All age groups demand speed, transparency, and a personalized approach when it comes to resolving customer issues. But new research from ServiceNow shows a huge gap between how Australia’s oldest and youngest populations want to address the issues.
Tech-savvy millennials want to communicate through chatbots, email, and direct messages. Baby boomers prefer to talk to an operator to solve a problem. Other generations are in between. After a pandemic, many opt for self-service but would be happy to talk to someone — as long as their issue is addressed quickly and clearly.
The generation gap creates a puzzle for businesses trying to build a post-COVID-19 customer service mix that works for everyone.
Do you eliminate phone calls to resolve disputes, in favor of automation? This will save costs but possibly separate older segments of your customer base. How about millennials, who want to jump online and immediately solve a problem? And how do you connect these different systems so that each team or department can quickly address issues?
The answer is in a streamlined, hybrid model where efficiency is the hero and customers have real-time visibility into when and how their issue will be resolved.
Something for everyone
The data is driving the need for a diverse approach. Research shows that 71% of baby boomers are in favor of talking to someone to solve a problem. That’s nearly four times higher than Gen Z (18%) and more than double millennials (31%).
The pandemic has resulted in an overall increase in customers using self-service options when they have issues, with a quarter of survey respondents (including a large portion of Gen Z) using self -service system. Across all channels, top priorities were quickly fixing issues (51%) and dealing with someone (44%).
In every sector, the need to improve customer service comes at a time when expectations and demands are rising. More than a third of survey respondents (36%) said their customer service expectations increased after the pandemic. One in four reported that they interacted more with customer service teams, which puts pressure on organizations to respond or risk losing business.
Finding common ground
Different generations are also divided on who is ahead — and behind — when it comes to resolving customer complaints. While everyone agrees that the telecommunications industry and government departments are rated the worst, Gen Z and millennials believe the food and beverage industry needs to thrive when it comes to resolving issues. to the customer.
Perhaps this division is directly related to what constitutes good customer service. For Gen Z, it’s all about fixing issues quickly and receiving compensation or special offers to resolve issues. The older generation believes it depends on customer service agents knowing their details while talking to someone based in the country.
Despite the differences, there is one thing that generations have agreed on: No one wants to wait too long. However, Australians clocked 89.5 million wasted holding hours over the past 18 months. And a third of people (31%) say waiting times are getting worse. Now is the time for businesses to overhaul their customer service departments.
A roadmap for the future
In 2022, the customer experience will continue to be critical to business success, requiring organizations to streamline their complaint resolution processes for a dispute-free, fast, and fail-free approach. Success will be built around customer satisfaction. The quality of complaint resolution is an important part of a positive customer experience, which directly affects where consumers spend their money and how well they stick to your brand.
To find a solution that meets all age groups, organizations need to rethink their service model mix while providing transparency at every step of the process, so that customers know exactly what is happening and when. .
Many organizations will look at a hybrid model that prioritizes digitization but provides the ability to communicate with team members — while simultaneously reducing hold times. Ensuring that front, middle, and back-office teams are connected will avoid bottlenecks and allow automation to increase speed, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Whatever the solution, the focus should be on delivery: a great, authentic experience that makes customers feel valued.
Find out more in our ebook: Changing Customer Experiences and Expectations in Australia.
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