Why Conflicting Customer Experience Scores Matter Less Than What You Do About Them
In the world of customer experience (CX)—or member experience for credit unions—it’s not unusual to see headlines that seem to contradict one another. A perfect example is the difference between two of the most recognized CX measures: the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and Forrester’s Customer Experience Index (CX Index).
Recently, the ACSI has shown customer satisfaction hovering near record highs, even after a small dip in early 2025. By contrast, Forrester reports a continued decline in customer experience quality across industries, with a quarter of North American brands underperforming for the second straight year.
So, is customer experience improving—or getting worse?
Conflicting Customer Experience Scores: ACSI vs. Forrester
Both ACSI and Forrester are respected sources, but they measure different things.
ACSI focuses on customer expectations, perceived quality, and perceived value—a more rational evaluation of satisfaction.
Forrester evaluates effectiveness, ease, and emotion, emphasizing how experiences make customers feel and whether those feelings drive engagement and loyalty.
Each uses proprietary formulas, and both can be influenced by survey design, timing, and even customer self-selection. That’s why small movements in the scores may look bigger than they really are.
Rational vs. Emotional Drivers of Satisfaction
Customer expectations are not standing still. What felt like “great service” five years ago is today’s baseline. Digital convenience, AI-driven personalization, and seamless omnichannel experiences are the new norm.
The ACSI highlights rational factors like expectations and value. Forrester places more weight on the emotional side of CX—the moments that make customers feel cared for, respected, and understood. Both dimensions matter, but focusing on only one risks missing the full picture of loyalty and trust.
Why Credit Unions and Banks Should Look Beyond the Score
While it’s easy to get caught up in the debate over which index tells the “real” story, here’s the truth: scores are only proxies for customer outcomes.
The real question for financial institutions isn’t whether Forrester or ACSI is “right.” It’s whether your bank or credit union is:
Listening systematically to members and customers across all touch-points.
Acting on feedback in a way that empowers employees and teams to improve.
Closing the gap between executive perception and customer reality.
Measuring both rational and emotional drivers of satisfaction and loyalty.
Too often, deep debates about methodology can drain the oxygen from the conversation—leaving little energy for the improvement phase.
Closing the Gap Between Executive Perception and Member Reality
Forrester’s research has consistently shown a disconnect between what executives believe they deliver and what customers actually experience. Credit unions and some community banks, with their member-first missions, are uniquely positioned to close this gap—if they make CX a systematic, organization-wide priority.
The key is not just capturing data, but ensuring that frontline staff and managers have the insights and support to act on it.
Turning CX Insights Into Action for Continuous Improvement
At Competitive Edge, we work with credit unions and community banks nationwide to move beyond the score. Through ongoing survey programs, we help organizations:
Track loyalty, engagement, and satisfaction in real time.
Identify pain points in the member or customer journey.
Recognize and reinforce service excellence.
Empower employees with the insights they need to continuously improve.
Customer experience success doesn’t come from chasing the perfect index—it comes from understanding why members and customers feel the way they do and doing something about it.
Final Thought
Whether the headlines say CX quality is soaring or plummeting, your members and customers are telling you their truth every day. The organizations that win are those that listen, learn, and act with purpose—building trust, loyalty, and long-term growth in the process.