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For years, the customer experience playbook has been treated like a technology problem. Add another tool. Deploy another bot. Automate another workflow. And yet here we are, heading into 2026 with customer satisfaction in freefall. Forresters 2025 CX Index shows scores hitting a new low for the fourth consecutive year. This isnt a failure of ambition or innovation. Its a failure of how we define success. Leaders have been optimizing for activity instead of outcomes. In the rush to scale digital engagement, many organizations fell into a bit of a containment trap, measuring success by how many customer interactions never reach a human. On paper, it looks efficient. In reality, its often a false economy. If a customer gets stuck in a bot loop or a bot that cant answer a straightforward question predictably, you havent saved money. Youve lost trust. And very often, youve lost the customer. Its clear that customer experience (CX) needs a reset. Not more experimentation or hype, but more precision. Based on what were seeing across industries, four trends will define whether companies finally break out of the CX recession, or get left behind. 1. CX isnt delivering (because were measuring the wrong things) Despite massive investment, CX outcomes are stalling. The reason is simple: Most organizations are optimizing for the wrong metrics. Containment, deflection, and average handle time tell you how efficiently you move customers away. They tell you very little about whether you actually solved a problem, built loyalty, or created value. The companies that rise to the top are shifting to a hybrid model that treats AI and humans as complementary assets. AI agents handle what theyre best at: instant answers, routine transactions, and scale. Humans step in where judgment, empathy, and nuance matter. The metric shift is critical. High-performing teams measure value creation, not just cost avoidance. Personalization, resolution quality, and revenue impact matter far more than whether a conversation stayed contained, because they create value on both sides of the exchange: Customers get answers that actually move them forward, and brands earn trust, loyalty, and measurable growth. In fact, Gartners data shows that buyers have a 1.8 times greater likelihood of paying a premium, and they are 3.7 times more likely to buy more than they planned, if they feel that experience has been personalized. The future of CX isnt about replacing people. Its about freeing them to do their best work. 2. 2026 is the year of predictable AI Over the past two years, generative AI moved from novelty to necessity. In 2026, the conversation changes again, from capability to control. Unpredictable AI is expensive. Hallucinations, broken flows, and inefficient token usage quietly drain budgets and introduce brand and compliance risk. Thats why predictability has become the most important word in the boardroom. The next phase of AI adoption requires an assurance layera system that continuously tests, validates, and verifies AI behavior before it ever reaches a customer. This de-risks innovation, but just as importantly, it creates the engine for continuous improvement. It provides the framework to constantly learn from interactions, refine accuracy, and reduce the cost of every conversation, turning AI from a “science experiment” into an operational efficiency engine that gets smarter over time. The most advanced organizations are using adversarial simulation to stress-test AI against edge cases, confusion, and hostile inputs. They break their systems before customers can. The result is confidence that allows leaders to deploy AI in high-value, high-risk use cases like payments, healthcare, and financial services. Predictable AI doesnt just reduce risk. It unlocks ROI and drives value creation. 3. The CX budget crunch is an opportunity CX leaders arent struggling because budgets disappeared. Theyre struggling because scrutiny increased. In 2026, no one is funding nice-to-have initiatives. Every dollar must tie directly to financial outcomes. CX leaders need to stop selling soft metrics and start telling a before-and-after story showcasing what changed, by how much, and why it matters to the business. The most effective teams reposition CX not as a cost center, but as an efficiency engine. They run focused pilots, prove results quickly, and use hard data to unlock broader deployment. When you can demonstrate measurable improvements in resolution rates, conversion, or operational efficiency in 90 days, the budget conversation changes. CX stops being discretionary. It becomes essential. 4. Marketers must catch up with consumers expectations The biggest growth shift of 2026 isnt happening in the contact center. Its happening at the top of the funnel. Traditional lead generation is breaking down. Buyers dont want forms. They want answers, on their terms, in the moment of intent. Conversational AI enables a concierge model that replaces gated funnels with real-time, personalized dialogue. The economics are compelling. A self-service interaction costs pennies. A live agent interaction can cost dollars. But when done right, conversational AI delivers a low-cost interaction that feels premium and high touch. More importantly, it respects the customers time. And in 2026, that can be the ultimate differentiator. PRECISION IS THE NEW SCALE The lesson early in 2026 is simple: Scaling without precision is noise. Precision without scale is irrelevant. The best companies will master both. That means measurable CX, predictable AI, disciplined investment, and conversations that meet people exactly where they are. We dont need more technology. We need better outcomes. And if we get that right, 2026 wont just be the year CX recovers, but the year it finally delivers. John Sabino is CEO of LivePerson.
