Customer experience is rapidly shifting toward an AI-first future. What began as a fun experiment filled with occasional ‘wow’ moments has now become the norm for most digital-first brands.
In this post, we explore 9 CX trends already shaping 2026, informed by insights and quotes from leaders at the forefront of AI-driven customer experience.
Surprisingly, AI isn’t the only trend. Multiple contributors expect a small backlash with more value put on real human to human conversation in 2026, via phone and video especially. The customer wants to be heard and they value a smart conversation that’s effortless and caring when needed.
As AI becomes the default interface between brands and customers, the winners will be those who treat CX as a living system — one where AI handles the routine and humans handle high-leverage moments.
“In 2026, we’re focused on refining how technology and human support work together. AI helps us manage volume and speed, but our people remain essential in delivering the care, empathy, and clarity Koh is known for. Just as critical is ensuring our platforms communicate seamlessly and reliably with one another—so we can empower our agents and deliver truly exceptional, end-to-end experiences for every customer.”
Nick Bowker - Koh
Let’s jump into the top 9 CX trends for 2026.
1) Everybody starts asking about your ‘Context’
The best AI support agents don’t just run on smart tech, they run on great context. When your AI actually understands your brand, products, and customers, it performs way better.
The challenge? That knowledge is scattered everywhere - internal platforms, support tickets, emails, internal docs, and even random updates shared in meetings. AI can’t magically piece all of that together on its own, and when it does, it can easily misinterpret or say the wrong thing.
Once you update your context and the structure of your context ( like updating brand voice, edge cases, or new policies) your AI gives faster, more accurate, more on-brand answers.
This also makes the job of the human team much easier. A high-performance AI system makes it easier for the human team to resolve issues faster at a high standard, which also then allows your agents and managers more time to focus on upsell and making systemic fixes (like fixing the knowledgebase or policy).
Simply put: better context in = better team performance.
Mikey De Wildt, Founder of AI Agent Management, says it best:
“In 2026, great customer support isn’t about handling more tickets, it’s about giving AI better context. The teams that win aren’t replacing humans with AI, they’re using humans to continuously improve how AI understands their business.”
2) More support will happen offsite - via the chatbots
I recently purchased a play couch for my kids. I needed to make sure it would arrive before their cousins arrived for a visit. The company website didn’t have enough information about shipping times. I was about to purchase from one of their competitors.
What did I do instead? I jumped right over to ChatGPT and asked them to figure out how long it would take for their package to arrive. They estimated five days.
I made the purchase. Three days later, the package arrived. ChatGPT was correct.
Tip #1: Feed the right context to third party AI assistants to make it easier for your customers to get answers, faster.
Tip #2: Run monthly QA of third party AI assistants - ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity - to make sure they say the right things about your shipping and returns policies or pricing structures.
3) More companies add phone support (both inbound and proactive)
With more companies leaning on AI-First support flows, customers will start to notice, and they’ll put value on a conversation with a helpful person.
Chriss Chavez, technical support lead at Help Scout says it best:
“My prediction for 2026 in SaaS support is the resurgence of the regular ol’ phone or video call. As AI chatbots become more common and support teams use AI tools to handle more of the “easy” requests (though you and I know none of it is really easy), I think customers will increasingly crave live, human-to-human interaction. Whether it’s a quick helping hand during onboarding or a more in-depth technical conversation, the ability to talk to a real person will be high on customers’ priority lists.”
Philippe Roireau, CEO of Consio, sees the same thing happening in the eCommerce space:
“In 2026, I expect Shopify and ecommerce brands to lean back into live phone conversations as a real growth lever. As automation takes care of routine questions, the impactful moments are the ones that determine whether a shopper buys: confusion, skepticism, last-minute objections, sizing and fit, shipping anxiety, price justification, and “should I do this?” hesitation. Outbound and Inbound calls will provide people reassurance when they need it the most. The phone becomes the highest-value channel for turning intent into revenue, because it creates trust quickly, removes friction, and drives decisive action.”
4) The rise of the ‘first class’ customer experience
Well-tuned AI can tell you which customers are the most valuable, often in real time. This will lead to a ‘first class’ experience for your best buyers, or for someone browsing who is likely to be a high-value customer.
In a world where you can see who the best buyers are, why not invest in their experience? The ROI is big. Build a moat around your best buyers and give them a first-class experience.
“The brands that win will treat calling as a first-class experience, with AI quietly doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes (Where is my order, first line of action and personalization, next best action), while the customer gets a clear, confident human conversation when needed.”
Philippe Roireau |CEO - Consio.ai
5) Small support teams will increasingly be run by a Head of Marketing or Head of Product
When you think about turning the technology behind AI Agents into revenue generating systems, who’s the best person in the company at doing that? Often that person will sit in Marketing or Product - someone who knows how to turn technology into commercial outcomes.
My bet is on more Marketing Directors taking on customer service in 2026. They understand what a great conversation looks like and how the best messaging drives outcomes.
They’re probably already using AI in other parts of the business as well.”
Alex Holmes, Chief Growth Officer at Influx.com
6) More support teams get a revenue target
In 2026, support is no longer a cost center, it’s a commercial engine.
With AI handling volume, human agents are increasingly focused on moments that influence retention, expansion, and conversion. That shift naturally brings revenue accountability.
Expect more CX teams to carry:
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Assisted conversion targets
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Retention and save metrics
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Expansion and upsell KPIs
Customer conversations don’t just solve problems, they shape buying decisions.
7) Personalized demo videos for troubleshooting, learning and upsell
Written explanations don’t always land. Screenshots don’t always help.
In 2026, more teams will use personalized, AI-assisted demo videos for troubleshooting, onboarding, education, and upsell.
A short, tailored video can resolve confusion faster, build trust, and open the door to the next best action, all while feeling human and high-touch.
8) The rise of the bots (as customers)
That highly informed prospect asking detailed technical questions?
It might not be a person. As procurement, research, and buying workflows become more automated, support teams will increasingly interact with AI agents acting on behalf of customers.
CX teams will need to design experiences that serve both humans and bots accurately, clearly, and consistently.
9) More customers get what they want, faster
This is the outcome of everything above.
Better context. Smarter AI. Faster escalation. High-value human moments. Revenue-aligned support.
In 2026, the brands that win won’t just resolve tickets faster, they’ll remove friction entirely.
And the best customer experience will feel effortless, personal and human, even when AI is doing most of the work behind the scenes.
More about Influx
Influx.com builds global 24/7, near-shore customer support teams, trusted by 750+ brands. We provide fully managed, flexible & high-performance agents.
Our services range from eCommerce support, tech support, sales support, AI Agent Management, Enterprise solutions and more to give you the customer assistance you need to prioritize other responsibilities and continue scaling your business.
Make your support operations fast, flexible, and ready for anything with experienced, 24/7 support teams working on demand.
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