June 1, 2026 • 3 min
Why Customers Are Losing Loyalty Faster Than Companies Realize
Author
CX Analyst & Thought Leader
June 1, 2026
Customer loyalty is not as strong as many executives think. While leaders often believe customers are more loyal than ever, customers are telling a different story.
In this episode, Katherine Stone examines the loyalty gap between companies and customers, why forced AI support creates frustration, and why access to real human help still matters.
What This Episode Covers
- Why executives overestimate customer loyalty
- How forced AI support damages trust
- Why customers want the option to reach a human agent
- Why fake chatbot empathy makes bad experiences worse
- How transparency improves AI-powered support
- What actually builds long-term customer loyalty
The episode argues that loyalty is not disappearing because customers are fickle. It is weakening because companies often prioritize cost savings and deflection over trust, respect, consistency, and real support.