New Zealand Consumers Have High Trust Expectations As AI Agents Step In To Support Brand Experiences

Salesforce’s latest State of the AI Connected Customer research reveals consumer trust in companies is at a record low, while AI is raising the stakes for brands as New Zealand consumers have high trust expectations for their favourite brands.

Today, 71 per cent of New Zealand consumers – compared with 60 per cent of all those surveyed globally – believe that advances in AI make trust even more important, even as younger generations are showing an increasing interest in using AI to improve their customer experience

With AI agents on the rise, the findings point to real opportunities for companies to win back consumers with trustworthy AI agents this holiday season. This opportunity is greatest with Gen Z, with 33% of New Zealand Gen Z consumers saying they’d be comfortable having an agent shop for them.

Why it matters: Faced with a challenging holiday shopping season and sinking consumer trust, brands can’t afford to get AI wrong – especially as more than $200 billion in global online sales will be influenced by AI this holiday season. AI agents, or intelligent software that understands and responds to customer inquiries without human intervention, can help companies drive higher margins and keep consumers buying by delivering incredible customer service. From fixing clunky purchase experiences to difficult return processes, there’s an agent for that. But to build trusted customer relationships, brands need trusted AI agents that are grounded in transparency and the right data.

Some of the other key findings for New Zealand customers from the AI Connected Customer research include:

Consumers trust less, expect more
While New Zealand consumer trust in AI is decreasing, advances in AI make earning that trust more critical than ever.

• 73% of New Zealand consumers trust companies less than they did a year ago
• 58% feel companies are reckless with customer data, compared with 65% globally

It’s not just about trust; local consumers also expect best-in-class experiences.

• 79% of New Zealand consumers expect consistent interactions across departments, compared to 69% globally
• While 65% of consumers prefer using fewer touchpoints to get information or complete a task, compared to 56% globally

While better deals are a top driver for consumers to switch to a new brand, customer service experience, convenience, and consistent product or service quality drive more long-term brand loyalty.

• 57% of New Zealand consumers say poor customer service experience will stop them from making a repeat purchase from a company or brand
• 43% of local consumers who were surveyed say that inconvenience, such as a difficult return process or clunky purchase experience, will cause brands to lose them

Younger New Zealand consumers are most open to AI agents
The research shows Millennials (49%) and Gen Zers (45%) around New Zealand are more willing than Gen Xers (38%) and Baby Boomers (24%) to use AI agents to improve their customer experience by creating more personalized, or useful content, mirroring global trends.

New Zealand Millennials, in particular, hold companies to a higher standard when it comes to adapting to and anticipating their needs – 45% of millennials say AI raises the bar for customer experiences compared to just 29% of Baby Boomers.

These groups are also the most likely to consider the benefits provided by AI Agents. Gen Zs and Millennials are more likely than older generations to consider the benefits provided by agents; as an example, 40% of Gen Z consumers across New Zealand said they’d work with AI agents instead of a person for faster service, compared with just 29% of Gen X consumers and 23% of Baby Boomers.

Transparency is key to building New Zealand consumer confidence in the AI agent era
Despite the promise of young shoppers, many consumers haven’t made up their minds on AI yet. More than a third of New Zealand consumers are neutral about AI’s impact on their lives, whether personal or professional.

In fact, many local consumers feel a mix of suspicion (48%) and curiosity (40%) about the future of AI —revealing a ripe opportunity for companies to help consumers see and understand the benefits of AI agents.

• Over a third (35%) of New Zealand consumers would work with an AI agent instead of a person to avoid repeating themselves
• 31% of New Zealand consumers – even more among Gen Z (40%) and millennials (37%) – would work with an AI agent instead of a person for faster service
• More than a quarter (26%) of consumers — even more among Gen Z (33%) and millennials (35%) – would share their personal information with an AI agent so it can better anticipate their needs

To build confidence in the agent experience, businesses need to bridge the trust gap through more transparency.

• 78% of New Zealand consumers want to know if they’re communicating with an AI agent
• 50% are more likely to use an AI agent if there’s a clear escalation path
• 46% are more likely to use an AI agent if its logic is clearly explained

Salesforce perspective:
“We know that trust is an important consideration for all consumers when it comes to how technology will affect and influence how they experience their favourite brands, and clearly New Zealanders are no different. The numbers show we’re more likely than the global average to expect trust to be at the heart of advances in AI.

“This research shows that there’s a clear way to build trust with New Zealand consumers; focus on delivering high-quality customer service, with consistent interactions and as fewer touch points as possible. If they can do that, they’ll go a long way to building positive, lasting relationships with local consumers.“ Hamish Miles, Country Leader, New Zealand, Salesforce

Customer perspective: “Many of our customers prefer to have a digital experience first, whether that is in customer support or as part of their purchasing consideration. Across every facet of that journey, we want the experience to be a positive one.

Our focus at Fisher & Paykel is to meet these customer expectations head-on in a trusted way. We want to give them an experience where they can use our agents to get the support they need – quickly, easily, and accurately.

For us, it’s about giving our customers the best experience that meets them where they are, and continuing to deliver improvements that make every interaction with us simple.” Rudi Khoury, Chief Digital Officer, Fisher & Paykel Appliances

Methodology: Data is from a double-blind survey of 15,015 consumers conducted between 26th July – 16th August 2024, including more than 500 respondents from New Zealand. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK, and US adults (aged 18+). The survey was carried out online by YouGov.