Generation Y: those born between 1980 and 2000 are here, as customers and as contact center agents, and that has major impacts and implications for customer service.

 

The Gen-Yers, numbering 70 million in the U.S., are the replacements for the now-retiring and fading Baby Boom generation, from whom they are descended. They are also known as the ‘Baby Boom Echo. Their ranks are nearly twice as large as Gen-X, which are those individuals born between 1964 and 1980.

 

Bill Durr, Principal, Global Market Consultant, Verint (News - Alert) Witness Actionable Solutions, points to several key characteristics of Gen-Y that will affect contact center customer service and CRM strategies.

 

*          This is the first completely electronic generation, immersed in computing and communications technology

 

*          Gen-Yers rely on texting i.e. SMS rather than voice, either wireless or landline

 

*          Gen-Yers are “re-tribalized” i.e. they rely on testimony from those in their networks and that they interact with to get information rather than on advertising and mass media. 28 percent post to their own blogs while 44 percent read blogs on top of participating in social networks.

 

“Corporations used to be in control of information flow, but that’s all gone,” explains Durr. “This is a profound shift from the mass media and advertising that has been dominant since the 1950s. Those corporations that don’t realize that are going to get blindsided.”

 

Attempts by firms to employ traditional one-way communications tactics through blogs and social networking sites, such as whitewashing negative comments “will get thrown off the Island,” Durr points out. “Instead they have to put in two-way communications and listen and respond with a genuine authentic voice. If they do then people will buy into it.”

 

To respond to the demand by Gen-Yers to be listened to and taken seriously in order to get their business, enterprises need to make more recordings more often, listen closer to them, and employ speech analytics to find out the intelligence in the information.

 

“It is not longer adequate to rely on quality monitoring, whose function is to protect the corporate brand,” Durr explains. “Organizations must understand what customers want and that is the role of speech analytics.

 

When asked, Durr has not seen firms apply analytics to SMS, given the popularity of this channel amongst Gen-Yers though there is nothing to prevent firms from doing it.

 

“There are no suppliers that I know of that are offering such a solution but I’m certain that one is coming as this need grows,” says Durr.

 

Gen-Yers affect customer service from another aspect: agent quality. Unlike previous generations this group accepts that there is no longer any loyalty between employers and employees. They are demanding career advancement and training or else they leave.

 

At the same time, many Gen-Y workers are not well educated, lack formality in their business communications and do not take kindly to criticism in workplaces because they have rarely been criticized in their growing up.

 

This is creating a scenario where at a time there has never been a greater need for superior customer service the ability, professionalism, and will of agents is less.

 

“The entry of the Gen-Y workforce is going to increase training requirements to overcome poor education, including grammar,” explains Durr. “They also need to be taught how to promote the brands correctly. They will also need a lot of more internal quality monitoring to ensure excellent service.”

 

That leaves open an intriguing question: will demanding Gen-Yers accept the poor quality delivered by other Gen-Yers, or accept it, especially casual conversation, as long as it is sincere? Or will organizations have to adapt in both directions?

 

The answer may more than likely be the last choice.

 

“I just had a fairly decent conversation with a young contact center agent the other day, and as we ended it I said ‘Goodbye’ and the agent replied: ‘Goodbye, dude’. And as I hung up I smiled. It didn’t offend me but it is very different from an organization point of view.”