“If It Wasn’t for Those Pesky Kids”: Customer Service for Millennials

Scooby-Doo fans will fondly remember those words, as they were usually uttered when the gang uncovered the criminal, who would always utter: “And I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn’t for those pesky kids.”

40 Years Later…
Today, millennials face an uphill battle when it comes to interacting with companies, as there are a number of misconceptions about the demographic. One of the biggest misconception companies have is that all millennials are broke[1]. That statement couldn’t be further from the truth! There are about eighty million millennials in the U.S and they spend roughly $600 billion annually[2]. Because of their misconceptions, many companies do not see the value in catering to millennials and meeting their needs, even though millennials influence friends’ and families’ purchasing decisions.

As a result of the above misconception, companies perceive that customer service is less important to millennials. Let’s clarify, traditional customer service (calling into a call center and being placed on hold for long periods of time) is less important to millennials. Proof? 68% of millennials demand an integrated, seamless experience across multiple channels, like mobile, web and live person[3]. Furthermore, 72.5% of millennials prefer a website that answers questions quickly over a call center[4].

The Millennial Customer Service Wish List
Simply put, millennials crave digital self-service options, virtual agents for example, as they’re looking for accessible and fast customer service. In a world where convenience is key, digital self-service is more important than ever before.

Since many companies struggle to understand millennials and their unique customer service needs, I've attached a helpful infographic.