New White Paper Explores How Generational Differences Impact Customer Expectations

We all do it. We look at other generations and scratch our heads at their habits, styles, and preferences. Side parts, skinny jeans, avocado toast, OK Boomer... Jokes aside, all the generations are unique. And it’s up to businesses to figure out what each generation wants and work to meet those expectations.

In our new white paper, we break down the wants, needs, and expectations of each generation—including their communication preferences, billing and payment needs, personalization expectations, and willingness to adopt new technologies. The insights shared will help your organization create a personalized experience for every customer, regardless of age.

Generations at a Glance

Gen Z

• Customer Expectations - The youngest generation of customers want personal, authentic experiences delivered seamlessly in digital channels. 
• Communication Preferences - These digital natives expect rapid responses delivered right to their mobile devices and have no issues using chatbots if they save them time.
• Billing and Payment Preferences - Simply put, Gen Z wants access to digital payments.

Millennials

• Customer Expectations - This big generation wants real-time responses and easy access to information. They also expect a high level of customer service and will use public reviews to share their experiences (good or bad). 
• Communication Preferences - Millennials expect businesses to effectively deliver services to them on mobile. They’re also do-it-yourselfers so providing self-service options is a must.
• Billing and Payment Preferences - This generation prefers debit cards over all other payment types and because of their financial struggles, pre-pay options are very appealing.

Gen X

• Customer Expectations - Gen X often feels ignored so acknowledgment is important to them. As is transparency and loyalty.
• Communication Preferences - They adopted email early and have remained loyal to it as a communication channel. They’re big on social media, but not for business purposes.
• Billing and Payment Preferences - Gen X are big fans of mobile payments, voice-activated devices/wearables, and credit cards.

Baby Boomers

• Customer Expectations - Price trumps personalization for this generation. They also like person-to-person communication and really don’t want to be treated as old.
• Communication Preferences - Baby Boomers don’t want a chatbot sent to do a person’s job. They want personal conversations over the phone or face-to-face.
• Billing and Payment Preferences - Checks, cash, and debit cards are all preferred over digital payments. But, digital wallets are on the rise with Boomers.

The Overlap

While it’s important to make sure you have a grasp of what each generation wants and expects from you, sometimes it’s easier to start with what everyone wants. Each demographic is looking for an authentic experience that doesn’t leave them feeling alienated or misunderstood. Most generations want shorter, concise messages, but the channels they receive these messages in may be different. All of the generations are on social media, but not all use it to interact with organizations. This presents an opportunity for companies to capture new audiences on social media. Finally, keep traditional payment options for Baby Boomers, but optimize digital and mobile payment options for the other generations.

For more detailed information on what each generation expects from you, download our white paper.