System malfunctions multiply, eroding trust among Australians

In the digital age, businesses across Australia are facing increased pressure to manage service disruptions more effectively. With the help of advanced tools and technologies, such as AI and AI agents, companies are becoming more proactive, resilient, and efficient in preventing and addressing disruptions across complex digital environments.

A recent survey revealed that 97% of Australian consumers expect prompt action when a failure occurs. Not only do they desire a quick resolution (68%), but they also expect regular updates (64%) and a clear explanation of what went wrong (63%). The stakes are high, as 72% of Australians would stop or consider stopping use of a company's products or services due to system failures or outages.

The consequences of service disruptions are far-reaching. In the past year, Australians collectively lost an estimated 73 million hours and $5.3 billion due to these incidents. Furthermore, 41% of Australians have experienced a telecommunications service failure, incident, or outage in the past 12 months.

The banking and financial services sector has not been immune to these issues. In fact, 28% of Australians experienced an outage, leading 25% to lose trust and 61% to carry cash more often as a backup. The retail sector has also experienced a 29% rate of service disruptions in the past year.

Callum Eade, Vice President of Asia Pacific at PagerDuty, emphasised the frustration felt by Australians when left in the dark during incidents. He stated, "Australians are disappointed when they're left in the dark during incidents."

However, there is a silver lining. By investing in automation and rapid response, companies can turn moments of disruption into moments of connection with consumers. PagerDuty helps businesses stay ahead by enabling smarter, faster responses that minimise downtime and maintain consumer trust.

The expectations from consumers are clear: they are preparing for incidents and expect businesses to step up, rebuild trust, and lead with resilience. A staggering 77% of Australians are worried about being left 'stranded' or 'locked out' when critical online services fail across various industries.

Looking ahead, there are concerns about potential increases in service disruptions in various sectors. According to a survey, 34% of Australians predict more telco failures, 31% in airlines, 30% in banking, and 29% in retail over the next 12 months.

While there is no specific information indicating which Australian companies expect an increased number of outages in telecommunications, airlines, banking, or retail sectors in the next 12 months, there are global concerns about telecommunications vulnerabilities due to hacker threats. In the banking sector, there are reported challenges related to crypto transactions, possibly implying operational difficulties.

Despite these challenges, Australians are demanding more from businesses in terms of handling service disruptions. The message is clear: businesses must be ready to respond quickly, transparently, and effectively to maintain consumer trust and loyalty.