The AI Consumer Experience Index • Q3 2026

Consumers are more open to AI, and trust shapes the customer experience

New Metrigy research: trust, accuracy and access to a person shape loyalty. 29% of consumers would choose an AI agent when resolution is guaranteed, up nearly 6 points since Q1 2026

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29%would choose an AI agent if resolution were guaranteed, up from 23.0% in Q1 (+5.8 pts)
41%say trust matters most, ahead of resolution at 35%
55%say accuracy is the top reason they choose a service channel
+9.4 AI Satisfaction
+6.9 AI TrustAI Satisfaction and AI Trust lead all eight consumer experience dimensions since Q1
2.78poor experiences consumers tolerate before leaving a company. Down from 3.24 in Q1; every interaction matters

Source: Metrigy Q3 2026 AI Consumer Experience Index

Methodology and respondents

Sample

1,000 Demographically representative U.S. adults

Q3 fielded

Aug 10–14 2026

Cadence

Quarterly Baseline: Q1 2026 = 100.0

Audience

Ages 18+ United States

Metrigy fields the Index independently each quarter, using the same method every wave. Respondents rate service experiences against expectations on a five-point scale across eight dimensions. The margin of error is about ±3.1 points, and larger for subgroups. Full details are in each report.

What consumers value

Trust ranks first for the third straight quarter, ahead of resolution

Trust41%
Resolution35%
Personalization12%
Speed12%
55%

Accuracy is the top reason consumers choose a service channel

Reliable outcomes are the foundation of AI adoption.

2.78

Average number of poor experiences consumers will tolerate before switching companies

Down from 3.24 at the start of 2026. There is less room for error.

Change since Q1 2026

Consumers are more open to AI and less forgiving of errors

MeasureQ1 2026Q3 2026
AI Satisfaction Index100.0109.4
AI Trust Index100.0106.9
Would choose AI if resolution were guaranteed23.0%28.8%
Poor experiences consumers tolerate before leaving a company3.242.78

Index scores use Q1 2026 as the baseline (100.0). AI Satisfaction and AI Trust show the largest improvements among the eight dimensions tracked.

Who is most open to AI

Openness to AI is strongest among younger adults and in retail

74%of adults 25–34 expect AI to improve customer service over the next two years, vs. 49% of consumers overall
39%of adults 25–34 have used an AI text agent, vs. 26% of consumers overall
108.1 ptsRetail AI Index, the highest of the three industries tracked, and up 8.1 points from Q1

Q3 2026 AI Consumer experience index

Get the full findings behind the numbers

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How consumers want service delivered

Consumers value AI and human expertise working together, with the choice in their hands

AI and human agents, switching automatically based on complexity39%
Human-led, supported by AI37%
AI-led, with people available when needed24%
64%

would pay more for better service

Choosing between an AI agent and a human is the top premium feature (37%), well ahead of access to a senior agent (15%).

33%

want the option of a human immediately

Only 9% would hang up on an AI voice agent. The handoff to a person shapes the experience.

“Trust isn't a soft metric anymore. It's the one that decides whether a customer comes back.”
Robin Gareiss CEO and principal analyst for AI and CX, Metrigy

What CX leaders should do next

Three AI moves to prioritize this quarter

Make reliable outcomes the foundation of AI adoption.

Resolve first

Make first-contact accuracy your top AI measure. It’s the leading reason consumers pick a channel (54.7%), and 28.8% would choose AI when resolution is guaranteed.

Keep a person in reach

Make it easy to reach a person when the situation calls for one. A third of consumers (33%) want a human immediately, and context must travel with them.

Offer control

The top premium feature: let consumers choose between an AI agent and a person (37%). Choice builds trust, and trust will influence which brands their personal AI agents recommend.

Put trust into practice

NiCE connects AI agents, workflows and human expertise across voice and digital channels, so context carries forward when a person steps in.

Learn more at nice.com

Executive briefings

Get the full AI Consumer Experience Index

Download the quarterly reports for the full methodology, consumer data cuts, personas, industry and channel analysis, and benchmarks for planning your AI service strategy.

Q3 2026 · Newest

Q3 AI Consumer Experience Index

Trust, resolution and AI-human collaboration. Includes the full Index, consumer personas, industry and channel analysis.

Download the detailed Q3 report Download the Q3 summary
Q2 2026

Q2 AI Consumer Experience Index

Consumer expectations of AI service, where trust breaks at handoff, and three moves for CX leaders.

Download the detailed Q2 report Download the Q2 summary

Get all the reports at once

Q2 and Q3 detailed reports and summaries in one download.

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Q2 2026 findings

Previous quarter · Q2 2026

What the Q2 index found

64%of consumers expected an AI option in customer service
2.3xgrowth in AI-resolved interactions since Q1 2026
41%cited trust as the top barrier to AI adoption, ahead of cost
~12 ptsrise in AI satisfaction over Q1 2026

65% chose AI because it gets the answer right the first time

Consumers picked AI service for first-contact accuracy, not fast replies. Better memory and context across exchanges drove the satisfaction gain.

26% still repeated themselves after a handoff

Context was lost the moment an AI conversation moved to a human agent. When AI hands off without context, trust breaks immediately.

Source: Metrigy Q2 2026 Consumer Experience Survey · n = 1,000 US consumers · fielded May 2026

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