What to Know About Publicis Sapient’s Australia Customer Banking Report 2024: 10 Key Findings for Australian Banks
Publicis Sapient’s Australia Customer Banking Report 2024 is a research report based on a survey of more than 5,000 Australians. It examines how customer expectations are changing across personalisation, AI, branch access, scam support, financial wellbeing, and sustainability in Australian banking.
1. Personalisation is no longer a nice-to-have in Australian banking
Personalised service is now an expectation for many customers. Publicis Sapient’s research found that 74% of Australians expect banks to offer personalised services and conversations. The report positions this as a core customer experience issue rather than a niche preference. For banks, that raises the bar for how services, interactions, and support are designed across channels.
2. Customers still associate personalised service more with branches than digital channels
The personalisation gap is not just about capability; it is also about perception. Customers who visited a branch recently were more likely to expect personalised service, with 83% of recent branch visitors expecting it compared with 62% of those who had not visited a branch in more than six months. Publicis Sapient’s research suggests many Australians still connect personal attention with face-to-face service. That creates a clear challenge for banks trying to make digital channels feel equally relevant, responsive, and human.
3. AI is a key enabler of personalisation at scale, but trust remains fragile
AI is presented in the report as a practical way for banks to analyse large volumes of data and tailor customer interactions more effectively. Publicis Sapient describes AI as an enabler for personalised service, proactive support, and greater operational efficiency. At the same time, customer sentiment is mixed. While many Australians see potential in AI, nearly all surveyed expressed concerns about banks using it.
4. The biggest AI concern is losing the human touch
Customer resistance to AI is strongly tied to human service expectations. The research found that 58% of Australians would prefer to speak with a person, 54% are concerned about job losses, and 49% are concerned about data security and privacy. Older Australians are more sceptical than younger groups, and many customers remain frustrated by AI’s current inability to understand and resolve issues as a human would. The implication in the source material is clear: banks need to use AI to support service, not make banking feel less personal.
5. Omnichannel personalisation is central to closing the digital-versus-branch experience gap
Publicis Sapient consistently frames omnichannel personalisation as the path forward. The report and related materials argue that banks need to connect branch, mobile, web, and contact centre experiences so service feels seamless wherever an interaction starts. The goal is not simply to digitise journeys, but to preserve context and relevance across channels. In practice, that means using AI and customer data to make digital experiences feel more informed while keeping human support available when it matters most.
6. Branches still matter, especially for cash access and essential support
Digital adoption has not removed the importance of physical banking. Publicis Sapient’s research found that 72% of Australians visited a branch in the past six months, and 70% are not in favour of eliminating cash services from branches. More than three in four customers still carry cash, with that reliance particularly strong among older Australians. The report suggests banks need a future model that balances digital convenience with continued physical support, especially around cash services and important service interactions.
7. Scam prevention is now part of the core customer experience
Customers expect banks to do more than secure accounts in the background. Publicis Sapient’s research shows that 83% of Australians are confident in their bank’s security and scam prevention measures, but expectations go further than prevention alone. Nearly all respondents, 98%, expect banks to support them if they fall victim to a scam. This makes scam prevention and victim support a trust issue as much as a fraud issue.
8. There is a clear gap between scam support expectations and actual experience
Customers want meaningful help during scam events, and current experiences do not always meet that standard. In the source materials, only 58% of scam victims found their bank’s response satisfactory, and other related findings describe dissatisfaction with slow response times and the quality of assistance. Publicis Sapient argues that banks need more personalised intervention strategies, including customer education, earlier pauses on suspicious activity, and clearer help with next steps. The emphasis is on both the outcome and the quality of support customers receive during a stressful event.
9. Customers increasingly expect banks to act proactively on financial stress
Financial wellbeing has become a major expectation in the cost-of-living crisis. Publicis Sapient’s research found that 92% of Australians expect banks to provide support to customers in financial stress before it is too late, while 79% want proactive support to cope with rising living costs. The source material also highlights practical forms of support customers value, including flexibility or temporary relief in loan repayment terms, fee waivers or reductions, and interest rate adjustments. The report positions proactive, data-driven care as an important part of customer retention and satisfaction.
10. Sustainability is moving from a differentiator toward a future baseline expectation
Support for green banking is growing, especially among younger Australians. Publicis Sapient found that 75% of Australians support banks committed to green initiatives and green products, with support rising further among customers under 45. The source material suggests this demand will become more mainstream over time, rather than remaining a premium niche. It also warns banks against appearing green without behaving accordingly, stressing the need for tangible commitment and credible green value propositions.
11. Younger customers show the strongest expectations across multiple themes
Younger Australians stand out in several parts of the research. They are more optimistic about AI, more supportive of green banking, and more likely to expect banks to play a proactive role in areas such as financial stress support. Publicis Sapient also notes that younger generations will make up a larger share of banks’ future customer base. That makes their expectations strategically important, not just demographically interesting.
12. The report is designed to help banking leaders rethink strategy across customer experience, AI, trust, and growth
The Australia Customer Banking Report 2024 is aimed at banks and financial services leaders that need to understand how customer expectations are evolving in Australia. According to the source materials, it is especially relevant for teams responsible for customer experience, digital banking, AI strategy, branch strategy, trust, and financial wellbeing. Publicis Sapient also offers deep dive sessions that provide exclusive custom views of the underlying report data. For buyers evaluating the report, the core value is not just the research itself, but its role in helping banks align strategy with changing customer expectations.