Contact Center Pipeline November 2025 | Page 9

We have seen companies that prioritize good CX drive revenue growth well beyond their peers, with customers spending more and purchasing more frequently.

In our survey, product quality is a top factor driving loyalty for 53 % of consumers, but this is closely followed by“ excellent customer service”( 48 % of respondents). If they have an amazing CX, 86 % of consumers say they will likely buy again, while 81 % will likely recommend the company, and 73 % will likely write a positive review.

It’ s clear that good CX is tied to measurable business outcomes.

MP: We found that when people pick a company because of great customer service, their satisfaction( 92 %) and trust( 89 %) scores are about 13 points higher than average: the biggest premium of any reason customers choose a brand.

While our 2026 Consumer Trends report found that 46 % of consumers choose companies for good value for money, these economically-driven decisions shift quickly when competitors undercut prices or when financial pressures change. Financial insecurity already correlates with lower loyalty, and in today ' s uncertain economy, price-based loyalty is especially vulnerable.

Service and product excellence create durable advantages. Those companies that prioritize good customer service or products achieve highest satisfaction and trust: relationships competitors can ' t easily replicate when price is the only differentiator.

Companies need back-end excellence to maintain margins while meeting price expectations. Technology and operations that reduce costs( turnover, process inefficiencies) allow companies to compete on value without sacrificing quality or entering unsustainable price wars.

CD: Traditionally, product or service quality accounted for most customer churn, but that balance is shifting. Today, I’ d estimate it’ s closer to a 60 / 40 split between product / service experiences and customer experience, trending toward parity.

Why? In a world where products and services are often similar across competitors, CX has become the true differentiator. How companies handle exceptions, resolve issues, and manage moments of truth now drives loyalty. A delayed shipment or minor issue can be forgiven if the CX is seamless and proactive: but can quickly erode trust if customers feel ignored or frustrated.

Generative and agentic AI are accelerating this shift by enabling companies to anticipate needs, flag dissatisfaction early, and empower agents to resolve issues effectively. This proactive, intelligent approach turns potential pain points into positive experiences and strengthens loyalty at scale.

In short, CX is more important than ever. NiCE’ s " The State of CX " report shows brands excelling in customer sentiment outperform peers by 43 percentage points in stock returns over five years. Brands that don’ t invest in CX risk losing customers, even if their products are excellent. Prioritizing CX now is not just a nice-to-have; it’ s essential for retention, loyalty, and long-term growth.

EW: The claim that customers leave because of poor CX is directionally valid but often oversimplified. Survey-based metrics, such as Net Promoter Score( NPS) and customer satisfaction score( CSAT), capture sentiment and intent, but don’ t always reflect real behavior in terms of revenue or churn.

These measures can be useful, but they often highlight only those customers who are most vocal, overlooking the broader customer base.

To get a stronger sense of loyalty, organizations need to move beyond just surveys. This means analyzing real interactions across the full customer journey: calls, chats, social media, and digital touchpoints. These conversations surface concerns, expectations, and opportunities better than survey data alone, allowing companies to act quickly and purposefully.

When businesses connect these customer insights to proactive, personalized engagement, CX leaders can transform passive loyalty into active loyalty built on trust and connection.

The result isn’ t just reduced churn, it’ s stronger, more resilient growth driven by customers who feel heard, valued, and supported.

WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONTACT CENTERS THAT SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR CX AND ALSO AX, AND THEIR TOTAL RESULTS?

RB: My recommendations to contact centers is [ as follows ]:

• Start small with AI. Targeted, incremental AI deployments that focus on specific pain points and micro-workflows are much more effective than broad, one-size-fits-all deployments.

• Prioritize what truly matters to customers. That means fast resolution, effective self-service and seamless handoffs between intelligent virtual assistants and agents.

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