Millennials are well known for their digital and often nomadic lifestyle, as well as their willingness to spend serious money on the brands they love. Indeed, a recent Nielsen report cites that this generation spends more than $65 billion per year and influences more than $1 trillion in total consumer spending. Furthermore, when it comes to customer experience, their habits and values are the true embodiment of customer centricity. Their desire for timely, humanized, and personalized service that reflects their values entices brands to meet a high standard for excellence that customers of all ages will love. Here are six millennial customer expectations every brand should meet to deliver a great experience for all.
As an extremely mobile generation, millennials seek optimized yet effortless customer experiences on the go. For millennials, simply using multiple contact channels is not enough: The key is to make every interaction meaningful, quick, and seamless. Brands may offer features such as click-to-chat or click-to-call on mobile optimized sites, use messaging apps or SMS for seamless communication, and streamline the sales process with easy checkout options, scannable redemption codes, and clear delivery tracking information.
Millennials favor brands that match their values and have an authentic voice. Cone Communications cites that 87% of millennials purchase products with a social or environmental benefit, while a Nielsen survey found that three out of four millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Brands should therefore connect with millennials on an emotional level by communicating their involvement in philanthropic causes and their brand ideology.
It’s no secret that millennials are active social media users: Infusionsoft cites that 90% of millennials currently use social media. How does this habit impact brand engagement? Millennial customers love to engage with brands for everything from service to sales, and they love to rate brands on social media as well. To engage this demographic, it’s essential for brands to communicate clearly and quickly, offer personalized assistance on social media platforms, and take all customer comments seriously.
Millennials respect brands that respect them back. For this reason, accountability is essential to winning their loyalty. Brands should communicate honestly when anything goes wrong, take responsibility for issues, and acknowledge negative feedback with a sincere interest in fixing problems. In addition, time is everything to millennials: On all channels (and especially social media), quick and thorough responses are essential to winning their trust.
Millennials like to feel that brands are responding to their needs and tastes. Brands should solicit their feedback and use their comments to design new products or services and improve existing ones. Millennials also appreciate being involved directly in product development, such as participating in contests that ask for their vote.
As a highly independent generation, millennials like to find answers on their own. Offering them self-service options such as IVR menus and easy access to frequently asked questions can help them find quick answers on the go. In addition, they are known for switching channels–an average of 27 times per hour, according to Innerscope Research. This means that an optimized omnichannel experience is also a must, as millennials expect a great experience no matter what channel they are on. Living up to millennial customer expectations means keeping a customer-centric attitude at all times. Brands that deliver on these expectations eventually please not just millennials, but customers of all ages.
