, not days, and to organise customer interactions in a really efficient, user-friendly way.”

A key driver of Zendesk’s ongoing innovation had been its early and sustained investment in artificial intelligence. “We had been using forms of AI for over a decade,” Colin explained. “Our initial uses were basic decision trees and flow builders, but as technology evolved, so did we.”

AI for service

When generative AI first emerged, customer service was consistently identified as ‘ground zero’ for AI.

It just seemed logical for generative AI to start in customer service because of the unpredictable and high-stakes nature of customer interactions, making it an ideal environment for AI to drive impact. With Zendesk already well-positioned as a customer experience platform provider, there is industry expectation for it to be ahead of the curve and innovative about AI technology in its offerings. 

“We want to make sure we are known as the leader in AI for service,” Colin said. “By the end of the year, 20,000 customers would have adopted our AI capabilities, and we would be close to USD200 million in AI revenue alone. These figures highlight the scale and rapid growth of Zendesk’s AI adoption and investment. 

Trade-offs of efficient customer service – human warmth

Colin acknowledged that while there are always trade-offs in technology, Zendesk’s philosophy is that efficiency should never come at the expense of warmth or trust in customer interactions. 

“If you are doing AI right, if you are doing it well, you shouldn’t have to choose between efficiency and human experience. The way we implement our AI is that the AI is meant to elevate and not necessarily replace what a personal customer experience should look like,” Colin said, sharing examples of customers currently liking the ability of controlling when and how an AI agent is actually representing their brand.

“For example, if you are a retailer and you have a broad demographic to reach, you want to make sure that the AI agent you deploy is speaking and interacting with these customers in a way that is consistent with your brand.” 

Balancing innovation and trust

When asked how Zendesk balances innovation with user experience and security, especially amid diverse data privacy rules across APAC, Colin didn’t hesitate to point out that the foundation of all AI progress comes down to one word: trust.

He explained that while AI continues to redefine how businesses interact with both customers and employees, its success depends entirely on whether users believe in the technology itself. “If you don’t trust that the technology is doing what you want it to do, adoption is going to slow,” he said.

For Zendesk, ensuring that trust means building AI systems that are powerful, transparent and well-governed. 

Moreover, Colin shared that the company has established its own AI governance program designed to protect customer data, maintain compliance across varying regional regulations, and uphold the principles of safety, fairness, and effectiveness.

To reinforce this, Zendesk has formed a cross-functional AI committee, co-chaired by its Chief Legal Officer Shana Simmons, which brings together leaders from product, engineering, security, marketing, sales, and customer success. 

Therefore, this team oversees how the company identifies and mitigates AI-related risks to ensure that ethical considerations remain at the heart of every innovation.

Colin also highlighted a recent milestone: all of Zendesk’s AI products, except for its two most recent acquisitions, are covered by ISO42001, the global standard for AI management systems.

“It’s a big step,” Colin noted, emphasising that this achievement reassures customers that their data is being handled responsibly. For Zendesk, the milestone serves as a statement of accountability regarding how the company develops and deploys AI.

Collaborative partnership

The company positions itself as an AI thought partner and expert. “Everyone is thirsting for knowledge on AI,” Colin observed. “We see ourselves as collaborative partners, sharing our own experiences and expertise to help customers deploy AI effectively.”

Central to successful AI implementation, Colin emphasised, was intentionality. “If I were to use one word to describe the overarching best practice, it’s intentionality,” he said. “You need to be very clear about what specific business problem you were trying to solve and what customer experience challenge you wanted to improve. Without that, it is hard to measure progress or ensure you are actually delivering value.”

Looking ahead, Zendesk showed no signs of slowing down. With recent acquisitions and a relentless focus on both organic and inorganic innovation, the company is poised to continue shaping the future of customer and employee experience. “We are going to continue to lean very heavily into all things AI,” Colin affirmed. “And above all, you are going to continue to hear from us – that the customer really, really, really matters – and we are going to continue to work to show everybody that that’s the case.”