Zendesk’s CX Trends 2026 reveals why many brands are struggling to turn AI potential into real customer satisfaction — and what high-performing CX leaders are doing differently.
Based on insights from 11,000+ consumers and CX leaders worldwide, the report uncovers how contextual intelligence and agentic AI are reshaping customer experience — from personalization to transparency.
With agents and customers gaining trust in AI copilots, 90% of CX leaders are seeing clear ROI. Now, early adopters are moving toward service models with little to no human involvement.
Efficiency isn’t enough—consumers expect AI to feel friendly and engaging. In fact, 64% say they trust AI more when it feels human-like.
AI agents that are friendly, engaging, and embody human-like traits are quickly becoming the new expectation.
AI with contextual memory is transforming CX – and customer expectations.
To meet customer demands, 85% of CX leaders say that memory-rich AI agents will be the key to truly personalised journeys.
The cost of inaction is high: 85% of CX leaders say customers will drop brands over unresolved issues – even on the first contact.
With the proliferation of self-service tools, CX leaders must now meet a new standard for immediate, accurate resolutions every time.
Leading CX teams are using AI to bridge channels and resolve issues autonomously across formats.
Customers are thrilled: 76% say they’ d choose a company if they could drop text, images and video into the same thread without restarting.
81% say giving every employee the ability to ask questions will transform decision-making.
Real-time decisions require real-time insights. As the next leap in AI-driven intelligence, prompt-first tools are democratising data.
As AI usage rises, so does customer scrutiny.
Customers want to understand what’s behind automated decisions: demands for greater transparency have risen by 63% from just last year.
Build The Best Customers Experiences
One unresolved issue can now cost a customer for life.
This report shows how leading brands are staying ahead — and how you can too.
SPECIAL OFFER!
FREE CONSULT & GET DISCOUNT
