How the Generation Gap Affects Customer Service

All customers, young and old, have different ideas of what customer service means to them. These varying expectations require customer service departments to accommodate all types of customers, as well as support the different ways those customers communicate.

Researchers and social commentators divide age groups into a few particular categories, defined by certain experiences and traits.

• Teens

• Millennials/Generation Y: 20’s and 30’s

• Generation X: 30’s and 40’s

• Baby Boomers: 50’s and 60’s

• Retirees: Late 60’s and up

Generation X, Millennials and Teens are most comfortable with computers, so they tend to prefer online channels when they communicate with customer service departments. Since Millennials and Teens use social media sites, they expect to use these accounts to communicate directly with customer service reps.

Baby Boomers and Retirees tend to stick to more traditional and personal means of communication. Though some in this group may consider themselves just as computer-savvy as younger generations, research shows they usually prefer to make a phone call or even go directly to the business to talk face-to-face if they need help. 

Recent research also demonstrates a generational gap when it comes to customer loyalty. With age comes a greater sense of product and company loyalty uncommon in younger groups who are more inclined to go after the best deal or follow a trend.

Keep in mind, these descriptions are flexible and many exceptions to these common behaviors exist. However, in order to provide service tailored to each and every generation, all possible lines of communication should be used.

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Emphasize Internal Support to Improve Efficiency

An internal argument amongst co-workers or departments may not lead to a lost sale or bad review, but it will eventually lead to a negative work environment, compromising the quality of work and productivity of the employees. Unfortunately, unhappy employees cause lost sales and even bad reviews, so how can an organization deliver spectacular internal support and keep the workflow, well, flowing? 

The same features that make Mojo Helpdesk an invaluable customer service tool are also useful in enabling employees to effectively communicate internally. Employees can raise tickets for work items or future tasks and assign them to the appropriate staff member or department to resolve.  Correspondence between employees or departments is tracked in a discussion-like thread on the ticket and email notifications update staff in real-time. With Mojo, it’s easy for any employee to view the progress of tickets and take over if necessary. When internal support requests follow the same guidelines as delivering excellent customer support, internal requests are given the extra effort and priority they deserve.

Businesses that use an open-communications/tracking tool will see improvements at every level. When employees communicate efficiently, they will make sure no task falls through the cracks, and work ethics are likely to improve. Your business will be more successful with a little extra effort towards the improvement of internal operations, leading to improved customer relationships as well as employee relationships. 

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Re-Tweet and Win a Chromebook from Mojo Helpdesk

We are having a contest to raise awareness of Mojo Helpdesk. Customers love how Mojo improves their productivity and internal task management. If you haven’t tried it yet, sign up for a 30-day free trial.

To enter:

• Follow @mojohelpdesk
• Tweet:  “I want to win a Chromebook. To enter, follow @mojohelpdesk, the helpdesk app, & RT this msg: http://bit.ly/M9dH9E”

Contest starts Tuesday, June 5th and ends promptly at Midnight (CST) on Friday, June 8th.

We'll post the winner Monday, June 11th on Twitter.

Recipients must live in the US.

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How to Make the Best out of Inevitable Hold Times

The only time a customer should be put on hold is when it’s the last resort. This could be when there are more calls coming in than there are people to answer each one, or if additional help is needed to resolve an issue. The challenge is how to keep customers on the line when they are inevitably placed on hold.

Adding music and messages is a great way to make the most of a customers wait time. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing the right audio for your company’s hold time.

Advantages:

• Music can have a relaxing effect on the customer.
• When customers are actively listening to something on their end, their perception of time seems shorter.
• Businesses can use on hold messages to share promotions or information about the company—possibly inspiring future sales.

Keep in Mind:

• Target audience. Choose music you feel a majority of your customers will enjoy.
• Ad length. Keep ads long enough to include important info, but short enough to keep customers listening.
• Loops. Be weary of excessive repetition, which can end up sounding like a broken record. You don’t want to annoy your customers.
• Cost. Some music is more expensive to purchase than others (some is even free). Though recording audio ads may be expensive, the ads will ideally pay for themselves in future sales.

A survey conducted by USA Business Telephone Today found that when on hold, people tend to respond better to music than to silence, and even better to music accompanied by informational messages. 52% of those in the survey hung up after more than one silent minute on hold, as compared to only 13% who had music to listen to, and only 2% that heard music and messages. Notably, the survey also found that the music and messages had a considerable effect on the caller’s perception of the amount of time spent on hold.  All of those faced with silence were convinced that their hold time was longer than it actually was, when less than a fifth of the callers who heard music and messages thought so.

Beyond some initial concerns a business may have about utilizing hold music and messaging, it seems clear that any company would do well to invest in using on hold music and messaging. In addition to better call retention rates, the messages heard on hold may lead to new or increased sales. Be as attentive as possible when on the phone with a customer, and when a hold is necessary, strive to make wait time a positive experience. Listen to customer feedback regarding your hold music and messaging, and take these suggestions to heart. As always, pay attention to what the customer wants above all and work to provide it.            

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