Most of us are now familiar with the Discover Card commercials that emphasize, “We treat you like you’d treat you.” As clever as the commercials may be, the big credit card company isn’t funneling money into this campaign just to be cute and funny. Have you noticed that most of the actors in those commercials are millennials?
 
Companies, big and small, have to respond to millennials’ demand for great customer service. Great customer service can earn companies customer loyalty from millennials who appreciate the service or product. These satisfied millennials talk, too, with their millennial friends who value word of mouth from their friends over traditional advertising from the companies themselves. With customer acquisition costs increasing, maintaining and growing the customer base is crucial.
 
So what does “better” or “great” customer service really mean? Does it mean more attention, more appointment reminder calls? Millennials appreciate simplicity. So, send a text reminder for their upcoming appointments to reach them where they’re at most—on their smartphones. This strategy is important because it doesn’t interrupt millennials from their work flow or whatever they are doing when you would otherwise call twice and leave a message. Millennials prefer quick, easy, and convenient communication.
 
Customer service doesn’t mean more people on the phones. It means meeting customers and patients in the way they want to be reached. The flip-side though, is not having enough staff. Millennials like to ask questions and get all of the information they need. If they call your office, make sure your staff is trained to answer questions on what types of products and services you offer. If a customer calls, for example, asking if your offices offers blue-light technology lenses, and your staff doesn’t know what the technology even is, or if the office offers it (when it does), you may be missing out on a potential new customer. Certainty of information shows that there is effective communication throughout the office, which is attractive for potential customers and patients.
 
Don’t drive away existing and potential customers and patients because you have not adapted your routine operations to best suit the generation that is expected to have the greatest buying power by 2017. Make sure you have the information they want and the relationship with an office that they need.