February 17, 2026

45 Customer Experience Statistics You Need to Know in 2026

Parth Dhoundiyal

Parth Dhoundiyal

Product Marketing Manager, Avaya

AI is Now a CX Imperative

AI is no longer a futuristic add-on. It’s here and deeply embedded in the customer experience stack. Over one-third of organizations now use AI across all interaction points, with over half prioritizing it to boost support efficiency. The business case for AI is tied directly to reducing costs and enhancing customer satisfaction.

  • 34% of businesses report that their organization already actively uses AI across all customer interaction processes. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 52% of business decision-makers prioritize AI to improve the efficiency of customer support. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 42% of organizations cite both reducing operational costs and enhancing customer satisfaction as their primary goals for integrating AI into CX. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 42% of businesses prioritize system enhancement as a key CX (Customer Experience)  strategy, focusing on integrating AI without disrupting current operations. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)

Generative AI is Becoming Mainstream

Generative AI is rising fast, with nearly half of organizations using genAI chatbots to automate interactions. And 46 percent rely on it for real-time suggestions to assist human agents. Self-service automation is now expected, not exceptional.

  • 49% of organizations view generative AI (genAI) chatbots as a top priority for automating customer-facing interactions. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 47% of organizations are currently using AI for self-service automation, such as virtual assistants. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 46% of businesses use genAI to create real-time response suggestions for human agents. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)

Automation Meets Intelligence

AI is not just automating, it’s optimizing. Nearly half of businesses plan to use AI for deep data analysis and journey improvement. The shift is going from answering questions to anticipating needs.

  • 45% of businesses plan to implement AI tools for comprehensive data analysis and customer journey optimization within the next 12 months. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)

The Human Side of AI Strategy

Talent is a top concern, with over half of businesses citing hiring and training challenges. Cost, security, and data silos remain key hurdles, with only 12 percent reporting success in eliminating silos.

  • 53% of organizations report recruiting, training, and retaining skilled staff as a top challenge for their contact centers. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 37% of decision-makers are concerned about the high cost of replacing existing technology when implementing AI. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 35% of businesses cite security and data privacy as a major barrier to AI adoption. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • Only 12% of organizations report having effectively eliminated data silos, which often block the full potential of AI initiatives. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)

Voice Remains a Power Channel

AI-powered voice tools are gaining traction, with most leaders calling real-time transcription, compliance monitoring, and biometric authentication critically important. Even in the age of text, voice is far from obsolete.

  • 60% of businesses believe voice-based biometric identity verification is very important for streamlining customer authentication. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 59% of businesses consider AI tools for compliance monitoring and process optimization to be very important. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)
  • 59% of organizations value real-time transcription and multilingual support as highly important voice use cases. (Source:  Avaya, 2025)

AI is Becoming Familiar, Fast

Familiarity breeds confidence. In 2021, only a quarter of consumers said they were very familiar with AI. By 2025, that number had more than doubled. AI is now a regular part of the day for 42 percent, many of whom already use tools like ChatGPT and Gemini.

  • Rapidly Growing Familiarity: The percentage of consumers who say they are "very familiar" with AI more than doubled in four years, rising from 25% in 2021 to 57% in 2025. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • Daily Interaction: Nearly half of consumers (42%) report interacting with AI either "all the time" (16%) or "most of the time" (26%) during a typical day. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • Generative AI Awareness: By the end of 2025, 89% of consumers had heard of ChatGPT, and 65% had personally used it. (Source: Avaya, 2025)

Trust in AI Is Slipping

Trust in AI peaked in 2023 and has since declined. Only 59 percent of consumers trust it in 2025, and the share who say it is "very untrustworthy" has more than doubled. Transparency matters: 87 percent want companies to disclose when AI is used, and 90 percent say they should always have the option to reach a human.

