Source: 2026 State of Customer Experience Report, Genesys
"A company is only as good as its service." customers
Customer experience is now a decisive factor in loyalty and spending across Asia Pacific, with half of consumers saying they would rather do anything else than contact customer service. The sentiment is even stronger in Singapore, where 63% of respondents share that view, underscoring the region’s growing intolerance for frustrating service journeys.
The fifth edition of Genesys’ State of Customer Experience report shows that poor service is already affecting revenue, with 86% of APAC consumers saying it has caused them to spend less or stop doing business with a brand.
Source: 2026 State of Customer Experience Report, Genesys
That figure rises to 91% in the Philippines and Thailand, while Japan remains a lower outlier at 67%, pointing to uneven service expectations across the region.
At the same time, consumers are increasingly open to AI when it delivers better results. Genesys found that 84% expect AI to improve service quality and speed, while 82% believe it will enhance personalisation, both above global averages.
The research also suggests that APAC customers care more about resolution than about whether the interaction is handled by a person or a machine. Eighty per cent said they do not particularly care whether their issue is solved by AI or a human, as long as it is resolved quickly and completely, while 93% value efficient service as much as empathetic treatment.
Yet many organisations are still struggling to match these expectations. Although 96% of APAC consumers expect information to be remembered across channels, 46% of organisations do not automatically pass information between virtual and human agents, creating friction that can erode loyalty.
Albert Nel
Albert Nel, senior vice president and regional sales leader for Genesys Asia Pacific, said: “As agentic AI becomes part of everyday customer engagement, organisations need to use it to reduce customer effort – not just automate interactions.”
He added that success will depend on connecting AI, people and customer context to deliver faster, more seamless experiences.
A notable trend from the report is the shift from automation for its own sake to orchestration that blends AI, human support and customer context. Genesys said 86% of APAC CX leaders expect autonomous AI agents to orchestrate customer experiences within three years, while they plan to spend an average of 32% of their customer service budget on AI-powered CX technologies over the next 12 months.
