Singapore – With AI agents on the rise, the latest report from customer relationship management firm Salesforce revealed that 64% of Singaporean consumers believe that advances in artificial intelligence make trust more crucial.
Said findings further suggest that with AI agents becoming more prevalent, companies can benefit from significant opportunities to restore consumer trust by offering dependable AI agents this holiday season.
Key findings of the report also found that consumer trust worldwide is at its lowest level in eight years, with advances in AI making it more essential than ever for companies to regain that trust. In particular, the report recorded nearly three-quarters (74%) of Singapore consumers trust companies less than they did a year ago, while 61% of them feel companies are reckless with customer data.
Moreover, Singaporean consumers also expect best-in-class experiences, noting 75% of the respondents anticipate consistent interactions across departments. Another 71% also prefer using fewer touchpoints to get information or complete a task.
Better deals were also noted as top drivers for consumers to switch to a new brand. Meanwhile, customer service experience, convenience, and consistent product or service quality foster more long-term brand loyalty in Singapore. In fact, a significant 57% of consumers say that a poor customer service experience will prevent them from returning, and 48% believe that inconvenience, including a difficult return process or clunky purchase experience, will cause brands to lose them.
In Singapore, younger consumers are also the most receptive to AI agents. The report specifically observed that millennials (53%) and Gen Z (47%) are more likely than baby boomers (36%) to embrace AI agents for enhancing their customer experience with personalised and valuable content.
Millennials, in particular, hold companies to a higher standard when it comes to adapting to and anticipating their needs—37% say AI raises the bar for customer experiences compared to 27% of Gen Zers and baby boomers.
Interestingly, transparency was also reported as a key to developing consumer confidence in the AI agent era. Around 76% of consumers particularly want to be informed when they’re engaging with an AI agent, and 60% are more likely to use one if there’s an accessible escalation path or if the agent’s logic is clearly explained.
However, more than half (54%) of consumers are neutral about AI’s impact on their personal lives, while 47% are neutral about its impact on their professional lives. With this, many consumers feel a mix of suspicion (31%) and curiosity (52%) about the future of AI, revealing a ripe opportunity for companies to help consumers see and understand the benefits of AI agents.
Commenting about the report, Sujith Abraham, senior vice president and general manager at Salesforce ASEAN, said, “With the upcoming holiday and festive season, retailers are under immense pressure to keep up with declining consumer trust and rising expectations in Singapore. But there’s also a huge opportunity—Singaporean consumers are more open than ever to AI.”
“Autonomous AI agents can help businesses rebuild trust and scale to meet increasing demands during this season by elevating and personalising customer experiences at scale in a trusted manner,” he further explained.
