Millennials vs. Gen Z: How Their Customer Support Expectations Differ

The digital age has brought about many changes in the expectations of different generations. When it comes to millennials vs Gen Z, this is particularly obvious in the way they access information.

As these two generations become the largest consumer groups in the market, it’s essential to understand how their expectations affect everything from buying habits and information absorption to how they want customer support to work.

In this article, I’ll tackle the differences between millennials and Gen Z in customer service expectations and what this could mean for your business.

Understanding the generations

To fully grasp the differences in customer support expectations between millennials and Gen Z, it’s essential to understand the unique characteristics of each generation. Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996, were the first generation to grow up with the internet, making them digital natives more so than previous generations like Gen X or baby boomers. They’re comfortable with various digital technologies and expect seamless, omnichannel customer support.

On the other hand, Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is the first generation born entirely into the digital age. This younger generation has grown up with smartphones, social media, and instant access to information. According to the Pew Research Center, Gen Z’s digital fluency shapes their expectations for speed and mobile-first solutions in customer support.

Understanding these generational differences is crucial for businesses aiming to cater to the diverse needs of their customers. While both generations are tech-savvy, their preferences and expectations in customer support can vary significantly.

Why generational differences, including older generations, matter in customer support

Almost unlimited access to the internet has revolutionized the way we live. We expect everything to be quicker and easier to access, from on-demand services to getting answers to our problems.

While this is less obvious in older generations, younger generations have stark contrasts between their needs. So, the question is, are businesses catering to these needs effectively?

Before we jump to this point, we should quickly recap what age groups we mean by millennial and Gen Z.

Young adults (and middle-aged ones) have an essential place in the market. A 2021 report found that they currently represent 30% of all buying power. While this doesn’t sound like a lot, it will only grow as more Generation Z become adults and the average age of both generations increases.

The bottom line is that millennials and Gen Z hold essential places in the economy. However, businesses must consider these two generations and their surprisingly different service delivery and customer support expectations. You must adapt to their differing needs to provide excellent services to the next generation of consumers.

Millennials and their approach to customer support

Millennials were the first generation to truly grow up with the internet. Their expectations are smooth, omnichannel customer support that offers multiple ways to reach a company.

As such, millennials are happy to use:

• Live chat

• Email

• Social media

• Phone support (for more complex issues)

Younger millennials will also use self-service options, although they prefer personalization and feeling valued as customers. This is why they typically like to “speak” to someone in a helpful context — they want the personal touch.

Millennials’ key expectations regarding brand interaction and customer support are high-quality service, consistency, and personalized responses (using names, knowledge of orders, etc.).

Importantly, millennials have a different sense of brand loyalty than older generations. They’re happy to jump ship to a competing company if customer service could be faster or more effective. You need to cater to this, as millennials know their buying power and expect a level of support that justifies this.

Generation Z and their approach to customer support

But what about the “other generation” — Gen Z? Although about a third of the generation is still young, we’ve plenty of information about how they interact with technology. 

They focus on mobile devices, technology, and apps rather than “traditional” digital technologies like computers. Their customer journey is mobile-first, and they prioritize this over anything else.

Aside from ensuring your business has a properly mobile-optimized website or suitable app, what does this mean for how you cater to their needs? Well, you must consider their preference for the following communication options:

• Self-service (FAQs, knowledge bases such as Google searches).

• Immediate solutions: chatbots, AI-powered responses.

• Social media and messaging apps for real-time engagement.

In short, Gen Zs are happy to talk to people to resolve their problems, just not over the phone! They focus less on personalization than millennials, which can work in a business’s favor.

Gen Z’s key expectations regarding customer support and brand interactions are speed, efficiency (immediate solutions are essential), authenticity, and transparency.

Gen Z want to know that the brands they support are genuine and align with their commitments. They’re similar to millennials in their disinterest in brand loyalty and focus much more on social media’s role.

Key differences between millennials and Gen Z in customer support

Although we’ve mentioned the key differences in customer interactions, let’s recap them to ensure everything is as straightforward as possible.

Comparative analysis of expectations

Generally speaking, millennials are happy to wait a bit longer for non-urgent issues. From a customer support perspective, it’s beneficial. It means you can integrate ticketing support and email to help prioritize more urgent matters.

On the other hand, Gen Z expect instant (or at least quicker) answers to their questions. As such, their preference is for live chat, including messaging apps or chatbots. That said, they’re happy to use social media for answers to queries despite this not being a rapid option.

