Gladly takes home “Best Unified Customer Experience” at VIP Awards 2026

Gladly has been named Best Unified Customer Experience at the 2026 Vendors in Partnership (VIP) Awards in New York City, a recognition that celebrates what it takes to deliver connected, customer-first experiences at scale.

Why VIP matters

The Vendors in Partnership Awards recognize solution providers who are raising the bar for how retailers and partners work together — with transparency, trust, and a real commitment to doing better for customers.

As VIP founder Vicki Cantrell shared:

"What began as a small, inspired gathering in a stylish New York venue in 2020 has grown into something far more powerful — a true community that spans the retail ecosystem… built on transparency, trust, and mutual respect."

VIP isn't just an event. It's a community built on open dialogue, shared learning, and real partnership. Being recognized by a group like that makes this win meaningful.

What "Best Unified Customer Experience" means

This award recognizes solutions that connect cross-channel customer information to deliver better experiences. That's exactly what Gladly was built to do.

From day one, we've taken a different approach — customer-centric, not ticket-centric. We believe AI should engage customers, not deflect them. Every conversation should build on a complete understanding of the person, not start from scratch. And great CX isn't about closing cases. It's about strengthening relationships.

At a time when much of the industry is optimizing for containment metrics alone, this award reinforces a different path: designing AI and service around long-term customer value. Retailers using Gladly are proving you can deliver fast, effective resolutions and build the relationship equity that drives lasting business value. That's the difference between AI that processes interactions and AI that earns loyalty.

The company we're in

Gladly was recognized alongside an impressive group of solution providers, including Jesta I.S. (Best Longstanding Partnership), Tech Mahindra (Retailer's Favorite), Worldly (Best Enterprise Analytics Platform), .Monks (The Retail Voice), and Sparkle.ai (Best AI-Driven Marketing Solution).

This one's for our customers

Taking home this win reflects the retailers who are pushing what customer experience can be. You're the ones investing in better experiences, refusing to settle for disconnected systems and deflection-first automation, and proving that service can be a growth lever, not just a cost center.

As Vicki put it:

"We are setting a new standard for what transformative partnerships can look like. By celebrating those who do it right and creating space for meaningful exchange, we're shifting how vendors are valued and how progress is made."

What's next

From the energy of NRF to this recognition from VIP, 2026 is off to a strong start. This win strengthens our commitment to building customer experience AI that engages customers and drives the devotion that creates lasting business value.

Curious what unified CX done right actually looks like? Let us show you how Gladly helps brands build relationships, not just resolve issues.