Customer experience across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region has entered a transformative era, defined by rapid advances in technology, growing customer expectations, and the rising importance of delivering measurable business impact.
Our 2025 Global State of CX report reveals a market in motion. Generative AI has emerged as the single most disruptive force shaping the CX function, with businesses and customers leaning into AI-powered interactions like never before. At the same time, organizations are feeling the weight of increasing pressure to prove the return on their CX investments.
CX leaders are responding with a clear focus: building internal capabilities, prioritizing AI development, and investing in training to future-proof their teams. Yet even as momentum builds, many organizations are still catching up when it comes to critical areas like governance, measurement, and omnichannel integration.
In the face of these shifts, one thing is clear: the APAC region is not standing still. Businesses are adapting – some rapidly, others more cautiously – as they work to turn emerging tools and insights into lasting competitive advantage.
Here, we unpack five standout findings from the 2025 report, based directly on survey responses from CX practitioners and analysts working in APAC. They offer a revealing snapshot of how CX teams in the region are navigating change, and where they're headed next.
1. Generative AI leads the way
Generative AI is considered the most impactful trend by CX professionals in APAC in 2025. According to the survey, 43% of respondents selected "generative AI chatbots and virtual assistants" as the trend most likely to affect their role over the coming year.
Respondents also indicated that consumers are increasingly engaging with AI directly. A significant 85% of respondents (20% strongly agree, 65% agree) said their customers are using generative AI in product research and communications.
This convergence of business and consumer AI adoption suggests we have entered an era where AI-mediated interactions are becoming the norm.
2. Demonstrating ROI remains a challenge
When asked to identify the primary obstacles to bringing CX investments to life, 51% of respondents selected "demonstrating ROI", making it the most cited challenge in APAC.
This was reinforced by responses to a separate question, where 74% of practitioners said that pressure to prove the ROI of CX initiatives had increased over the past 12 months. No respondents reported a decrease in pressure.
In terms of measurement, CSAT (customer satisfaction) remains the most widely used metric, selected by 60% of respondents. This was followed by cost to serve (48%), customer retention (45%), NPS (Net Promoter Score) at 40%, and overall profit or revenue at 36%. However, 45% of respondents said they believe there are many CX benefits their organization receives that are not measured.
3. Training is a key area of investment
The development of skills continues to be a major area of focus for CX teams across APAC, with 49% of respondents saying their organization provided training in customer journey mapping – the most widely reported training activity.
Other commonly cited areas included product knowledge (37%), soft skills such as emotional intelligence and adaptability (37%), and data regulatory compliance (37%). Training in customer complaint handling was reported by 35% of respondents, while 29% said they had provided guidance in the application of AI and machine learning.
Notably, no respondents indicated that their organization had delivered no training during the year.
When asked how they were preparing for the trends expected to impact their role in 2025, team training and development tied with investing in new tools as the most common responses, each selected by 55% of respondents.
These results show that workforce development remains a key part of how CX teams in the region are equipping themselves for evolving customer and operational expectations, suggesting that human capabilities continue to be valued alongside technological advancement.
4. AI development and data literacy: top priorities
Developing AI/generative AI capabilities and driving data literacy across teams form the most popular strategic aims for CX teams in APAC in 2025, with 35% of respondents naming each among their top three strategic goals for the year.
Other top responses included increasing Net Promoter Score (NPS), CSAT, or similar metrics (33%), and driving more sales (31%). The goals of growing the customer base, enhancing user experience across channels, and increasing customer retention were each selected by 27% of respondents.
CX professionals also reported increasing involvement in AI-related investment decisions. Thirty-seven percent said they are part of the decision-making team for AI investment in their organization, and a further 23% said they can influence AI spending. Twelve percent said they take sole responsibility for these investments.
In terms of sourcing, 70% of respondents said their organization acquires new AI capabilities through third-party vendors, while 30% said they rely on in-house builds.
These responses indicate that AI development is a strategic focus across multiple levels, from goal-setting through to procurement and implementation. The equal emphasis on data literacy suggests organizations recognize that effective AI deployment depends on building a foundation of data-savvy teams who can leverage these new capabilities appropriately.
5. GenAI governance frameworks in place at just over one-third of organizations
Despite the focus on AI, many organizations in the region have yet to implement formal governance around the use of generative tools. When asked whether they had an organization-wide approach to generative AI best practice and governance, only 37% of respondents said yes.
Almost half (49%) said their organization does not have a governance framework in place, while 14% said they were unsure.
At the same time, customer concerns are becoming a consideration in planning. Forty percent of CX professionals said that customer awareness of how AI works – and how it uses their data – is influencing their 2025 planning decisions. Thirty-three percent of respondents said customers are concerned about AI ethics and the future development of AI in CX.
These findings indicate that while adoption of generative AI is high, governance practices remain uneven. The data reveals a maturity gap that organizations will need to address as AI becomes more integral to customer experiences. Customer concerns around data usage and ethics appear to be a driving force that may accelerate governance adoption in the coming year.
The road ahead
This year's findings show a region moving forward with determination and focus, even as complexity and pressure rise. APAC organizations are embracing new technologies, expanding their CX strategies, and developing their practices.
However, challenges remain – from demonstrating ROI to bridging the gap between AI adoption and solid governance.
Those who lead the way in 2025 will be the organizations who balance innovation with responsibility, prioritize customer needs, and continue building a CX culture that's embedded across the organization.
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