Category:
E-Commerce
Trump is facing a rare bipartisan backlash after a group of federal agents shot and killed protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, but tech industry leaders once some of Trumps fiercest critics are sitting this one out. Prettis killing, depicted clearly in multiple angles of bystander video, has galvanized even apolitical corners of the internet and united voices from opposite sides of the political spectrum. The fatal shooting took place less than three weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed Minneapolis resident Renee Good as she attempted to drive away from an encounter with federal agents in the city. In an internal letter posted to Apple employees and reported by Bloomberg, CEO Tim Cook addressed the situation unfolding in Minneapolis, but stopped far short of criticizing the president or his aggressive immigration policies, which have left two people at protests in the city dead within the span of three weeks. Cook described himself as heartbroken by the events in Minneapolis, adding that he had a good conversation with the president on the issue and appreciated Trumps openness to talking about it. This is a time for deescalation, Cook said. I believe America is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where theyre from, and when we embrace our shared humanity. This is something Apple has always advocated for. Cooks statement echoes Trumps own language. The president told Fox News on Tuesday that he planned to de-escalate a little bit in Minnesota. The letter is not likely to please Apple workers who are furious that Cook attended a glitzy screening of the new Amazon-sponsored documentary about First Lady Melania Trump at the White House hours after Prettis death. Attendees were treated to popcorn in Melania-branded buckets, white cake pops, black-and-white macarons, a cereal box featuring the films poster and white sugar cookies with Melania written in black frosting, according to Yahoo News. Cook and techs other big players are all-in on the second Trump administration. Silicon Valley CEOs attended the presidents inauguration and even donated to build Trumps deeply controversial $300 million ballroom a project that misled the public and resulted in the total demolition of the White Houses historic East Wing. By standing behind the president, Cook and others likely hope to cultivate a comfortable regulatory environment for their businesses while staving off other Trump-issued punishments, like targeted tariffs. Some of the richest, most powerful men in the world once checked Trumps power, but theyve enthusiastically abandoned that role during his second term. Trumps misinformation machine distorts the facts Silicon Valley leaders may be firmly behind Trump, but Americans are increasingly unsettled by the administrations immigration policies. More than half of those polled earlier this month believe that ICEs enforcement actions are making cities less safe and fresh polling over the weekend revealed that nearly 60% of Americans believe that ICE has gone too far. In spite growing public anger and video evidence to the contrary, Trump officials scrambled to distort the facts of Prettis death over the weekend. Homeland Security Kristi Noem misleadingly claimed that Pretti attacked officers while brandishing his gun a falsehood plainly contradicted by video evidence. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller went even further, describing Pretti as an assassin who tried to murder federal agents, a claim that Vice President JD Vance and Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino doubled down on. Other Trump officials asserted that Pretti broke the law by carrying a concealed weapon to a protest, but the Minneapolis police verified that he held a gun license and was behaving lawfully. You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want, FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News over the weekend. President Trump himself also said that Pretti he shouldn’t have been carrying a gun, rankling Second Amendment advocates and many of his own supporters. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy called Prettis killing incredibly disturbing, adding that DHSs credibility is in question. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation, Cassidy said on X. We can trust the American people with the truth. The NRA echoed calls for an investigation, criticizing public officials who demonized Americans for lawfully carrying weapons.