Millennials are happy with some human interaction. It doesn’t have to be over the phone, but if they’re using email or chat options, they expect there to be evidence of a real-life human customer support agent on the other end.

Gen Z, however, is OK with the human element. They like self-service options and will gladly use AI chatbots and similar options without a person at the other end.

It’s contrasted by their appreciation of social media customer support. While people are expected to answer their questions, this differs from why they use social media. Gen Z prefers social media because of their existing use of these platforms.

Millennials and Gen Z have different perspectives on brand loyalty than most older generations. They’re happy to go elsewhere if support doesn’t meet their standards, so delivering excellent services is essential.

Shared values

Despite their differences, millennials and Gen Z share several core values that influence customer support expectations. Both generations value authenticity and transparency from brands. They want to know that the companies they support are genuine and align with their values.

Mental health and well-being are also important to both generations. They appreciate brands that show empathy and understanding in their customer interactions. You should train your support agents to handle queries carefully, ensuring customers feel heard and valued.

Additionally, younger generations are less brand-loyal than older generations. They quickly switch to competitors if they feel their needs need to be met.

How HelpDesk solutions address both generations’ needs

While addressing the contrasting needs of millennials and Gen Z might sound challenging, it’s easier than you’d expect with HelpDesk. Using our customer service management tool can meet the needs of both millennials and Gen Z in the following ways:

• Multichannel support. The preference of millennials is to have plenty of options. HelpDesk allows you to manage customer service tickets generated from social media, email, phone, and live chat.

• AI and self-service tools. For Gen Z customers, there are automated ticket routing and AI-powered chatbots for immediate solutions. You can also integrate existing knowledge bases to quickly access common questions and issues, reducing agent involvement and allowing your customers to find their answers.

• Scalability and flexibility. HelpDesk is a fully scalable solution with a ticketing system that caters to both generations, so your business can automate necessary processes while preserving the element of human interaction where it’s needed most.

Best practices for adapting your support strategy to both generations

Setting up a customer support tool that meets these needs and lets it do its thing can be tempting. However, it’s essential to integrate best practices when adapting your support strategy. Make sure you consider the following before you let customers interact with your support desk.

Balance human and AI elements

While millennials don’t hate AI, far fewer prefer it over a human option. AI can be ideal for directing people to the right departments, but unless your AI is flawless, it’ll be evident that the customer isn’t speaking to someone.

AI is best implemented as a triage solution. We’re all familiar with the chatbot pop-ups on websites. These are ideal for answering quick queries and directing customers to support agents where needed.

For now, this is arguably the best use of AI in customer support. Generation Z is happy to use it to get the answers they need, while millennials will use it if necessary, so remember this difference.

Build a robust knowledge base and self-service options

Gen Z values self-service knowledge bases, with FAQs addressing common issues like account access and refunds being a fundamental component. A blog or similar resource can also provide helpful information.

The knowledge base must be easy to navigate, ideally with a search bar or an AI assistant to guide users. This approach helps minimize the effort needed to find answers to common questions.

As digital natives, Gen Z prefers independent solutions through FAQs, knowledge bases, and online forums, seeking quick resolutions without human interaction. Investing in user-friendly self-service tools and a well-structured knowledge base can reduce support tickets and enhance customer satisfaction, while AI assistants can further streamline the experience.

Personalize where necessary

Millennials like to be known by their support agents. While this doesn’t mean you need to know details of their personal lives, you should at least know their names and information about their order.

But this personalization aspect extends to your side of the business, too. At a minimum, you’ll want your agents to have profile images and email and message signatures. These elements show a natural person at the other end of the line. 

Remember, though, that Gen Z prefers speed. So, personalize only where necessary. For example, your chatbot can be AI, and there’s no need to add bylines or author names to things like blogs and FAQs.

Continuous feedback and adaptation

Both generations are happy to leave feedback (generally speaking). Take full advantage of this and use customer feedback loops to improve the HelpDesk experience for all your customers.

Pay particular attention to elements such as ease of use, accessibility, and how quickly a customer’s question is answered. These factors contribute to broader customer satisfaction and significantly help you adapt your support to meet changing needs.

Summary

Regarding millennials vs. Gen Z, the differences in customer support expectations might seem manageable. However, they are when it comes to setting up a robust support solution that not only meets but exceeds expectations.

HelpDesk can do precisely this. Its flexible multichannel support and AI integration provide clear options for millennials and Gen Z to help them find the answers they need. Try HelpDesk today to see how it can revolutionize your customer support.