In 2025, delivering great customer experience isn’t just about digital polish or faster service, it’s the difference between earning loyalty and losing trust. And while most banks and credit unions recognize the importance of experience, many are still operating in a false sense of success.

The CX20 Global Report, a sweeping study of business leaders and consumers across 14 industries, exposes this disconnect with hard data. Leaders are prioritizing customer experience on paper, but customers aren’t feeling the impact.

The result? Missed opportunities, growing frustration, and billions in lost revenue.

What Customers Are Really Telling Us

There’s a major perception gap, and it’s widening:

• 80% of business leaders think they’re delivering great customer experience, but only 24% of customers agree.
• And 74% of customers expect companies to be fully equipped to meet their needs, but say they’re not.

Even more telling: while 70% of leaders believe they meet customer expectations, only 24% of customers feel that’s true.

This isn’t just a technology issue. It’s a trust issue.

The Five Gaps Undermining Financial Institutions

The report identifies five critical gaps that are keeping organizations from delivering meaningful customer experiences, gaps that are especially relevant to banks and credit unions.

1. The Perception Gap

Leaders believe they’re doing well, but customers don’t.
This misalignment drives misplaced investments and missed opportunities. Without real-time visibility into what customers are experiencing, banks and credit unions risk solving the wrong problems.

2. The Communication Gap

Inconsistent messaging across branches, apps, IVRs, and websites confuses customers and breaks trust. Nearly 90% of business leaders agree this is a key gap to solve, but few have the infrastructure to deliver clarity at every touchpoint.

3. The Service Gap

Understaffed call centers and long wait times are eroding trust. Customers are quick to disengage—54% will walk away after just four poor experiences, and 85% of even loyal customers will consider switching after repeated issues.

4. The Personalization Gap

Customers want to feel known. But too often, they get generic responses. This gap is especially damaging in financial services, where customers expect tailored support for complex, high-stakes needs.

5. The Feedback Gap

Many institutions collect customer feedback, but don’t act on it. Whether due to staffing limitations or siloed data, this leaves valuable insights untapped and customer pain points unresolved.

What’s at Stake

The business case for great experience is undeniable:

• 67% of customers spend more with companies that get customer experience right
• 50% will switch, even if it costs more, for better experiences
• 60% recommend brands based on great customer service

Put simply: when financial institutions invest in customer experience, customers invest back.

The AI Paradox: Promise vs. Perception

AI is becoming a core component of customer experience strategy. Business leaders see it as a key to staying competitive:

• 85% say AI is crucial to customer experience success
• 69% are already using AI
• 27% plan to adopt it soon

But customers aren’t as convinced.

Only 33% are excited about AI improving their experience. 36% are indifferent, and 30% are concerned. Meanwhile, 63% of leaders admit they aren’t seeing meaningful outcomes from their AI and digital investments—and 43% say the benefits don’t justify the cost.

This gap isn’t a reason to pull back, it’s a call to do AI differently. Thoughtfully. Transparently. With human experience at the center.

Breaking the Illusion

The report makes one thing clear: the most dangerous customer experience failures are the ones leaders don’t see. That’s why the first step toward improvement is acknowledging the blind spots.

True progress happens when institutions stop assuming and start listening, turning customer experience from a marketing mantra into a measurable business priority.

How Posh Can Help

At Posh, we work with banks and credit unions to close the very gaps this report highlights.

• We help unify customer communication across channels.
• We relieve pressure on contact centers with intelligent self-service.
• We bring clarity to perception gaps through real-time insights.
• We enable personalized, secure support with AI that adapts.
• And we turn customer questions into actionable feedback.

We believe AI shouldn’t just automate, it should elevate. That’s how trust is earned, and how customer experience becomes a true driver of loyalty and growth. Request a demo at posh.ai/demo today.