  • Fraying Trust: After a peak in 2023 at 62%, consumer trust in AI fell to 59% in 2025. Furthermore, the share of people who find AI "very untrustworthy" more than doubled, from 5% to 12%, over the two years. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • Demand for Disclosure: A consistent 87% of consumers insist that businesses should disclose when AI is being used in an interaction. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • The "Escape Hatch" Requirement: 90% of consumers believe that if they choose not to interact with AI, they should be provided access to a real person. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • Data Security Concerns: 81% of consumers agree that AI could be abused to obtain personal data without their consent. (Source: Avaya, 2025)

 Consumers Want AI for Simplicity, But Still Prefer Humans for Complexity

AI is fine for booking appointments. But when things get emotional or complex, humans win. Eighty percent prefer humans for trust-building or dispute resolution. For high-stakes issues like fraud or emotional support, the preference rises even higher.

  • The Empathy Gap: 80% of consumers prefer humans for needs driven by empathy, such as dispute resolution or building trust. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • Task-Specific Trust: Consumers are most comfortable with AI for low-risk tasks such as scheduling appointments (60%), but only 19% trust it to handle banking transactions. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • Customer Service Preferences: For serious issues like fraud and security concerns, 70% of customers prefer a human agent. Conversely, for simple order tracking, only 19% prefer a human, with the rest open to AI or hybrid models. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • Resolution and Difficulty: While 63% of users say conversational AI resolved their issue, 53% still find interacting with a chatbot more difficult than interacting with a human. (Source: Avaya, 2025)

People Will Walk Away if AI Is the Only Option

Nearly three-quarters of customers say they would leave a brand that uses only AI, with no human alternative. But only a few say they would leave if the brand only offered human support. The data speaks clearly: human agents are essential for long-term loyalty.

  • AI-Only Risk: 73% of customers say they are likely to take their business elsewhere if a company only offers AI with no human option. (Source: Avaya, 2025)
  • The Human Preference: Only 15% of customers say they would be very likely to leave a brand that uses only live humans and no AI, indicating a much higher tolerance for human-only service than AI-only service. (Source: Avaya, 2025)

The Ideal Future Is Human and AI Working Together

Consumers want collaboration between AI and human agents. Sixty-nine percent say it is very important that the two work together. People will accept AI help when it’s fast and accurate, but empathy and context still belong to humans.

  • Human Connection is Essential: 83% of consumers say it is extremely or very important to speak to a human when issues arise. Human agents are no longer just troubleshooters; they are seen as "trust-builders". (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • Pragmatic AI Acceptance: 56% prefer an AI assistant if it resolves their problem quickly. However, 44% still prefer human contact or believe it depends on the issue's complexity. (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • Collaboration Over Replacement: 69% of consumers believe it is very important that AI and human agents work together to help customers better, rather than AI replacing people. (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • High-Stakes Human Preference: Consumers overwhelmingly prefer humans for sensitive or diagnostic tasks. For example, 97% want human interaction for serious financial issues (like fraud), and 80% prefer humans for mental health or emotional support. (Source: Avaya, 2026)

Time Matters More Than Ever

Speed means respect in the modern contact center. Sixty percent of consumers expect to reach a live agent in under six minutes. If they don't, frustration happens quickly. Fast and accurate service now trumps politeness or charm.

  • Speed Equals Respect: 60% of consumers expect to reach a live agent in six minutes or less before becoming frustrated. Relationship decay begins immediately if help does not arrive quickly. (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • Accuracy Over Politeness: Accuracy (39%) and speed (24%) are the top customer priorities. Human access (18%) and agent politeness (13%) take a back seat to accuracy and speed. (Source: Avaya, 2026)

Service Quality Drives Brand Loyalty

Three out of four consumers say they’ve chosen one brand over another solely based on service. This makes CX a major competitive differentiator. It’s not just about solving problems. It’s about making customers feel valued and remembered.

