The Rise of Millenials and the Need for an Omnichannel Call Center

Say what you want about millennials – the smartphone-toting, selfie-taking generation born between 1982 and 2004 – but there’s no denying their power as consumers. They carry an estimated $200 billion in annual buying power, and by 2025, they will comprise 75 percent of the U.S. workforce.

What’s more is that they love technology, making it a part of their everyday lives. About 40 percent of male millennials say they’d buy everything online if they could, while 33 percent of female millennials said the same. 53 percent also felt that their preferred retailers gave them a seamless shopping experience.

With these findings in mind, how do you provide this market segment with multichannel customer service?

• Get to know them – You’ll need to understand millennials to engineer your omnichannel and cater to their specific preferences. Use data point research, analyses, and automation software to gather customer data and build profiles. Highlight different aspects of your omnichannel experience depending on your findings.
• Use technology to your advantage – Millennials are into mobile, but they want more than an app from their favorite brands. They expect businesses to use technology in a way that creates a more personal experience for consumers and empowers them by making them part of the program content. They also expect brands to use technology to create a flexible and seamless experience that encompasses the online, offline, and in-store facets of shopping.

The shopping process must be an across-the-board experience, with consumers receiving adequate assistance from their initial research on pricing and product availability to examining items in-store and making arrangements for shipping.

• Team up with an omnichannel call center – This generation demands exceptional customer service and fast response, not just with calls but with inquiries made on social media as well. They expect to find real-time updates on Twitter and lightning-quick answers to any questions or complaints they send on Facebook. They will also give their input into social media campaigns, so be on your toes.

If you don’t have an in-house team dedicated to multichannel customer service, consider teaming up with an omnichannel call center that can competently handle your consumers’ needs. Offshore outsourcing hubs like the Philippines are home to numerous call centers and a vast pool of skilled agents.

• Introduce additional mobile options – Though millennials are still inclined to make in-store visits, it’s advisable to offer mobile payment options. This is because they look for real-time information on their mobile devices while they purchase, and as much as 50 percent of them anticipate that they’ll use mobile wallets by 2017.

You should also consider offering mobile rewards programs – surveys have found that millennials are likely to promote brands that reward them for loyalty.

Mobile also lets millennials price-match everything, so you might want to introduce interactive discounts and mobile coupons. 63 percent of them are more willing to “check-in” with brands on social channels if they’ll get discounts and coupons in return. Moreover, these incentives help keep brands competitive.

Millennials are poised to become a dominant force, so you’ll need to address their demands and create meaningful experiences for them. If you’re not sure where to begin, outsourcing may be your best option. Talk to an omnichannel call center in the Philippines today to get started.