2026 State of Customer Experience Report

Customer expectations are rising, creating new opportunities for businesses in the agentic era. Based on insights from 5,811 consumers and 1,560 CX and business leaders worldwide, this report reveals how leading organisations are using AI and CX innovation to build loyalty and drive measurable business outcomes.

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Consumers compare you against their best experiences

92%

want organisations to match the best experience they've ever had

94%

value efficient customer service as much as empathy

85%

spent less or stopped purchasing after a poor experience

Ageing infrastructure is the #1 challenge facing CX leaders

For the first time since 2023, ageing infrastructure is CX’s top challenge — putting connected journeys and AI scale at risk.

Disconnected systems are holding CX back

Operating on ageing CX infrastructure is the biggest operational challenge cited by CX leaders
48% of companies don’t pass information already shared to a human agent
Ageing infrastructure is the biggest operational challenge cited by CX leaders

AI is reshaping consumer expectations.

Daily AI use by consumers is raising the bar on what great looks like: instant answers, no repeated context.

expect AI to improve service quality

blame a bad experience for souring on AI

CX leaders expect AI is likely to be in every interaction by 2029

The agentic era demands a new CX operating model

40% of CX organisations are already using agentic AI
On average, CX leaders plan to invest 30% of customer service budgets in AI-powered CX technologies
AI projects that haven’t scaled are the second-highest ranked barrier to delivering seamless journeys

How important is it to switch channels without repeating yourself?

95% of consumers say carrying context across channels matters, and most call it extremely important. Broken handoffs can make or break customer loyalty.

The path forward

The path forward is a connected one. Leaders are investing in CX platforms that unify people, systems, data and AI. When context follows the customer, AI has the foundation to act — and every interaction builds loyalty instead of eroding it.

A unified CX platform can bring AI, channels, data, and workflows into a connected environment. This gives teams the context they need to work effectively and coordinate action across systems.