  • Service as a Competitive Edge: 76% of consumers have chosen one brand over another solely because of the quality of service. (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • Data Protection is Non-Negotiable: 87% of consumers say trust in data protection is essential for their loyalty. Customers are demanding "accountable AI" that respects their data. (Source: Avaya, 2026)

Personalized Service Is the New Default

Tailored support is no longer a nice-to-have. Ninety-two percent expect their customer experience to feel personalized. And 83 percent expect agents to remember their history. Personalization builds trust and makes support feel less transactional.

  • The Expectation of Memory: 83% of consumers expect agents to know their history or find it helpful. This expectation extends to AI, with 70% wanting AI agents to demonstrate the same situational awareness. (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • Real-Time Relevance: 92% of consumers say real-time personalization is important, with 60% rating it as very or extremely important. (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • Tailored Support is the Baseline: 92% of consumers expect customer support to feel tailored to them, signaling that generic, robotic responses are no longer acceptable. (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • Personalization is Highly Visible: 69% of consumers actively notice when a brand personalizes their experience; it is not a "behind-the-scenes" effort. (Source: Avaya, 2026)

Customers Expect Continuity Across Channels

Omnichannel expectations are now universal. Ninety-six percent of consumers say they want to switch between channels without repeating themselves. Whether it’s phone, chat, email, or an AI assistant, every touchpoint should feel like part of one continuous conversation.

  • The No-Repetition Rule: 96% of consumers say it is important to switch between channels without repeating information. A break in context is seen as a sign of respect—or a lack thereof. (Source: Avaya, 2026)
  • Multichannel is the Default: consumers use a wide range of channels—phone (80%), email (67%), and live chat (47%)—and expect a coherent experience across all of them. (Source: Avaya, 2026)

Most People Don’t Complain, They Just Leave

Seventy-four percent of customers have abandoned a brand after a single frustrating experience, without saying a word. This silent exit is a massive risk. Companies often lose customers without ever understanding why.

  • Silent Abandonment: 74% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company after a single frustrating experience, without ever complaining. Silence from a customer often signals resignation rather than satisfaction. (Source: Avaya, 2026)

Consumers Are Turning to AI Outside of Company Walls

The front door to support is no longer the company website. Nearly half of consumers say they’ve used ChatGPT to get help before contacting the business directly. AI is the new frontline, even if you don’t control it.

  • New Front Door to Support: Consumers are starting their support journeys outside of company-owned channels. 47% have used ChatGPT, and 24% have used Google Gemini for online help in the last 90 days. (Source: Avaya, 2026)

The Public Sector Is Expected to Modernize Too

Eighty-one percent of consumers say government agencies should modernize with AI tools. Expectations aren’t just rising in retail and tech; they're also rising in healthcare, transportation, and public services.

  • Government Mandate: 81% of consumers say it is important for government agencies (such as the IRS or DMV) to modernize with technologies like AI to improve service. (Source: Avaya, 2026)

Research Sources:

The "Signals of Connection" report analyzes a January 2026 survey of 510 U.S. consumers to highlight a fundamental shift from transactional contact centers toward emotionally intelligent, context-aware "Connection Centers". The findings emphasize that while speed and accuracy are paramount, brands risk "silent abandonment" from 74% of their audience if they fail to provide seamless channel continuity and personalized memory.
The "Living with AI, Longing for Connection" research report analyzes a March 2025 survey of U.S. adults to highlight the need for a transition from traditional "contact centers" to human-centered, AI-empowered "Connection Centers". The findings emphasize that while familiarity with AI has more than doubled since 2021, brands risk losing 73% of their customer base if they fail to offer a human alternative to AI-only interactions.
The "From Automation To Orchestration" report analyzes a November 2024 survey of 415 global decision-makers to highlight a strategic shift from isolated AI tools toward unified "AI orchestration" in contact centers. The findings emphasize that while generative AI and automation drive immediate efficiency, brands must overcome data silos and integration hurdles to deliver the hyperpersonalized, seamless customer journeys that 52% of businesses now prioritize as a critical driver of growth.