Millennials and how they’re disrupting customer experience

Every new generation comes with its own characteristics and mindset, have you worked out how to offer an excellent customer experience to Millennials?

We have always differentiated ourselves from the generation that came before and from those that come after us. In recent history, these distinctions have been made clearer as we now give labels to generations and think more critically about the unique aspects of each. Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z are common terms used in everyday speech to help understand the phenomenon of generational change. In the business world, it is important to carefully consider the characteristics of each generation to ensure that your company keeps up with the latest trends and continues to fulfill customer expectations.

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Millennials currently make up a significant portion of the population. In fact, by 2025, millennials will make up to 75% of the total workforce⁽¹⁾. Aside from being the largest demographic in the marketplace, millennials have ushered the new era of customer experience and continue to challenge businesses to keep up to their ever-changing expectations. For these reasons, companies must focus their efforts on keeping pace with this generation’s quickly changing tastes in order to capitalize on the latest trends. Here are some key examples of ways in which businesses can capture the attention of Millennials.

1. Self Service

One might be tempted to think that keeping new customers happy is as easy as improving the customer service center; however, this often is not the case. Millennials prefer tools which allow them to sort out their problems without the need for human contact. Self-service portals provide a great way for millennials to engage with your company, submit questions, request products and services, and even pay for them without needing to call a CSR (Customer Service Representative) or go to a customer service center.

2. Mobility

As you would expect, cell phones and mobile devices are the dominant tools used by millennials to interact with the world. In fact, 47% of millennials say that they use their smartphones to pay for things⁽²⁾. To get their attention, you must provide a variety of channels that they can access from their mobile devices such as social media, websites, and payment gateways. Additionally, millennials expect to find help on the spot, which means contact channels should be redesigned so that the right information can always be found quickly and effortlessly.

3. Authenticity

People generally enjoy belonging to groups; however, often they also desire a unique identity. This is certainly true of millennials and, as a result, they appreciate when a company treats them as individuals. Your company should be looking into designing tailored plans for each of the services you offer, aiming for broad appeal while still connecting to each individual. Having specific information such as preferences, contact time, gender, and age goes a long way towards identifying the unique personality of each of your customers and using this to offer a more personalized service.

4. Quick problem resolution

Everyone likes to get their problems taken care of, but that is a given. The difference with millennials is that they have grown accustomed to having their issues resolved extra fast thanks to the proliferation of mobile devices. While previous generations would be happy waking a week for their request to be attended to, millennials typically expect the same service within a day.

5. Participative

Ask Millennials what they think. They are used to giving feedback and may be frustrated when they feel there is no easy channel through which they can give their opinion. Take advantage of their desire to share; find ways to let them give feedback about your company, your products, and your services. By listening to your customers, you gain valuable insights about how to better position your company in the face of generational change.

As you can see, knowing your customers better and adapting to this new generation is essential for providing an excellent customer experience, keeping your customers happy, attracting new customers, and increasing revenues.

(1) Shulzhenko M. (2016). How to Deliver Excellent Customer Experience to Millennials (Infographic). https://www.providesupport.com/blog/deliver-excellent-customer-experience-to-millennials/

(2) Shulzhenko M. (2016). How to Deliver Excellent Customer Experience to Millennials (Infographic). https://www.providesupport.com/blog/deliver-excellent-customer-experience-to-millennials/