REPORT
From policy to proof
Evidencing good outcomes for customers under the Consumer Duty
New research from ContactBabel and UserTesting reveals the growing gap between what financial services firms measure and what the FCA now requires them to prove.
The evidence gap is real. And it's widening.
Consumer Duty has raised the bar. Policies and process completion are no longer sufficient — the FCA now expects firms to demonstrate that customers actually receive good outcomes, across every channel and for every customer, including those in vulnerable circumstances.
Most firms have the data. Few have the evidence.
What the research reveals:
- 44% of vulnerable customers report a negative experience with a financial services firm
- Only 4 in 10 vulnerable customers have disclosed their needs to their provider
- 53% of failed self-service journeys involve issues customers could have resolved online — but couldn't
- Just 1-2% of calls are quality-assured, leaving the vast majority of vulnerable customer interactions unexamined
Access the report to learn:
- Why operational metrics cannot on their own satisfy Consumer Duty evidence requirements
- How automated channels are creating new comprehension risks for vulnerable customers
- What a practical methodology for evidencing good customer outcomes looks like in practice
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Research is at a turning point
AI-driven product teams move faster than research can keep up. The old service model no longer works—creating an opportunity for research to step forward as a strategic function.
Traditional research operates as a service—waiting for requests, delivering studies, and hoping insights land in time. But in today’s faster decision cycles, research often arrives too late to influence outcomes. Leading teams are shifting earlier in the process, shaping strategy instead of vetting decisions after they’re made.
AI has compressed research timelines from weeks into days—or hours. Modern teams run rapid, iterative loops: prototype, test, refine. But speed alone isn’t enough. The most effective teams combine fast execution with fast insight, ensuring product decisions are trustworthy and human-centered.
Great insights are useless if no one sees them. Insights often disappear after a study ends, and never pass beyond the project team. High-performing teams build systems where knowledge is searchable, reusable, and connected across data sources. This turns research from a series of projects into a compounding asset.
As AI automates execution, leadership becomes the differentiator. Research leaders drive impact by translating insights into business outcomes, aligning with decision-makers, and building habits that embed insights into everyday workflows. Influence—not output—is what ensures insights are heard, trusted, and acted on.
See how your customer journeys perform in the real world
Policies and operational metrics can only tell you so much. See how real customers—including those in vulnerable circumstances—experience your products, communications, and support. Discover where journeys break down, uncover hidden risks, and gather the evidence you need to demonstrate good Consumer Duty outcomes.
