At a contact center, it can be really tricky to know how to tailor your customer service for all ages when you can’t see your caller. Still, there are a few tricks to delivering an exceptional experience every time, depending on what generation your caller belongs to.
Baby Boomers are completely misrepresented in the media. They’re constantly seen as doddering, old, and out-of-touch; instead of being seen as wise, many are treated like children by those younger than they.
The first step to delivering superior customer service to Baby Boomers is to assess what they already know: ask how familiar they are with your services and products. This will help you avoid insulting a retired software engineer by asking her if she turned on her machine. This will save both of you time and allow her to show her knowledge so you can tailor your instructions to her needs.
This generation gathers information through relationship-building and responds well to manners and protocol. Speak with a smile and refer to your caller by Mr. or Ms. Smith instead of Bob or Nancy to make them like and trust you more quickly.
You should also consider using KOVA’s Audiolog for Contact Centers to record your calls. This software, created especially for call centers, allows a simplistic platform to record, evaluate and archive calls. These calls can be selected on-demand, and its search and retrieval functions are unparalleled. This means that after any difficult Boomer caller, your representatives have a full arsenal of case studies to evaluate what went wrong and what you can do better.
Generation X has been called the “Forgotten Generation,” because of its lack of a cohesive identity. This demographic is reaching middle age and enjoys receiving instructions through multiple channels: cable, digital video, apps, and websites are all popular. Over 75 percent download or stream video online at least once a month. To leverage this characteristic into a great customer service experience at your contact center, try to make your website as useful as possible; you can include YouTube videos explaining common errors, an app to report bugs or text with a representative, and even create pictorial guides to using the product.
Out of all living generations, this one also has the most capital to spend. Still, as they reach middle age, Gen Xers have more expenses and are trying to save money for their children’s schooling, purchasing a home, and saving for retirement. Avoid upselling additional services to the Generation X client, because it will seem overly promotional and phony.
Appeal to Generation X’s desire to provide for future generations and their need for stability with branding that associates your product with lasting value, security, and protection. Most of the Gen X crowd work to live rather than live to work. Use your social media channels to show them how your product makes their lives easier and more fun.
Millennials go by plenty of names: Generation Y, the Me Generation, Gen Selfie… they were raised with a bottle in one hand and a screen in another. They’re used to quick responses, personalized results, and new technology. Perhaps the best way to make a Millennial enjoy your customer service is to make them feel heard and respected—to do this, give them a way to provide feedback through Customer Experience Survey Software.
Millennials use their mobile phones as their primary device for the web, and they’re more likely than other generations to research a problem before calling in—in fact, many Millennials don’t feel comfortable on the phone. As such, it’s vital for contact centers to optimize their websites for mobile viewing and to post in-depth tutorials for common errors on their sites.
Because of this age group’s discomfort with phone calls and preference for on-demand service, you should prepare your staff for some difficult calls. Do this engaging in role play activities, providing extra training workshops, and having a chain-of-command in place for when a Millennial asks for a supervisor.
Here at KOVA, we want to help you deliver great customer service for all ages. Contact us today so we can help you tailor your contact center’s customer service experience to your target demographic.
