A new report found that 75% of consumers experienced frustration with AI-driven customer service in 2025, highlighting growing gaps between automation, resolution, and customer trust.
Glance has announced the release of its 2026 CX Trends Report, a candid and data-backed look at what actually happened during the industry’s rapid shift toward AI-driven customer service in 2025 and what CX leaders can learn moving into 2026.
The report exposes a widening gap between AI promises and customer reality. While organisations invested heavily in automation in 2025, customers reported more loops, dead ends, repeat explanations, and, ultimately, declining trust.
Among the report’s standout findings:
- 75% of consumers say they’ve had a fast AI-driven response that still left them frustrated.
- Customers prioritise outcomes over speed, with 68% saying “Getting a complete resolution” is the most important in support interactions.
- Nearly 90% report reduced loyalty when human support is removed.
- Only 7% of customers say they rarely or never have to repeat themselves when switching channels.
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- 34% say AI customer support “made things harder,” and a majority prefer “human-first” support pathways.
- 44% of consumers always try self-service first, and another 50% sometimes use it, showing a strong appetite for AI-enabled resolution when it’s designed well.
“The industry spent much of 2025 chasing speed and automation,” said Tom Martin, CEO of Glance.
“But our research shows that customers felt increasingly disappointed by digital systems that were supposed to help them. The future isn’t AI replacing people, it’s AI strengthening the foundation so humans can deliver clarity, empathy, and trust at the moments that matter.”
The report outlines where organisations went wrong in the 2025 AI pivot, from bots designed to deflect, not resolve, to personalisation that crossed into intrusion. It calls out the operational cracks that automation amplified, including broken workflows, inconsistent data, and fragmented omnichannel handoffs.
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“This report doesn’t sugarcoat the lessons from 2025,” said Heather Nightingale, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Glance.
“We’re honest about what failed because leaders can’t build credible AI strategies without addressing the foundation first. 2026 will belong to companies that refocus on resolution, rehumanise digital experiences, and use AI as a co-pilot rather than a gatekeeper.”
Looking ahead, the report outlines how leading CX teams will evolve in 2026:
- AI designed around clean, consistent data
- Intent-aware automation that knows when to escalate
- Omnichannel experiences with true context continuity
- Personalisation that feels intentional, not invasive
- Empathy as a loyalty multiplier
- A shift from vanity metrics to value metrics, such as retention, repeat engagement, and reduced customer effort
The release comes at a moment when many organisations are finalising 2026 CX strategies and re-evaluating their AI investments. The findings underscore a clear mandate: fix the foundation before scaling automation.
ALSO READ: UK Consumers Call on AI to Save “Broken” Customer Service
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