With customer loyalty down to 29%, Experience Investigators CEO Jeannie Walters says businesses need to emphasize proactive customer experience strategies more than ever to gain a competitive advantage in 2026.
Author, Expert Predicts Companies Must Proactively Implement Customer Experience Strategies to Remain Competitive in 2026
Jan. 2, 2026 – After years of steady growth, recent SAP Emarsys research shows customer loyalty fell to 29% in 2025, a 5% drop from 2024. As rising consumer expectations collide with declining experience quality, customer experience (CX) expert Jeannie Walters says businesses must proactively address this issue to gain or maintain a competitive advantage in 2026.
The dramatic erosion extends across industries. Brand loyalty has also plummeted from 76 percent to 49 percent in recent years, according to HubSpot research. Meanwhile, Forrester’s 2024 CX Index shows customer experience quality has declined for three consecutive years even as consumer expectations continue their unprecedented rise.
“We’re watching a collision in slow motion,” said Walters, CEO of Experience Investigators. “Customer expectations are rising faster than businesses can adapt, while customer experience quality is actually getting worse. This isn’t sustainable. I predict 2026 will separate the companies that understand this shift from those that don’t.”
The gap between customer expectations and business capabilities continues widening. HubSpot’s research shows 90 percent of customers now demand immediate responses, while Accelare reports 68 percent expect proactive service — anticipating needs before problems occur. According to Qualtrics 2025 research, consumer expectations are rising faster than businesses can adapt.
“The companies that win in 2026 won’t be the ones with the best products or lowest prices,” Walters said. “They’ll be the ones that shift from reactive problem-solving to proactive customer experience strategy. The ones still treating customer experience as a department instead of a business discipline will lose customers they can’t afford to lose.”
Walters is CEO of Experience Investigators, a Chicago-based customer experience consultancy founded in 2009. She’s recognized by LinkedIn as one of the most influential voices in the customer experience industry. More than 500,000 professionals have taken her LinkedIn Learning courses, and her insights have been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and The Chicago Tribune.
In April, Walters will release, “Experience Is Everything: Making Every Moment Count in the Age of Customer Expectations,” her book that addresses how organizations can meet rising expectations while maintaining authentic customer relationships.
For more information, visit: ExperienceInvestigators.com
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About Experience Investigators
Experience Investigators, founded in 2009 by award-winning customer experience leader and international keynote speaker Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP, helps organizations shift from reactive customer service to a proactive customer experience strategy. Recognized by LinkedIn as one of the most influential voices in the industry, Walters and her team provide strategic consulting, training, and thought leadership for Fortune 500 companies and SMBs across multiple industries. The firm’s proven CXI Navigator™ framework empowers leaders at all levels to drive measurable customer experience outcomes. More than 500,000 professionals have taken Walters’ LinkedIn Learning courses, and her insights on customer experience strategy have been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and The Chicago Tribune. Walters is the author of “Experience Is Everything: Making Every Moment Count in the Age of Customer Expectations” (releasing April 2026). Visit: experienceinvestigators.com
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Press Contact: Jeff Pizzino, APR (or +1 480-606-8292)
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