As organisations move into 2026, the forces shaping customer experience are no longer emerging trends to watch from a distance. They are now structural realities that leaders must actively navigate. AI maturity, rising emotional complexity in customer contact, evolving workforce expectations and heightened scrutiny around trust and fairness have become part of the everyday operating environment for customer experience and service teams.

The question is no longer whether organisations need to respond, but how they do so in ways that feel credible, sustainable and grounded in real operational practice. Drawing on insight from the CCA Annual Review, alongside the work of CCA’s Research Council, Industry Council and the lived experience of practitioners across our network, three key focus areas stand out for the year ahead.

1. Use AI to strengthen human capability

AI is now firmly embedded across many customer operations, but its value depends entirely on how it is applied. The most effective models use AI to remove cognitive load and operational friction, creating space for colleagues to focus on empathy, complex problem solving and sound judgement. This is not about automation for efficiency alone. It is about enabling people to make their best contribution.

What this means in practice:

  • Create hybrid human and AI models that reduce pressure on colleagues rather than diminishing human value. When technology supports people in this way, it improves job satisfaction, reduces burnout and leads to better outcomes in sensitive or vulnerable conversations where human judgement matters most
     
  • Strengthen AI governance and sustainability. Ethical, well governed AI adoption protects reputation, supports compliance and helps maintain customer trust over time. Transparency, explainability and clear accountability are now expected, not optional
     
  • Communicate openly with customers about the use of AI. Clear, honest communication builds confidence and reduces concern. When customers understand how and why AI is being used, they are more likely to engage with digital services in the right moments

2. Build trust through transparency, inclusion and outcomes

Trust has become the primary differentiator in customer experience. Customers are increasingly willing to trade speed for clarity, fairness and confidence that their issue is being handled appropriately. Trust is no longer simply an outcome of good service. It must be intentionally designed into every journey.

What this means in practice:

  • Prioritise transparency and fairness across customer journeys. Customers trust what they understand. Clear, well explained journeys reduce escalation, increase confidence in digital tools and support longer term loyalty. 
     
  • Design journeys that work for everyone. Inclusion is no longer optional. Customers need clear, accessible ways to get support, regardless of their digital confidence or circumstances. Designing journeys that genuinely work for all customers helps reduce complaints, manage regulatory risk and protect trust in your organisation.
     
  • Redefine performance metrics around outcomes, not just speed. Measures such as reassurance, trust and perceived fairness matter as much as speed or cost. Outcome-based measurement aligns day-to-day behaviour with customer expectations and emerging regulatory requirements
     
  • Fix the operational 'plumbing'. Digital journeys only deliver value when systems, knowledge and authentication are joined up behind the scenes. Strong integration reduces repeat contact, improves resolution and ensures digital investment delivers real benefit for customers and teams
     
  • Measure journeys, not just channels. Traditional channel metrics are limited. Organisations need insight that reflects complete customer journeys like emotional, digital and operational. Better understanding leads to better decisions and improved outcomes

3. Invest in people through skills, wellbeing and values-led leadership

Workforces are more multi-generational, hybrid and values-driven than ever. In this context, how organisations develop, support and lead their people will play a decisive role in performance and resilience through 2026 and beyond.

What this means in practice:

  • Invest in advisor skills like empathy, judgement and critical thinking. These skills define the modern customer service role and are central to future customer value. Skills-led development models ensure teams can manage emotional intensity, uncertainty and digital complexity effectively
     
  • Embed wellbeing as a strategic driver, not an afterthought. Rising emotional sensitivity in customer contact means wellbeing must be embedded in policy, practice and leadership. Well-supported colleagues deliver better service, recover more quickly after difficult interactions and stay longer
     
  • Support multi-generational workforce needs. Different generations value different communication styles, motivations and career paths. Personalised leadership increases engagement, reduces attrition and improves performance consistency across diverse teams
     
  • Lead with clarity and humanity. Steady, values-led leadership is essential for navigating the complexity ahead. Clear, compassionate leadership helps stabilise teams, reduce anxiety and support successful transformation in an environment of ongoing change.

How can CCA support you through the realities of 2026

CCA supports organisations to respond to these challenges through independently developed frameworks and standards shaped by nearly 30 years of experience across customer service and experience.

This includes CCA Accreditation for Customer Experience©, CCA Learning and Development Accreditation©, the CCA AI and Digital Capability Matrix®, alongside a suite of standards and awards frameworks grounded in real operational practice.

Together, these tools provide structured, credible ways for organisations to assess capability, embed good practice and build confidence across people, processes and technology. They are designed to support practical decision making, not abstract maturity models.

For a deeper look at these priorities, alongside a review of 2025, the CCA Annual Review is now available to download. It brings together insight from across the CCA community to help you plan and make decisions with confidence as you look ahead to 2026.