The Customer Service Survey
VocaLabs' weblog providing news and commentary on the challenges of providing good customer service.
Go Boomers!
Thursday - December 14, 2006 03:14 PM in
I just finished an interesting article in the December issue of Customer Relationship Magazine titled "The 50-plus Market: A True Competitive Advantage". The focus of the article is delivering insights on better customer service to this growing group of consumers, and one interesting observation is that in this 50+ group there are three distinct sub-categories that have differing worldviews and expectations. While the article does not say so specifically, it occurs to me that businesses that assume that all older people have similar characteristics, and gear their services and marketing accordingly are making a mistake.
What the author refers to as the GI generation are those who grew up with the Depression and WW2. They saw the stock market crash and the enactment of income taxes and Social Security. Life was hard, and it taught this generation to be frugal & cautious. They banded together to fight a common enemy, and they trust in authority and big business.
They grew up when manners and respect was the norm, and prefer to be called Mr. or Mrs. Jones. Never call a GI by their first name unless and until permission is granted. They see others as authority figures and will ask for advice and recommendations so long as trust isn't violated.
Years of experience is important to them, and personal service and relationship building is expected of you. They will be concerned about money for the rest of their lives, so surcharges and late fees are very upsetting. You will be dealing with more women who have outlived their husbands and are now making decisions their spouse once handled, so need more attention and patience.
At the other end, are the post WW2 "Baby Boomers", a category into which I fit, and we could hardly be more different than the GIs. We grew up in comparative prosperity. Yet we saw Vietnam, feminists, the civil rights movement, assassinations and Watergate. We were the "Me" generation, rebellious and distrusting of government and big business.
Don't call us "Mr. or Mrs.". Makes us feel old and we see ourselves as forever young. We want to feel in charge. We're busy, so saving time is important. We were the first generation to use credit and we like it. But we also have a high social consciousness; anxious to make the world better, so showing me that a % of my purchase is going to a charitable cause is a major positive.
What the article also made me aware of is that between the GIs and the Boomers is "The Silent Generation" born later in the Depression and up till WW2 "Silents" are much harder to classify. They might have picked up on the values of their GI parents, yet they also saw the turmoil and changing mores when women were no longer seen only as homemakers and mothers. They seem comfortable reading printed materials, but are open to learning new things such as the Internet. Set clear expectations; stand by your word and stay tuned in to nuances telling you whether to treat a Silent as a GI or Boomer is the key to serving this group.
You cannot afford otherwise. Whether GI, Silent or Boomer, these groups own more than 3/4 of all assets in the US and earn more than half of all discretionary income, and by 2010 will have grown by yet another 30%.
Posted by Rick Rappe'
They grew up when manners and respect was the norm, and prefer to be called Mr. or Mrs. Jones. Never call a GI by their first name unless and until permission is granted. They see others as authority figures and will ask for advice and recommendations so long as trust isn't violated.
Years of experience is important to them, and personal service and relationship building is expected of you. They will be concerned about money for the rest of their lives, so surcharges and late fees are very upsetting. You will be dealing with more women who have outlived their husbands and are now making decisions their spouse once handled, so need more attention and patience.
At the other end, are the post WW2 "Baby Boomers", a category into which I fit, and we could hardly be more different than the GIs. We grew up in comparative prosperity. Yet we saw Vietnam, feminists, the civil rights movement, assassinations and Watergate. We were the "Me" generation, rebellious and distrusting of government and big business.
Don't call us "Mr. or Mrs.". Makes us feel old and we see ourselves as forever young. We want to feel in charge. We're busy, so saving time is important. We were the first generation to use credit and we like it. But we also have a high social consciousness; anxious to make the world better, so showing me that a % of my purchase is going to a charitable cause is a major positive.
What the article also made me aware of is that between the GIs and the Boomers is "The Silent Generation" born later in the Depression and up till WW2 "Silents" are much harder to classify. They might have picked up on the values of their GI parents, yet they also saw the turmoil and changing mores when women were no longer seen only as homemakers and mothers. They seem comfortable reading printed materials, but are open to learning new things such as the Internet. Set clear expectations; stand by your word and stay tuned in to nuances telling you whether to treat a Silent as a GI or Boomer is the key to serving this group.
You cannot afford otherwise. Whether GI, Silent or Boomer, these groups own more than 3/4 of all assets in the US and earn more than half of all discretionary income, and by 2010 will have grown by yet another 30%.
Posted by Rick Rappe'
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