
Selling in the Age of Impatience
How to create engaged buying journeys for Millennials
“I don’t have time to wait in line, let alone wait for any answers!”
Millennials have grown up with devices that respond immediately to their touch, their words, and their actions. If they want something, a few clicks and it appears. Even food, with the newest industry of food delivery and the surge in popularity of companies like GrubHub, DoorDash, UberEats, and Postmates. So, it’s no surprise that tolerance and patience are two characteristics that are few and far between in the rising generations. If millennials can’t take the time to wait in line for food when it can be delivered, or send a letter to someone when they can send a text, do you think they’re going to “take time” navigating websites to find the answers to their questions before purchase? No, they are simply not going to buy from you and will likely bounce to another site.
Tolerance and patience are not the only variables in this equation of “time well spent”. Millennials also feel a greater need for free time in their busy schedules than generations before have felt. People are busy, and forced to juggle many moving parts in daily life. There is something about waiting in line for something when you can list off every other thing you have to accomplish that day in your brain that is absolutely infuriating to millennials (I’ve definitely been there multiple times). Therefore, we will not do it! The idea of “time well spent” is at the forefront of most millennials heads. If they have to wait, or spend time on something at all inconvenient, they would rather be exercising their cherished free time.
Another characteristic of millennials that contributes to their satisfaction, or lack thereof, is that we like to express our individuality. In order to do this, we need a wide variety of choices and we definitely prefer a one stop shop for everything we need. It’s no wonder that the quick and easy shopping that Amazon makes possible are so popular today. Unfortunately, variety and efficiency do not naturally go hand in hand, and yet, they are seemingly essential in appealing to millennial shoppers. Retailers have an ever expanding catalog of products to address the varied likes of consumers. But this makes your website much more complex to navigate. Innovative retailers use the modernized VIP online customer service, with an efficient and customizable helper to guide the customer through their journey, making it much more efficient.
In market research conducted by Accenture Outlook, it was discovered that on average, 89 percent of millennials stated that “having access to real-time product availability information would influence their shopping choices in terms of which stores they would frequent”. This is the customer experience that is usually available and definitely expected in physical stores. Customer satisfaction is highly valued in person. Speaking for myself, I am much more likely to buy more products if I am given a “VIP” experience in store: it is a basic sales principle. When people feel seen, heard, and cared for, they react positively. In this case, by opening up their wallets!
So, why can’t that same experience be possible for online stores? It is proven that a VIP serviced shopper will spend more and be increasingly loyal. Providing a VIP level service for your online store will increase sales and customer satisfaction, therefore a good investment for any company. And, we WANT it!
Vee24’s mission is to improve digital customer experience, for the benefit of both consumers and companies. Vee24 is the most fluid, convertible, and successful software for solving this pain point of many companies, especially evident in our current times. Presenting live voice, video, text chat, and co-browsing for web, mobile, and kiosk-based customer engagements, any and all experiences that occur in stores are possible virtually. From simple answers to frequently asked questions, to a live and personal visual engagement via video and voice calling. Not only do clients find customers more satisfied, but they see an increase in sales so much so that return can hit 14 times the investment itself.
That exact statistic of a possible 14x return on investment proves that the time is now, and that millenials WANT this. There is no excuse too large to push Vee24’s solution off.
Vee24 is the best kept secret to improving customer satisfaction, increasing sales, and enhancing your company entirely. This VIP experience made possible through the Vee24’s live voice, video, text chat, co-browing for web, and additional elements is the way of the future. You want to be at the forefront of this movement, because millennials are pushing for it and will not wait for anyone.
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- Donnelly , Christopher, and Renato Scaff. “Who Are the Millennial Shoppers? And What Do They Really Want?” Accenture Outlook, www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-outlook-who-are-millennial-shoppers-what-do-they-really-want-retail.