Category:
E-Commerce
Allbirds shoe brand announced on Wednesday that it will close all of its U.S. stores by the end of February (with the exception of two outlets) and go online, turning to e-commerce instead. It will, however, continue to operate two London-based brick-and-mortar locations. Fast Company has reached out to Allbirds for more details about the locations that will be closing. This is an important step for Allbirds, as we drive toward profitable growth under our turnaround strategy, Allbirds CEO Joe Vernachio said in a statement. We have been opportunistically reducing our brick-and-mortar portfolio over the past two years. By exiting these remaining unprofitable doors, we are taking actions to reduce costs and support the long-term health of the business. Famously dubbed the “world’s most comfortable shoes,” Allbirds were all the rage in the late 2010s (yes, I had a pair). They can be described as a combination of sneaker and business casual shoe, made of wool and tree fiber. They felt softin my opinion, almost like walking on airdue to the sugar cane foam sole. The once trendy eco-friendly footwear, which had been a favorite of tech bros in San Francisco and hip New Yorkers, have become less popular in recent years, resulting in less traffic to their store locations. Like many U.S. retailers, they’ve also struggled as consumers cut spending amid growing inflation and higher cost of living, and have flocked online to shop. Allbirds financials Shares of Allbirds Inc. (NASDAQ: BIRD) were trading up 0.08% in midday trading on Wednesday after an early morning spike. The company reported third quarter 2025 earnings in November, including net revenue of $33 million, down 23.3% from $43 million in the same period last year; and negative earnings per share (EPS) of -$2.49, which beat expectations of -$2.64.
Category:
E-Commerce
The national taxpayer advocate is cautioning that the 2026 tax filing season is likely to present challenges for taxpayers who encounter problems with filing their taxes given the exodus of IRS workers since the start of the Trump administration. National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins released her annual report to Congress on Wednesday, two days after the start of the 2026 season. She finds that while the IRS was able to process returns in 2025 without major disruptions, entering 2026, the landscape is markedly different. The IRS is simultaneously confronting a reduction of 27% of its workforce, leadership turnover, and the implementation of extensive and complex tax law changes mandated by Republicans’ tax and spending measure that President Donald Trump signed into law last summer, Collins said in her report. Collins says most taxpayers should be able to file their returns and receive their refunds without delay, but she notes the success of the filing season will be defined by how well the IRS is able to assist the millions of taxpayers who experience problems. The tax filing season began on Monday, and agency leaders, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IRS CEO Frank Bisignano, have said they expect a smooth season. Bisignano last week announced new priorities and a reorganization of IRS executive leadership in a letter addressed to the agencys 74,000 employees, saying that he is confident that with this new team in place, the IRS is well-prepared to deliver a successful tax filing season for the American public. Bessent as well as others in Trump’s second administration have also promised American taxpayers substantial tax refunds, as part of the Republican administration’s solution to an ongoing affordability crisis. Still, other IRS watchdogs have outlined major concerns at the start of the 2026 tax season. Diana M. Tengesdal, deputy inspector general for audit at the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, wrote a letter to IRS leadership on Monday and pointed to IRS staffing at October 2021 levels, combined with thousands of unprocessed tax returns and taxpayer correspondence. The IRS started 2025 with about 102,000 employees and finished with about 74,000 after a series of firings and layoffs brought on by the Department of Government Efficiency. While last year IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season were not allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline, this year many of those customer service workers have left. Tengesdal’s office says despite new efforts to modernize tax administration, initiatives to offset staffing losses may not yield expected benefits during the 2026 Filing Season. More than 165 million individual income tax returns were processed in 2025, with 94% submitted electronically. The average refund was $3,167. ___ Follow the AP’s coverage of the IRS at https://apnews.com/hub/internal-revenue-service. Fatima Hussein, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
