Millennials, or Generation Y, is the largest single demographic, which gives them significant purchase power and puts them at the forefront of most business markets. Because millennials are used to growing up in a diverse culture with instant access to information and a multitude of options to choose from, they are much harder to build loyal relationships with than previous generations.
Their tendency to be digitally savvy means they have no qualms comparing prices of products online and using the cheapest service, or finding out which offers the fastest solution and going with them. This makes the market extremely competitive for businesses, particularly when there is so much choice out there.
Providing great customer service is one way to help your brand differentiate itself and build up a relationship with millennials. Not only does providing an amazing customer experience work well in favour of that individual, millennials are excellent tools for word of mouth marketing as they take to social media to talk about companies and brands which they have had positive experiences with.
Making sure the customer service you offer is in line with what millennials expect can give a huge boost to your business by actively recruiting and retaining customers.
Instant solutions
Smartphones have given millennials access to information in real time, and as such they are impatient when waiting for answers and solutions. 25% expect to get a response within 10 minutes of reaching out for customer service; something which, if it doesn’t occur, can increase customer frustration and give the interaction a negative affliction.
Brands with personalities
With so many faceless corporations out there, it is crucial to show millennials that your brand has a team and a personality as this allows your customers to identify your core values and see how they are in line with their own.
Self-service
When trying to find something out, the first place millennials will go to is the web. Unlike previous generations who are happy to speak to a customer representative; only 37% of Generation Y would ask for help at a brick and mortar store, and 20% prefer to use self-service over interacting with a cashier, seeing it as a much more convenient way to purchase.
Use of multiple channels
Millennials expect to be able to seamlessly switch between devices in order to complete a task; shopping in store, buying online and reaching out for help via social media is a realistic customer journey which involves multiple platforms.
Convenience
Over a quarter of millennials believe customer service over the phone to be inconvenient, taking to other available options for sorting out their problem, including live chat and social media. They expect the instantaneousness of face to face interaction across all methods of customer service; in fact, two thirds expect online chat to deliver the fastest response source.
22% of millennials believe that one bad experience is enough for them to abandon a brand for good. This highlights just how important it is to provide outstanding customer experience when it comes to attracting and keeping millennials in your customer clientele.