INTELLIGENT MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
Why businesses need to worry about millennial customers
Millennials have significantly higher expectations when they are engaging online and this needs to be planned for by businesses explains Shaheen Haque at Interactive Intelligence .
While millennials ’ online spending and usage habits have been well documented , they are presenting engagement challenges for traditional businesses . Organisations that have operated using traditional channels of customer engagement , such as face to face and call-in , may not find millennials amongst their active customers .
On the other hand , businesses that have invested in social media platforms , online chat features and web portals are likely attracting many more millennial customers .
So , what are the characteristics that define a great customer experience for millennials and what technologies are required to support them ? Here are three that should form the cornerstone of any modern customer experience strategy .
Those born between 1980 and 2000 , called millennials , are now coming of age . They are either just entering the global workforce or advancing to the stage where their ability to spend is significant . In the GCC region , millennials are important and account for a quarter of the total population . Compared to their global peers they spend more online and were responsible for regional ecommerce growth of 25 % in 2015 .
Globally there are 2 billion millennials , of which 86 % live in emerging economies . According to a recent VISA study , 31 % of the UAE population is under the age of 25 , and in Saudi Arabia the equivalent figure is 50 %. Millennials are heavy users of digital technology and consumers of digital content . Across the UAE , they average 6.5 hours of online activity per day and
According to a recent VISA study 31 % of the UAE population is under the age of 25 and in Saudi Arabia the equivalent figure is 50 %
in Saudi Arabia they average 4.5 hours daily . They interact online to save time , for convenience , and to source globally , in that order of preference . Deloitte estimates that in 2015 , millennials in the Middle East spent $ 15 billion on digital content , averaging $ 120 per person .
Consistent response Millennials tend to use multiple points of contact with a business . They may , for instance , browse items in physical stores , then search online for the best price and purchase them that way . Or , they may initiate a chat , then want to transition to a screen sharing session , and maybe even two-way video . They will also likely escalate issues via multiple channels – and quickly . For instance , if they do not get an issue resolved , via email or chat , they are highly likely to amplify this negative experience through social media .
The challenge for businesses is creating a consistent response across all channels , and responding fast . This requires customer engagement technology that supports omnichannel interactions . This not only enables a business to see the
44 Issue 03 INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS