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Millennials are Demanding and Receiving an Omni-Channel Customer Experience

Omni-Channel Customer Engagement Article

Millennials are Demanding and Receiving an Omni-Channel Customer Experience

 
April 24, 2015

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  By Laura Stotler, TMCnet Contributing Editor

There are approximately 80 million “millennials,” born between 1980 and 2000, roaming the planet and all of them are potential customers. The largest generation in history is comprised of children of the information age, and they have very different ideas about customer service and the customer experience than their parents. To capitalize on this burgeoning market, businesses need to fully understand and meet their customer service demands and expectations.


At the forefront of those expectations is the channel, or more specifically, the omni-channel. Millennials want freedom, choice and they don’t want to be confined to one type of customer service interaction. These folks are mobile and they expect customer support no matter where they happen to be, using whatever communication channel happens to suit them. Knowing this, your business must be equally present online, via phone, on social media and through whatever other means these customers need to reach you. And their omni-channel navigation and experience should ideally be transparent to them and as simple and seamless as possible.

Image via Shutterstock

Research from Prosper’s Customer Service Champions breaks down some of the main differences between millennial attitudes toward customer service and the baby boomers. Millennials chose Amazon.com (News - Alert), Victoria’s Secret, Best Buy, Nordstrom and Macy’s as the top companies for customer service. All of these businesses have strong omni-channel initiatives, even those with a solid brick-and-mortar presence like Victoria’s Secret.

Curiously, Nordstrom and Amazon rank tops for customer service among both millennials and baby boomers, perhaps indicating the success of their omni-channel strategies for reaching a variety of customers in different ways. The crossover could also indicate that the older generation is becoming more comfortable with a digital and omni-channel shopping experience, which bodes well for this approach moving forward.

Millennials have a few more interesting anomalies when it comes to their purchasing habits, including the ability to buy in line with their values. This means they have the luxury of choosing humane, organic and green products from companies they wish to support, whether large or small. This group of shoppers is also extremely critical of what they may deem to be an inefficient or disjointed customer experience. They expect a respectful and intelligent customer interaction and will not hesitate to publically blast an experience that falls short of those expectations, using a variety of channels to vent their frustrations.

The omni-channel approach is an absolute necessity when it comes to meeting the needs of millennial customers. With their combined numbers and purchasing power, these consumers are changing the face of retail and customer service, and companies that hope to stay in the game will ensure they bring their A-game to the customer experience across all channels to keep them happy.




Edited by Maurice Nagle
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