Launching the CFE whitepaper, ‘More than a phone call: Using everyday interactions to detect and respond to loneliness’

Presented by the Cisco Chair in Trusted Retail

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We invite you to the launch of a powerful new whitepaper that challenges conventional thinking and offers a bold new approach to one of the most urgent public health issues of our time – loneliness.

This QUT whitepaper, developed in collaboration with Anglicare Southern Queensland and supported by Cisco, is titled ‘More than a phone call: Using everyday interactions to detect and respond to loneliness’. It uncovers the untapped potential of contact centres as frontline responders in the loneliness crisis. With the World Health Organisation now recognising loneliness as a global health threat – more lethal than smoking and more damaging than obesity – this paper delivers a strategic, actionable roadmap for organisations ready to lead with empathy and innovation.

At the heart of this conversation is trust. When organisations respond to customers’ subtle emotional cues, they signal a deeper commitment to human connection. This builds relational care, where customers feel genuinely seen and valued. In a world increasingly dominated by automation, trust becomes a defining advantage. Contact centres, when reimagined as hubs of empathy, offer a scalable and stigma-free way to foster that trust, turning everyday service interactions into moments of meaningful connection.

There is no cost for this event.

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About the whitepaper

In this short video, the researchers and authors of share insights from their findings. Watch now

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Download the whitepaper

More than a phone call: Using everyday interactions to detect and respond to loneliness is freely available for download. Access it now and explore a bold new perspective on loneliness.

Download the whitepaper

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Key themes explored at the launch.

Trust as a strategic differentiator: Trust is no longer a soft value, it’s a hard advantage. Organisations that recognise and respond to emotional and relational needs during everyday interactions can build deeper, more enduring customer relationships. This paper positions trust not just as a moral imperative, but as a measurable driver of loyalty, brand strength, and long-term value.

Repositioning contact centres as trust engines: Far from being transactional backrooms, contact centres are uniquely positioned to become high-volume, low-stigma environments where trust is built at scale. By equipping frontline teams to detect and respond to signs of loneliness, organisations can transform service delivery into a powerful expression of care and connection.

Behavioural insights as business intelligence: The paper highlights how subtle behavioural cues, such as frequent or prolonged calls, can serve as early indicators of loneliness. Recognising and acting on these signals not only supports vulnerable customers but also enhances service quality, reduces call fatigue, and strengthens brand credibility.

Leadership in the age of empathy: As digital transformation accelerates, the contact centre often remains the last human touchpoint. The report challenges C-suite leaders to embed empathy into their digital strategies – ensuring that technology enhances, rather than erodes, human connection. Trust, built through meaningful interaction, becomes a cornerstone of responsible innovation.

This event brings together leaders in mental health, technology, customer experience, and social innovation to explore how everyday interactions can be leveraged to build more connected, resilient communities.

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Meet the panel members

The event will feature a panel session with thought leaders in trust, healthy ageing, and academia, offering diverse perspectives on how organisations can respond to loneliness with empathy, innovation, and relational care.

Professor Catherine Haslam

University of Queensland

Catherine is a clinical psychologist with experience in both clinical and academic settings in Australia and the UK. Now at UQ, her research focuses on the cognitive and social impacts of trauma and disease in neurological populations, particularly in ageing. She explores memory rehabilitation and how cognitive impairment affects personal and social identity.

Chloe Henry

Chief Client Officer, Anglicare Southern Queensland

Chloe is a visionary executive with deep expertise in customer experience, marketing, communications, and contact centre operations. With a background in banking and leadership roles across private and not-for-profit sectors, she excels in navigating reform, managing government relations, and leading complex service teams. Known for building trusted relationships, Chloe drives customer-first cultures and delivers impactful, community-focused outcomes.

Associate Professor Alison Craswell

Cisco Chair, Healthy Ageing, University of the Sunshine Coast

As inaugural Cisco Research Chair in Digital Health and Ageing, Alison’s research seeks to better understand care needs for older adults to age well harnessing digital solutions. In collaboration with local health services, specifically Caboolture and Sunshine Coast hospitals, this research is challenging clinicians to innovate and think differently. Industry partners are supporting development of co-designed solutions with older adults.

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Why attend?

This event offers a unique opportunity to explore how everyday service interactions can be transformed into moments of genuine care, driving customer loyalty, brand differentiation, and long-term value. Whether you’re in healthcare, finance, telecommunications, retail, government, or social services, you’ll gain practical insights into how your organisation can:

Leverage trust as a strategic asset to deepen customer relationships and stand out in crowded markets.
Embed relational care into service delivery, using behavioural signals to identify and respond to emotional needs.
Support frontline teams with tools and frameworks that reduce burnout and improve service quality.
Lead responsibly in digital transformation, ensuring technology enhances, not replaces, human connection.

This is more than a launch, it’s a call to action for leaders who want to build resilient, people-centred organisations in an increasingly automated world.

Let’s move beyond transactions – and toward meaningful connection.

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Meet the lead authors

The authors of the whitepaper will also be present at the event, offering firsthand insights into their research and engaging in meaningful dialogue about the future of loneliness response.

Dr Nadine Ostern

Cisco Chair in Trusted Retail, QUT

Nadine leads research on trust experience (TX) design in tech-enabled environments like AI and blockchain. She has held academic roles across Europe and earned her PhD in Germany. As Cisco Chair in Trusted Retail, her work explores trust in sectors like retail and finance, and is regularly published in top journals and conferences.

Associate Professor Wasana Bandara, QUT

Wasana is an international expert in Business Process Management and Information Systems. She co-leads QUT’s BPM research group and the Enfranchising Enterprises program, focusing on human-centric innovation. With over 120 publications, multiple awards, and 20+ years of experience, she is a pioneering educator and consultant committed to empowering organisations and advancing societal impact.

Dr Shannon Colville, QUT

Shannon is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at QUT, where her interdisciplinary work spans information systems, psychology, and management to advance human-centered AI. She focuses on trust, human-AI interaction, and digital well-being—particularly AI companionship and technology’s role in supporting vulnerable populations. Her research also explores trust development and repair in digital contexts, including emerging tech, crisis response, and organizational change.

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Contact the host of Connection in the Everyday: Rethinking How We Respond to Loneliness

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