Zendesk releases Customer Experience (CX) Trends report 2026, Contextual Intelligence Takes Centrestage

Zendesk released its 2026 Customer Experience (CX) Trends report, revealing that Contextual Intelligence – the ability to combine AI, data, and human understanding in real time – is redefining what great service means. 

In India, the demand for this level of intelligence is growing alongside evolving consumer expectations: 80% of Indian consumers say their service standards have increased over the past year, 79% want more personalised experiences from brands using AI, and 96% want clear AI explanations. However, gaps persist – just 44% of organisations currently provide a full, inspectable AI decision trail, and only 44% of agents see building trust and transparency as a top priority. 

Leaders recognise the implications of these gaps – and are already acting to close them. 91% believe that disconnected data threatens consistent service and a further 92% say customers will drop those that cannot resolve issues on first contact. In response, 49% of Indian firms have adopted prompt-analytics hubs – a figure expected to more than double to 93% within a year – and 92% are implementing AI reasoning controls to boost transparency.

Based on insights from over 11,000 consumers, CX leaders, and customer service agents around the world, Zendesk’s eighth annual report highlights how the most successful companies are blending the capabilities of AI with the emotional intelligence of human service.

“AI is not the differentiator anymore. How intelligently you apply it is. When 85% of CX leaders say one unresolved issue is enough to lose a customer, speed, accuracy, and empathy become non-negotiable. The best systems connect past interactions to present intent to anticipate what is next, putting contextual intelligence in action. That is the balance Zendesk delivers: automation that feels personal and builds trust by bringing real context to every conversation.” said Tom Eggemeier, Chief Executive Officer of Zendesk.

Mitch Young, Senior Vice President, APAC, Zendesk, noted, “India’s growth story is playing out against a backdrop of more digital journeys, more choice, and far less tolerance for friction. Customers aren’t looking for faster replies; they expect issues to be resolved on the first contact, with service that feels personal and AI that can clearly explain its decisions. We’re also seeing a clear divide between organisations that operationalise AI with the right data and governance, and those that simply deploy it: one group is building loyalty and efficiency, the other is creating inconsistency and eroding trust. For brands in India, strong CX leadership means earning trust while delivering seamless resolution at scale.” 

The Zendesk CX Trends 2026 report identifies five key shifts shaping customer experiences in the year ahead:

1. Memory-rich AI is raising the bar for personalisation by carrying context across channels and time. Consumers in India now expect service that picks up where they left off: 83% want agents to continue the conversation without backtracking, and 72% are frustrated when they have to repeat information. This is perhaps why a vast majority of Indian CX leaders (98%) agree that maintaining memory across channels deepens relationships and eases friction, with 66% prioritising deeper personalisation in 2026.
   

2. Instant resolution is the new expectation, as quick replies no longer impress Indian consumers. With AI and self-service accelerating consumer demand for fast, accurate support across all touchpoints, 89% of Indian consumers say both responsiveness and resolution strongly influence purchase decisions, and 93% expect response times to be as fast or faster than a year ago. Reflecting this demand, more than 9 in 10 Indian CX leaders say that failure to resolve issues immediately will cost brands their customers, and 96% see AI as critical to speeding up resolution.
   

3. Goodbye, omnichannel – hello multimodal. Indian customers now expect not just channel presence, but the ability to move effortlessly between voice, chat, and visual sharing within a single conversation. In fact, 89% would choose brands offering text, images, and video sharing in a single, seamless thread without restarting, and 84% say this makes support easier. Meanwhile, 92% of Indian CX leaders believe Voice AI is finally reaching the point where it can significantly evolve the customer experience.
   

4. Promptable analytics and AI-driven metrics are gaining traction in India, empowering teams to make faster, data-informed decisions that align with both customer needs and internal objectives. Leaders now access actionable insights in real time – 94% say promptable analytics unlock answers in seconds, and 93% report AI already improves data and analytics. Adoption is set to accelerate, with 52% of firms live today and nearly double expected within a year (94%). Still, 81% cite lack of standards as a key challenge.
   

5. AI transparency is now non-negotiable, with 96% of Indian consumers expecting clear explanations for AI-made decisions, and 85% valuing plain-language reasoning. While 88% of CX leaders agree transparency will soon be mandatory for any customer-facing AI, only 44% of organisations currently provide a clear, auditable record of AI decisions. Indian organisations are already preparing, with 92% implementing or planning AI reasoning controls.

Together, these trends demonstrate how intelligence and knowledge converge to create faster, more personalised, and deeply aware customer experiences, setting a new benchmark for trust and loyalty worldwide – and especially within India’s fast-evolving landscape. Contextual intelligence will become the foundation for companies to deliver exceptional CX, differentiate in the market, and cultivate lasting customer relationships.