With all the chatter about millennials and their behavior these days, it’s easy to forget that all of your customers need the best possible care. As it turns out, the largest generation in U.S. history isn’t so different from predecessors. Find out how your business can provide a total customer experience to millennials — and baby boomers.
Who Are They?
Millennials, also referred to as Generation Y, were born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s or early 2000s, give or take a year.
Millennials are more interested in experiences and social sharing on platforms including Snapchat and Instagram than in products pushed by retailers, although their buying power is around $200 billion annually and will reach $10 trillion over the course of their lifetime. They live online and always use a myriad of digital devices in their day-to-day life, from smartphones and tablets to smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Meanwhile, baby boomers — individuals born in the years following World War II — number around 76 million and continue to wield significant economic influence. This is the generation of optimism, achievement, and exploration; boomers channeled those values into the rise of what we know now as middle-class stability: the American Dream, tidy suburban home, two cars, and 2.5 children. This group values authentic, face-to-face human interaction and top-notch service — the total customer experience.
Technology and Communication
When catering to each group of consumers, you might notice some differences.
What boomers want:
- Manners are a must. When serving a baby boomer in person or on the phone, train your associates to remember “please” and “thank yous.” Boomers care about these niceties and also appreciate proper grammar.
- Real people, please. Baby boomers value person-to-person communication. Ensure that calling customer support makes it easy for them to reach a live person and not get lost in a complicated phone tree. For in-store experiences, sales associates should greet boomers cheerfully as their enter your business. Teach your staff to provide helpful service — never condescend to baby boomers. Instead, inquire about their needs with carefully worded questions such as, “Can I help you find XYZ?” and “Do you need assistance with the new laptops over here?”
What millennials want:
- Omnichannel service. These younger consumers use a number of different channels, including social and SMS, to meet their customer service needs. They might post complaints on your Facebook or Twitter pages and then expect to be called back about the issues on their cell phones. Or maybe millennials will dash off emails on their smartphones so that they can check for your replies at their leisure. They also expect personalized communications that show you know who they truly are. The bottom line: provide a total customer experience by making it easy for millennials to get the answers they’re looking for or solve the problem themselves. Self-service empowers consumers and streamlines your operations; 70 percent of millennials prefer self-service options.
Speed Counts
In the total customer experience, speed is everything. It shouldn’t be surprising that customers from all generations expect everything to be fast and easy.
What millennials want:
- Your products/services ASAP. Don’t blame millennials for wanting everything now. They grew up with the Internet and its wealth of information of their fingertips. Most of them got cell phones as teenagers and now embrace Amazon’s class-leading service and experience. Take a cue from the world’s largest retailer and its ability to provide real-time price changes, inventory insight and myriad, lightning-fast shipping choices.
What boomers want:
- Exactly what everyone else wants. The funny thing is, millennials’ demand for seamless end-to-end experiences is setting the bar for the total customer experience across the board. As businesses scramble to meet millennials’ needs, baby boomers are realizing that the new standard in customer service is a bonus for everyone.
Trust and Transparency
Does it pay to be open and honest? For baby boomers and millennials, it certainly does.
What boomers want:
- Tradition. Trust, for baby boomers, boils down to top-notch in-person customer service. Provide a total customer experience by making products easy to find, employing engaging and knowledgeable staff, offering a welcoming smile, and keeping checkout as painless as possible.
What millennials want:
- Peers count. Millennials turn to online reviews, whether on Amazon, Facebook, Yelp and other platforms, to get a consensus before going ahead with a purchase. They also seek input from their social groups. Gathering feedback is critical for these consumers before they pull the trigger.
- Price matching. In today’s world, there are few secrets. Plenty of apps are dedicated to price matching so if you’re not willing to meet a competitor’s price or honor a coupon, don’t be surprised if a millennial walks away from you in search of a “fairer” deal. Provide a total customer experience by being flexible if that’s what millennials need in order to keep their business with you.
By learning about what baby boomers and millennials want, you can identify how to provide a winning total customer experience. Keep in mind that consumers often are more alike than different. Great service will always win people over, regardless of their age.
