MaxContact Research Highlights Growing Consumer Trust Gap

MaxContact has published new research highlighting a growing “trust gap” between consumers and contact centres, with many people avoiding legitimate business communications because they are unable to distinguish them from scams or fraudulent activity.

Speaking of the report, Ben Booth, CEO of MaxContact, said, “This data should make every contact centre leader pause. Consumers broadly trust the sectors they deal with, but that trust doesn’t translate into picking up the phone.

The clear differences between the sectors confirm that the problem isn’t just sentiment; it’s the inadvertent signals being sent out. If consumers can’t tell the difference between a legitimate call and a scam, outbound strategies will struggle to deliver.

This trust gap is something that needs to be rectified. It’s the culmination of consumer frustration, the prevalence of scams, and the use of AI, and consumers don’t know who to trust anymore.

It’s not hostility, but uncertainty that is resulting in the call screening barriers, which is why we need to address this as a matter of urgency.”

Based on a survey of 1,000 UK consumers who had interacted with a contact centre within the past 18 months, the report found:

• 69% of consumers always or often screen calls from unknown numbers
• Half have ignored a message from a legitimate company because they assumed it was a scam or fraudulent.
• Only 22% of consumers strongly agree they can tell when an unexpected company contact is genuine
• 77% of those who have ignored a legitimate call have experienced a real consequence as a result

The findings also showed significant differences between sectors, with financial services related to loans and debt management among the most frequently avoided, while banks were viewed more favourably.

The report additionally examined attitudes toward AI in customer interactions. While most consumers accepted the use of AI and automation, a large majority said organisations should clearly disclose when AI is involved.

Some respondents reported only realising after the interaction that they had been communicating with automated systems.

“The Trust Gap is a solvable problem — but only for businesses willing to treat trust as an operational priority, not a brand one.

That means being transparent about how you use AI, giving consumers clear signals of legitimacy before you dial, and recognising that the channel choices you make send a message before a word is spoken. The contact centres that will win in 2026 are the ones that earn the right to be answered.” Ben Booth, CEO of MaxContact

The research suggests that transparency, clear identification, and trust-building measures are becoming increasingly important for organisations relying on outbound customer communication.

Download a copy of the Voice of the Consumer 2026 report now

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Author: Robyn Coppell
Reviewed by: Jo Robinson