Summary
The document is a benchmark report detailing the state of customer experience (CX) automation in eCommerce for the year 2026, focusing on data from Shopify and Shopify Plus merchants. It presents metrics such as automation rates, customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores, resolution times, and agent-hours saved across various revenue tiers and verticals. The report reveals that top-performing merchants automate up to 87% of support tickets while maintaining a median CSAT of 4.5 out of 5, indicating that increased automation does not negatively impact customer satisfaction. It also explains the factors that contribute to successful automation, including the importance of workflow setup and consistency, and outlines how the best merchants leverage higher autopilot shares and faster response times. Seasonal trends in ticket volume and automation performance are analyzed, showing that merchants peak outside traditional busy periods like the fourth quarter. The methodology behind the benchmark is also described, providing context for the data collected and the conclusions drawn.
