Millennials as Do-It-Yourselfers

Latest study shows that Millennials have high customer service expectations, but also prefer self-service.

April 08, 2015

PHOENIX, Ariz. – According to the latest survey of Millennials (and there seems to be a new one every week), 55% say that their customer service expectations have increased over the last three years, and more than half of those surveyed have stopped doing business with at least one company because of poor customer service in the past year.

The “Aspect Consumer Experience Index: Millennial Research on Customer Service Expectations” survey by Aspect Software, a leading provider of fully-integrated customer interaction management and cloud solutions, examined the generational and technological divergence between consumer groups and their perceptions and preferences toward customer service. One of the key takeaways from the research is that companies need to quickly address the customer engagement preferences of the all-important Millennial demographic or risk going out of business.

Other notable findings from the survey include:

  • Nearly 3 out of 4 consumers prefer to solve their customer service issues on their own, potentially setting the stage for big changes in the consumer experience landscape.
  • 65% of all consumers and 69% of Millennials say that they feel good about themselves and the company they are doing business with when they resolve a problem without talking to customer service. This represents a huge opportunity for customers to leave consumers with a positive impression.
  • Customer experience is increasingly defined by customer service: 76% of all generations view customer service as a "true test" of how much a company values them.
  • More than half (56%) of Millennials moved their business from at least one company in the past year due to poor customer service.
  • 73% of consumers said that they should have the ability to solve most product and service issues on their own and nearly a third would rather clean a toilet than talk to customer service.

"The average consumer interacts with customer service 65 times a year, yet they are increasingly underwhelmed with an experience that does not reflect consumers' digital and mobile preference nor their desire to resolve issues on their own. This represents a tremendous missed opportunity for companies to build business and secure customer loyalty," said Joe Gagnon, SVP and GM of Aspect's Cloud Solutions, in a press release. "As Millennials are more 'experience-loyal' than 'brand-loyal,' consumer engagement is quickly becoming a far more influential factor in building positive brand perception. It's imperative that businesses adapt their customer service strategies to deliver an interaction strategy that addresses Millennial engagement preferences."

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