Omni-Channel Customer Engagement Article

In the marketing world, there’s a lot of talk around the millennial. This generation introduces a whole new set of variables into the omni-channel customer engagement experience and those who aren’t paying attention may quickly be left behind. Now, if you’re the AARP, you may not need to pay much attention to millennials just yet, but everyone else who has something to offer this younger consumer needs to have a strategy.

The easy assumption for most companies is that millennials want all things self-service and available through a smartphone. While this may be true in some channels and for some products, it’s not a safe assumption across the board. What this assumption doesn’t consider, for instance, is what self-service channel that may include. For instance, do you know whether your millennial customers prefer text messaging or an app directly on their smartphone?

Do you know if your millennial customer prefers self-service check out or co-browsing technology? Do you know if they prefer to use social media upon their first contact? The answer may be that your millennial customers prefer all of these things in different doses, so you have to support the omni-channel customer engagement experience, allowing your customers to choose how they want to interact with you. That also means you have to create the seamless experience across all of these channels.

Here’s one thing to keep in mind – millennials aren’t the only ones who want the omni-channel access. Smartphones have become a normal tool that we use every day as we rely on them to maintain our schedules, keep in touch with connections, access the latest entertainment, stay informed on the latest innovations and complete normal transactions. For instance, if I remember a product I need, I simply launch my Amazon app, find the product and with one-click, it’s on its way.

As for the optimal omni-channel customer engagement in the future, the company I am doing business with will know what I want and how I want to interact before I even pick up a device. In fact, they will solve my issue before I even know it’s an issue and send me a product before I know I want it. Well, maybe that last move is getting a little ahead of ourselves, but the point is anticipating the need and meeting it head-on. Amazon has already set the standard for this – the rest of us simply have to catch up.

Chances are, however, that millennials and those that follow will write the next playbook. Those companies willing to read it and integrate it into their practices will enjoy market dominance. Those who do not will likely find another way to make a living.