Sogolytics CX Index: Entertainment Overtakes Financial Services in CX Rankings as Loyalty Polarizes in Q2

Sogolytics today released the Sogolytics Experience Index: Customer Edition Q2 2026, examining how 1,001 U.S. customers evaluate satisfaction, loyalty, AI, and trust across nine major industries. The Q2 reading is the third cycle in a rolling quarterly series that now covers feedback from more than 3,000 U.S. customers and reveals sharper positions on every measure the index tracks. 

The headline finding is not a single number, but the disappearance of the middle. Customers who called themselves somewhat loyal, somewhat likely to switch, or somewhat comfortable with AI moved toward one edge or the other between Q1 and Q2. The result is a customer base that is more decisive on every axis. 

Key Findings 

• Entertainment and media claimed the top spot in the Q2 industry CX rankings for the first time in the study, edging out financial services, which had led every prior cycle.
• The share of customers who called themselves somewhat loyal fell from 43% in Q1 to 32% in Q2, the largest single-quarter shift in any loyalty category across the study. 
• Preference for a human interaction in healthcare and medical consultations fell to 49% in Q2, down from 54% in 2025 and the first time the healthcare figure has dropped below half. 
• Privacy overtook accuracy as the top concern about AI in customer experience, cited by 37% of customers, while accuracy fell from 39% in Q1 to 34%. 
• In Q2, 42% of customers who shared feedback said it led to clear improvements, the highest level recorded.  

Entertainment and Media Overtake Financial Services in Industry CX Rankings 

Entertainment and media claimed the top spot in the Q2 industry CX rankings for the first time in the study, edging out financial services, which had led in every prior cycle. Healthcare held third, unchanged across all three surveys. Government and public services moved up one position to fourth, its strongest showing in the study. Retail dropped to fifth after a strong Q1. Travel and hospitality remained last for the third quarter in a row and is the only industry to have declined consistently across every reading. 

The Loyal Middle Collapsed in a Single Quarter 

The share of customers who called themselves somewhat loyal fell from 43% in Q1 to 32% in Q2, the largest single-quarter shift in any loyalty category across the study. Very loyal customers rose from 31% to 35%, surpassing the 2025 level. Neutral customers grew from 20% to 25%. The combined disloyal share edged up to 8%. Overall loyalty did not decline, but the middle contracted by 11 points in three months. 

The same polarization showed up in switching risk. Overall, 33% of customers say they are likely to switch after a single bad experience, roughly in line with 2025. Under the surface, the share who are very likely to switch rose from 11% to 13%, while somewhat likely fell from 26% to 20%. Fewer customers are on the fence. More are firmly prepared to leave. 

Fewer Than Half of Customers Want a Human for Healthcare 

Preference for a human interaction in healthcare and medical consultations fell to 49% in Q2, down from 54% in 2025, the first time the healthcare figure has dropped below half in the study. In Q2, every scenario measured saw preference for human interaction decline, with sales and purchasing decisions falling 5 points to 31%. Customers are widening the range of situations they are comfortable handling without a person, even in categories previously considered off-limits to automation. 

Privacy Overtakes Accuracy as the Top Concern About AI 

Privacy became the top concern about AI-driven customer experiences in Q2, cited by 37% of customers. Accuracy fell from 39% in Q1 to 34%, dropping to second. Loss of human connection and lack of empathy each remain significant concerns, cited by around a third of customers. Customers are moving from asking whether AI will get the right answer to asking what it does with their information. 

Willingness to use AI for a faster experience sits at 48%, down from 55% in Q1 but still above the 43% recorded in 2025. Within that group, the share who strongly agree rose to 19%, the highest level in the study. Enthusiasm has cooled, but the customers who support AI are more confident in their views. 

Being Heard Makes Customers More Demanding, Not More Forgiving 

In Q2, 42% of customers who shared feedback said it led to clear improvements, the highest level recorded across all three cycles. The share who saw no change fell from 27% in 2025 to 17%. Companies are getting better at closing the loop. 

That improvement comes with a catch. Among customers whose feedback led to clear improvements, 52% say they are likely to switch after a single bad experience, compared to 34% among customers who saw no change. Being heard raises the bar on the next interaction, not the ceiling for tolerating a bad one. 

<Download the full report here>

About the Study 

The Sogolytics Experience Index: Customer Edition tracks how U.S. customer satisfaction, expectations, and behaviors evolve throughout 2026. Each cycle surveys 1,000+ U.S. customers with quotas applied to ensure balanced representation by age, gender, and geography. Participants were required to have had at least one meaningful customer experience in the past 12 months. The Q2 2026 cycle included 1,001 participants and was conducted in June 2026. The three published cycles together include feedback from more than 3,000 U.S. customers. 

The Sogolytics Experience Index is an independent study. Sogolytics received no funding or input from any of the industries, companies, or brands referenced in the results. 

Opinions expressed are those of Sogolytics and are for informational purposes only. The results do not represent industry-specific advice or an endorsement of any company, brand, or service.