Call Center Management Featured Article
Regardless of Generation, We All Want More Choices, Better Customer Service
Plenty has been written about how millennials are changing the game for business. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how completely different this generation is from any other, or even what exactly constitutes a millennial.
But the younger set certainly does spend a lot of time online. We all know that. And businesses should take that into consideration as they set strategy and create customer experiences. And many do.
Let’s take a step back for a moment to consider the term millennial. Definitions for that term are all over the place.
Wikipedia suggests millennials have birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the mid 1990s or early 2000s. The top definition on the Urban Dictionary says millennials are those individual born between 1981 and 2001. And a Pew Research Center report published this year breaks down the generational divides like this:
• if you were born between 1981 and 1996 (making you 22 to 37 this year) you’re a millennial;
• if you were born 1997 or later you’re part of “a new generation”;
• if you’re 38 to 53 this year, you’re in Generation X;
• if you’re 54 to 72 this year, you’re a Baby Boomer; and
• if you’re 73 to 90 this year, you’re “Silent” (hmmm).
However you break it down, it’s clear that connected technology is a hallmark of life for most people in the youngest generation in the workforce today, and those that follow. “Generation X grew up as the computer revolution was taking hold, and millennials came of age during the internet explosion. In this progression, what is unique for post-millennials is that all of the above have been part of their lives from the start,” notes Pew (News - Alert) Research.
“The implications of growing up in an ‘always on’ technological environment are only now coming into focus,” Pew adds. “Recent research has shown dramatic shifts in youth behaviors, attitudes and lifestyles – both positive and concerning – for those who came of age in this era. What we don’t know is whether these are lasting generational imprints or characteristics of adolescence that will become more muted over the course of their adulthood.”
Exactly.
For some in the younger generation, less is more. I know several young people who are not very interested in material things, but just want to spend time outdoors and work to make the world a better place. Then again, the Kardashians is a popular show. And for many young folks (and older ones too), amassing material goods and focusing on appearance is paramount. Of course, making the world a better place, buying stuff, and look good are not mutually exclusive.
That said, we do know people across all generations spend more time online today than they did in the past. That’s because the online world exists, smartphones make it easy to be online whenever we want, and there are a lot of opportunities available to connect and access data online. That has conditioned many of us, regardless of generation, to expect faster results and use the channels of our choice to communicate with friends, workmates, and businesses.
Sometimes we need to get on the phone with a live agent. Often, however, we can find solutions ourselves using a FAQ list, a YouTube (News - Alert) how-to video, or another online resource. Communicating with businesses, and getting updates from them, via text is growing in popularity. Now artificial intelligence and machine learning make it possible for businesses to support customers at all hours using chatbots. AI and natural language processing now even make it possible for consumers to use our voices to express what we need and get the desired results. And AI and ML will continue to improve business efficiency and customer experiences over time.
Edited by Maurice Nagle