The millennials are the largest demographic in today’s marketplace, and they are unlike any other generation before them. There are eighty million of these customers. Now, that’s an awful lot of people who can turn into brand advocates, or turn away from the brand. But here’s the thing. If you are planning to follow the traditional route of customer service while serving the millennials, you are in for a shock. These consumers have a very different understanding of customer service expectations. Like we said, they are nothing like any generation before them.
Therefore, to offer millennials a great customer experience, a company must first understand them. If a company has not already started learning about the millennials, here are a few interesting facts that will actually help the businesses restructure their customer service offerings:
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Millennials are self-reliant
This is one of the most resilient features of the millennials. They do not like to depend on others. Therefore, whenever they need some product or service-related information, they are more likely to research the information themselves rather than call up a customer service agent.
How can a company use this information to change customer service?
You can help these customers by providing answers to frequently asked questions, solutions to commonly occurring problems with the product and upgrading information (when available) on your website. You can also set up self-help facilities such as IVR-enabled enquiries, billing information etc.
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Millennials expect omnichannel experience
Millennials want to have omnichannel customer service experience where they do not have to repeat the information provided by them via another channel. For example – they would want to call Customer Service to know about an issue they communicated through the mail, without repeating the issue to the agent on the call. In other words, they would want a seamless information flow that allows them to use any communication channel available to them.
How can a company use this information to change customer service?
A company can accumulate all their customer data from all channels into one place and make it accessible to all channels. This will allow the agent to see what issue the customer is facing or what exactly his expectation is. This will make customer service a lot easier and the calls too would be shorter as the customer does not have to repeat his problems. As a result, the hold time would be significantly lower for other calls and it will make customers happier.
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Millennials want a quick solution. They want them now. And they take it personally if they do not get it.
Millennials do not want to wait for a solution. They want prompt responses from the companies and expect first contact resolutions. They also get annoyed if they do not get it and rant about it on social media platforms. In other words, they have zero tolerance for a delay in service. They do not want to wait on hold to talk to a representative, wait for more than 2 hours for a response via email, and social media platforms. They want immediate response to chat or SMS communications as well.
How can a company use this information to change customer service?
As the millennials do not want to wait on hold, a company can offer them an option to get a call back at a time convenient to the customer. This will reduce the hold time and improve the customer experience manifold. Also, appointing agents to manage emails, chats and social media accounts round the clock seems like a good idea. It will ensure that no communication goes unnoticed. In case a customer rants about poor service or product over the internet, the company’s strategy should be to get him off the social media platform and resolve the issue offline.
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Millennials value relationship and authenticity
Though they love prompt responses, the millennials value a business-customer relationship. If a company cares for them, lives up to their service expectations and tries to help them going out of their ways, the millennials would share a stronger bond with the company and turn into brand loyalists. They will become life-long consumers of the brand, influence others to do the same and even protect the brand fiercely on social media.
But if there is one thing they cannot stand it’s fakeness. If the representatives of a company robotically serve the millennials following a script and withhold information from them to sell them stuff, they will be genuinely annoyed and may never do business with the company again.
How can a company use this information to change customer service?
Encourage a personalized and natural conversation between the agent and the customer. Allow the agents to go off the script and help them to stay on topic with the use of conversation pointers. Also, allow them the empowerment to make small decisions on behalf of the company such as allowing a discount to a longtime customer, recommending a new product that will enhance the brand experience for the customer (such as a new lens for a camera owned by the customer). A millennial customer will value that.
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Millennials are not afraid to leave a company
If a millennial customer is not satisfied with the product or service of a company, he/she may choose to leave the company anytime for another company selling similar products or services. They do not want to grumble about issues while continuing with the brand, they are the brand switchers.
How can a company use this information to change customer service?
A company must aim to offer a high-quality customer experience along with great products and services that keep the customers engaged to the brand. They have to frequently use engagement tools like discount, sale, coupons, free promotional products, merchandise and gifts to keep the millennials coming back. Friendly, effective and prompt customer service too is a good way to get into the good books of the millennials.
