Alchemer, a global leader in customer experience and feedback intelligence, today released its 2026 AI & Customer Expectations Report. Based on a survey of 2,009 consumers, the report reveals a growing tension in how consumers want companies to use AI.
Consumers expect AI to make their experiences faster and easier, but, according to the Alchemer report, 44% say it has made it harder to reach a person when they need one, and 43% would pay more for a product or service that guarantees access to human support. Survey reveals consumers’ views on benefits and drawbacks of AI in customer experience.
Consumers report significant gaps between what they ask AI and the responses they receive. According to the Alchemer report, 37% say they have received AI responses that misunderstood their question or need, 26% have received incorrect or inaccurate information, and 32% say AI has made their experience feel impersonal.
“This research shows that while consumers want the benefits of AI for a faster service and response, they don't want to sacrifice the ability to connect with humans in the customer experience,” said Ryan Tamminga, Chief Customer Officer, Alchemer. “Additionally, it is clear that becoming more familiar with AI doesn't always equate to higher acceptance. Those who are using AI daily are the ones reporting more issues, being more critical of its responses, and expressing a willingness to pay for access to human support to help get more out of their AI investment.”
Speed is consumers’ top priority for AI, but customers recognize that getting a fast response and actually getting their problem solved are two different things. 38% want AI to help companies resolve issues faster, 34% want AI to deliver faster responses, 59% say knowing a company uses AI to analyze feedback makes them expect a faster response, and 45% say advances in AI have raised what they expect from companies overall.
Familiarity with AI does not necessarily translate into comfort with AI-driven customer experiences. 40% of daily AI users say AI has made their customer experience feel impersonal, compared with 22% of consumers who never use it. 30% of daily AI users worry about AI reaching inaccurate conclusions, compared with 20% of consumers less familiar with the technology. The Alchemer report finds that daily AI users are more than 2.5 times as likely as those who never use AI to say they would definitely pay extra for guaranteed human support.
The full report examines AI’s benefits, shortcomings and evolving role in customer experience while illustrating practical implications for CX leaders.
About Alchemer
Alchemer empowers customers to do more with feedback. From a one-time survey to sophisticated feedback programs, Alchemer gives customer-obsessed teams the clarity to move from asking to action with powerful software and purpose-built AI. More than 11,000 organizations use Alchemer to collect feedback and connect it across their organizations through integration and automation. Alchemer gives CX, marketing, product, HR and market research professionals clear, actionable insights. Founded in 2006, Alchemer is a KKR portfolio company.
