Customer experience continues its global slide, and the numbers are impossible to ignore. According to Forrester’s 2025 Customer Experience Index (CX Index), just 10 brands worldwide—less than 5%—earned “elite” status this year, maintaining top-tier rankings in how customers perceive their experiences.
Despite new entrants into the elite group, only one (the US National Park Service) improved its CX score significantly year-over-year. The message across 13 countries and 469 brands is clear: customer satisfaction is stagnating or slipping, and most companies aren’t catching up.
“Customer experience continues to erode worldwide, reflecting a concerning multiyear downward trend and a shift in sentiment from positive to neutral,” said Pete Jacques, principal analyst at Forrester. “While the changes may seem subtle, they are significant and cannot be ignored. As customer loyalty declines, brands must focus on providing stronger customer experiences to reverse the trend. Even a minor improvement to a brand’s customer experience quality can reduce churn and increase share of wallet.”
The disconnect between what brands intend to deliver and what customers experience is growing wider. Economic uncertainty, weak employee engagement, failed tech roll-outs, and a loss of customer-centric focus are undermining CX quality across the board. In the US alone, 25% of brands saw their CX scores decline for the second year in a row, while only 7% improved.
Brands across multiple industries are falling short in three essential areas: effectiveness, ease, and emotional connection—a dangerous combination as consumers grow more selective and sceptical about where they spend their money.
Forrester Warns of Long-Term Loyalty Risk
While North America is facing sharp declines, Europe’s CX landscape was more stable, with a few bright spots. As many as 7% of brands improved their scores, while only 2% dropped; most held steady. Gains in the European banking sector offered a rare glimmer of hope, showing that progress is possible, but still limited.
In the Asia Pacific region, however, the outlook is grim. In Australia, Singapore, and India, 37% of brands saw their CX scores drop while 58% showed no change at all. As a result, most industries across the region are struggling to deliver meaningful progress. Without intervention, these trends suggest a systemic erosion of customer trust and loyalty.