As a continuation of President Donald Trump‘s pitch to Americans on affordability and the economy under his administration, the U.S. Treasury and White House are celebrating the upcoming launch of a program they view as a key milestone: Trump Accounts. A provision of Trump’s tax legislation, Trump Accounts are meant to give $1,000 to every newborn, so long as their parents open an account. That money is then invested in the stock market by private firms, and the child can access the money when they turn 18. A U.S. Treasury event Wednesday brings together an assortment of politicians and celebrities from Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz to rapper Nicki Minaj to discuss the program and its potential impact on the economy. Backers of Trump Accounts have said they’re a way to help children from low-income households build wealth. Heres what you need to know about Trump Accounts and how to claim them. What is a Trump Account? Its a new savings tool where money is invested in the stock market on behalf of a child. The child cant access the money until they turn 18 and can only use it for specific purposes, such as paying tuition, starting a business or making a down payment on a home. After a parent opens an account, the U.S. Treasury will contribute $1,000 for newborns. Private banks and brokerages will manage the money, which must be invested in U.S. equity index funds that track the stock market and charge the accounts no more than 0.10% in annual fees. Parents can contribute up to $2,500 annually in pretax income, much like they do for retirement accounts. Parents employers, relatives, friends, local governments and philanthropic groups can also pitch in. Yearly contributions are capped at $5,000, but contributions from governments and charities dont count toward that total. Who gets $1,000? As part of the initiatives launch, parents of older children are also encouraged to open accounts, but they wont get the $1,000 bonus. That money is only reserved for babies born during the calendar years of the Trump administration. To qualify for the $1,000 seed money, a baby must be a U.S. citizen, have a Social Security number and be born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028. Any parent can open an account for a qualifying child, regardless of the parents immigration status. Its important to note that the child wont be able to access the money until they turn 18, except in rare circumstances, so it cant help with immediate expenses. And disbursements from the accounts will be subject to taxes. What about older children? Children born before 2025 wont qualify for the $1,000 incentive, but parents can still open accounts for them as long as theyre under 18. Parents can still invest up to $2,500 pretax for those kids. In December, billionaires Michael and Susan Dell announced a $6.25 billion donation that will allow some children who are 10 and under to receive $250 in seed money if their parents open an account. That money is reserved for kids who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who wont get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury. A few weeks later, hedge fund founder Ray Dalio and his wife Barbara pledged $75 million for kids under 10 in Connecticut, where Dalio lives. That would amount to $250 for 300,000 children in qualifying ZIP codes. Those large contributions are part of an effort by the U.S. Treasury dubbed the 50 State Challenge by Secretary Scott Bessent to encourage wealthy philanthropic donors to pitch in. Other corporations participating in the program include Uber, MasterCard, BlackRock, Visa and Charles Schwab, according to the Trump Accounts website. How do I open a Trump Account for my kids? The accounts wont be open for contributions until July 2026, but parents of eligible kids can sign up using Form 4547 from the Internal Revenue Service. Parents can fill out the form when filing taxes this year or when the administration opens an online portal this summer, according to the Trump Accounts website. Registering for a Trump Account is required for a child to receive the money. In May, parents who sign up will get information about how to finish opening the accounts. Whats the idea behind the accounts? Backers of the accounts say they want to introduce more people to the stock market and give even children born into poverty a chance to benefit from it. Supporters also say the accounts bolster capitalism at a time when openly socialist candidates are growing more popular. About 58% of U.S. households held stocks or bonds in 2022, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, though the wealthiest 1% owned almost half the value of stocks in that same year. Before Trump created the accounts, California, Connecticut and the District of Columbia were piloting baby bonds programs that are similar to Trump Accounts in some ways. Several other states, including Maryland, are weighing programs. But those programs are targeted for youth growing up in poverty or foster care, plus children who lost a parent to COVID-19. Wealthier children dont benefit. Theyre also managed by the state, not private investment firms. What do critics say? Critics point out the accounts do little to help children in their early years, when theyre most vulnerable and most likely to be in poverty. The accounts, they say, also fail to offset cuts the Trump administration and congressional Republicans have made to other programs that benefit young people and their families, including food assistance and Medicaid. Republicans created the accounts in the same Trump tax bill that reduced spending for some of those programs. And even with the contribution from the government, critics say the Trump Accounts will widen the wealth gap. Affluent families that can afford to make the maximum pretax contribution to the accounts will realize the greatest benefits. Poor families who cant afford to set aside money for the accounts will benefit the least. Assuming a 7% return, the $1,000 in seed money would grow to roughly $3,570 over 18 years. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Makiya Seminera and Moriah Balingit, AP education writer
Category:
E-Commerce
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