While millennials are still the most significant customer base for most brands, it is essential to talk about Generation Z, the youngest generation of consumers. After all, they will be the biggest customer base with the most purchasing power in a few years.
Studies show that in 2021, Generation Z already makes up 40% of the consumers in North America, with $44 billion of direct buying power. So, it is high time to start understanding this demographic and design and deploy a CX strategy that involves in-store and through customer service call center experience.
However, before you begin chalking out a CX delivery plan, let us take some time to understand who are Generation Z and their taste and preferences. Once you get a clear picture, you will be able to anticipate their expectations from your brand better and deliver on the same, ensuring a better CX delivery. So, without further ado, let check out the key traits of Generation Z at a glance:
Gen Z at a Glance
- Born between 1996 and the 2010s
- Raised by Generation X (in most cases)
- Grew up during a recession
- Tend to be realist
- Focused on saving money
- True Mobile natives
- Prefer more visual social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram
- They love video
- Expect email for important communication
How are they different from Millennials?
Gen Z is the first generation born in this digital age and are far more digitally savvy than others. They are often described as a screen-addicted, social media-obsessed, zero-attention-span generation. However, that is not true.
Being the first true digital natives, they have got video and social media at their fingertips from the very first day, and that shaped their habits. Also, with countless information and stimuli sources available on the web, and a very limited time, Gen Z tends to filter information effectively and not take every information at face value. If something seems unauthentic or uninteresting, they tend to switch to other information sources. Also, they are a generation who have seen two crises, both financial and health-wise, as they grew up.
And that has a significant impact on their expectations and experiences. While Millennials went through similar situations, they did not affect them similarly. So, it is evident that the customer service expectations of Gen Z will be a lot different than that of the Millennials. There are many different ways a brand can engage these new-age customers and offer them a superior experience using their retail call center. In this article, we will discuss some of the key changes you need to incorporate in your CX strategy to make Gen Z feel heard and cared for.
5 Tips to Ensure Better CX Delivery To Gen Z Customers
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Digital-First Experience
As we mentioned earlier, Gen Z members are true digital natives. So, it is only natural that they will be more digitally savvy than all other demographics. Having used smartphones and tablets from an early age they always prioritize digital experiences over everything else. As a result, they will expect omnichannel highly personalized customer service from you. To satisfy your Gen Z customers, you will have to strike a balance in human-centric customer service that’s designed with empathy and is also technically sound.
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Mobile-First
Gen Z has been introduced to mobile technology from a very young age. Also, being more technologically sound than other generations, they prefer to find solutions on their own and hence prefer self-service. Catering to this generation, therefore, require a mobile-first approach. You will need to ensure 24/7 multichannel customer service as this demographic is an always-on, always-connected generation that uses mobiles for most of their brand communications. Failing to adopt a mobile-first approach from the very beginning can make you lose Gen Z customers’ trust and their business. Therefore, you need to ensure 24/7 customer support through the right customer support outsourcing partner.
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Omnichannel Customer Service
Like its predecessors, Gen Z customers too expect a seamless customer experience across all channels. So, you need to ensure a seamless in-store and online experience along with impeccable customer service. An omnichannel customer service strategy can help you score brownie points from your youngest customers. Creating a customer service ecosystem where your customers can easily switch between channels and yet receive a seamless experience may seem a daunting task. However, it is possible to deliver a truly omnichannel experience to your customers with the right omnichannel customer support outsourcing partner. It will further add to their satisfaction level and help you earn their loyalty.
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Personalized Experience
Gen Z is a demographic that want personalized attention from their preferred brand. Now a personalized experience is not possible without a highly personalized CX delivery strategy. Therefore, you must focus on personal interaction with your Gen Z customers whenever possible. An in-depth customer insight through customer data analysis can help you deliver personalized customer service. Now, if you do not have a team to analyze customer interactions and gain valuable insights, it is better to think about customer support outsourcing. A reputed customer service call center can help you with accurate customer data and leverage the data to deliver personalized CX to all your customers, including generation Z.
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Proactive Support
The new-age customers, including Gen Z customers appreciate proactive communication when something goes wrong. For example, if they purchase a product with a common issue, they expect the brand to address that issue and offer a solution through proactive communication. The same is also true in the case of services. For example, if there is a possibility of a power outage in their area, they would like to know it beforehand via their preferred channels. A business, therefore, needs to opt for a customer support outsourcing partner with expertise in proactive communication. Such a partner can help offer bill reminders, appointment reminders, prescription reminders, emergency communication, and much more. This way, you can offer your gen Z customers the support they need and deliver a superior CX.
Conclusion
Generation Z has already become a significant consumer base with huge potential. In the next few years, they will be your biggest consumer base. If you start engaging with them or work towards earning their business from today, you will be able to do so without much competition. However, if you ignore their unique needs, it will be detrimental to your business. With their minimal attention span and ability to filter through the products and services that are not customized as per their needs, it will be easy for them to engage with a brand more aligned with their needs and expectations. So, it is high time to create a CX strategy for this customer base and find a customer support outsourcing partner to help you execute it.
