The attitudes and preferences of those consumers who grew up around the new millennium, where familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies became mainstream, hold important clues about retail customer service strategies, according to social media expert Andrew Kokes
The attitudes and preferences of those consumers who grew up around the new millennium, where familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies became mainstream, hold important clues about retail customer service strategies, according to social media expert Andrew Kokes
The ‘Digital Age’ was well underway when the first ‘Millennial’ made an appearance, according to Andrew Kokes, social media expert and vice president at contact centre services provider Sitel.
As a result, he contends that Generation Y grew up with vastly different expectations for customer service than their parents. “Technology does more than define the generation; it shapes their expectations. These consumers expect unlimited choices and personalised experiences. They won’t tolerate waiting without reason or compensation. They are quick to research offers and they are fast learning to negotiate,” he said.
“The mantra of Gen Y is, ‘My way, right away, why pay?’ For any retailer that wants to attract today’s consumer, this is also a bare bones customer service strategy,” Kokes stated.
Aligning strategy with customer demographics
He said each generation is distinctive and requires a slightly different approach to customer service, but that the gaps between each are closing quickly: “By analysing and enhancing your customer service strategy to meet the expectations and demands of the Gen Y consumer, a demographic with powerful influence and spending power, you’ll be able improve your customers’ experience across every demographic by providing them with customer care where and when they want it.”
Kokes drew on the fact that the internet is now central to efficiently delivering great customer service. He believes, “Gen Ys don’t want to ring up when there is something wrong with their product – they want to use social media”. According to a recent study by BIGResearch, email (44.6%), online communities/social media (38.1%) and instant messaging (37.7%) are some of the most common ways that Gen Ys communicate about brands. Gen Xs are not far behind, with 54.1% using email, 24.7% using online communities/social media and 19.2% using instant messaging.
“Social media replaces the old-fashioned water cooler as the place where word of mouth is shared and amplified,” he continued. “Online, consumers can find other product users who will provide the information they need to solve their problem. Retailers have a powerful opportunity to improve customer service by connecting with consumers where they are already spending time online. If you aren’t already exploring social media as a customer service touch point, why not? Social media is a gift to retailers, not least because it helps lower the cost of customer service.
“Online you can monitor Twitter to respond to consumer issues and nip any complaints in the bud before they spread. Use blogs and forums to alert customers about new product updates and features. Pre-empt common questions with how-to videos on your website and YouTube. By becoming a resource for your customers where and when they need you, you’ll reduce the time they have to spend on the phone with an agent resolving an issue. And that results in lower customer service costs for you, the retailer,” he advised.
Delivering on customer expectations
Kokes shared six steps to improving customer care in order to better service Gen Ys and, to a growing extent, Gen Xs and the Baby Boomer generation:
- Customise: Gen Ys want it their way – customise the product and service;
- Personalise: Gen Y don’t want to feel like a number in a long list – personalisation builds loyalty to the product and the company;
- Socialise: Bring fun and a sense of play into your service offering to engage further with your Gen Ys customers;
- Make it tangible: If you do something that adds value, tell your customers. If the customer isn’t aware of new features, adding them to the product adds to the cost but does not contribute to the value;
- Deflect and Intercept: Be where they are, when they are there, with the help they need;
- Listen: Customers won’t share the important things until they believe you are listening.
“The future belongs to those who will be able to efficiently provide great service to an increasingly demanding consumer audience,” he concluded. “Online interceptions, handled properly, are a great marketing opportunity with vast potential for improving the efficiency of delivering great customer experience. Do this right and you’ll turn your “Why pay?” customers into “Will pay!” and reap the benefits.”
