Beyond the AI pilot: The 2026 CX Benchmark

See how 33,000+ leading support teams leverage AI to run smarter operations, compare your performance against industry peers, and get practical strategies to close the gap.

Behind the insights

Built from our largest customer service datasets available today.

1.2BSupport tickets

33,889Accounts

5Industries

3Defining trends

Built on anonymized, aggregated usage data from Freshworks’ customer service products, combined with our annual customer service survey, and in-depth analysis of customer support metrics. Outliers were excluded where appropriate.

What you'll find inside

Understand the shifts shaping CX, benchmark your performance, and identify where to focus next

2026 customer support trends

An insider look at the major trends redefining AI, customer expectations, and modern support operations.

Global and industry benchmarks

Head-to-head comparisons of core support metrics, segmented by company size, region, and industry.

Proven execution playbook

Practical guidance from top-performing organizations on how to boost resolution rates, efficiency, and CSAT.

Key trends of 2026

Trend 1

AI is core infrastructure

Teams embedding AI into daily workflows are setting the pace—delivering faster responses and higher resolution rates.

Trend 1

61%

of teams have embedded AI into core infrastructure and key workflows

Trend 2

AI + humans is the winning model

The best customer experiences aren't fully automated. Top teams use AI for speed and volume, freeing agents to apply empathy and critical thinking where it counts.

Trend 2

69.4%

of teams say AI’s biggest impact is reducing agent workload

Trend 3

Omnichannel is the new standard

Multichannel support is table stakes. Customers expect a single, continuous conversation, where context follows them everywhere.

Trend 3

52.7%

of teams say good customer service plays a decisive role in winning customers over competitors

The bar for great service just moved again.

“A new divide is taking shape. It is not between organizations that use AI and those that do not. It is between those experimenting at the edges and those embedding AI into customer service. Leading organizations are extending AI across workflows and channels, giving it greater autonomy, connecting it to the right context, and continuously improving how people and AI work together. AI adoption was the starting point. What matters now is what you make possible with it.”

Kady SrinivasanChief Marketing Officer, Freshworks

The Customer Service Benchmark Report 2026

Measure your performance. Unlock your next opportunity.

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