LOYALTY IN THE TIME OF INSTAGRAM

Millennials expect businesses to have a savvy digital presence, ethical practices and fast, 24/7 customer service

As a millennial, I love trying different brands and products.

We are excited about new ventures, and always want to test anything that is hip and new. We are infamous for our short attention spans and how quickly we drift into boredom.

Restaurants in the UAE provide a textbook example.

Whenever a new concept comes out, you will see millennial customers rush to try it. They will spread the word about it, but sooner rather than later they will move on to something else.

The sad truth is that we are easily bored, and can quickly move on to the next thing, especially if a business lacks quality and ethics and has poor customer service. When we reach out to businesses online to enquire about products, we expect fast responses and fast deliveries. According to the Catalyst Organisation, millennials will make up three quarters of the global workforce by 2025, which means they will most likely be your main business clients. With that in mind, how can you turn them into loyal customers? Here are three ways:

Be digital

If you sell your products through physical stores, that’s great – but don’t underestimate online. Your millennial customers will expect you to be online, whether through your website or social media platforms.

Check out the latest website designs, and opt for a modern layout. An old one could easily turn them away and send the wrong message.

That also means that they expect you to be on the “relevant” social media platforms applicable to your target audience – and they expect you to be active.

Provide quality and ethical products and services

Millennials are obsessed with quality. Before purchasing a product, they look at reviews online, see what people say about it on social media, go on YouTube and will most probably read your website’s “About” section.

Regardless of how you package your products, if they don’t deliver on quality millennials will shame you on social media, or you won’t ever hear from them again.

Social media platforms have also made it so much easier and more convenient for customers to raise their concerns.

If you communicate your business’s purpose, and show how much you care about maintaining an ethical work environment, help to better the lives of your employees or simply give back to a support a local cause, it will give you extra points.

Focus on your quality, and show them how your product justifies its price.

A fast response to customer queries is key

The thing about millennials is that they are so used to fast, instant information. When we want to know about something we will Google it, and we will find everything that we need to know about it super fast.

Companies have spoiled us with fast delivery and exchange and refund policies.

The same applies to customer service. If you are present on the internet, millennials will either expect 24/7 customer service, as many e-commerce businesses offer, or at least a very fast turnaround. If they post a question on social media they will expect an answer soon.

If you take a couple of days to answer they may easily move on to the next business.

A friend of mine showed me a beautiful abaya on an Instagram retailer that she absolutely loved. She posted a comment underneath the photo enquiring about the price. She received a response pretty fast, but they asked her to contact them via the private “direct message” option and said that they would answer her there. She didn’t bother. And that’s how I realised how spoiled millennials are.

My friend was so frustrated. She said that they could have answered her enquiry via the “direct message” option, instead of asking her to write it again and address it there.

To her, that was poor customer service.

Surprisingly, it was not the first time I heard such a comment. A lot of my friends are frustrated at Instagram retailers who do not a post product’s prices when they upload a photo of it. They find it to be such a hassle to add the business number to their WhatsApp messenger list and inquire about it there.

They want fast information, a fast response and, ultimately, a fast delivery. As much as my friends might love a beautiful abaya or a clothing design on an Instagram retailer’s page, they don’t want to wait for a month or two to receive it.

That is why many have turned to e-commerce retailers where they can buy ready-to-wear items instead of waiting for them to be custom made, a market gap that many abaya designers are yet to close.

The bottom line is that you need to satisfy millennials – that’s the only way they will keep coming back to you and be loyal.