Unclear communications are the leading reason consumers contact customer service rather than completing a process digitally. This issue was cited by 43% of respondents in Smart Communications’ 2026 Customer Experience Benchmark, rising to 45% in financial services, 46% in insurance, 47% in healthcare and 49% in government. Other causes include being unable to access a required document at 35%, uncertainty about whether a submission went through at 34%, and inconsistent information between communications and digital channels at 32%. Improving clarity and process visibility can reduce avoidable customer effort and service demand.
Explore the 2026 Customer Experience Benchmark Research.
