Boomer customers can afford to be picky because they hold purchasing power for your company’s products or services. Make no mistake about it, if they are disappointed with your customer service, they will vote with their feet, cross the street, and go straight to your competitors.

It stands to reason that having a solid strategy for communicating and for dealing with complaints swiftly with boomers will be a key factor in retaining your Boomer customers.  Here are some insights.

When you think about the boomer-age customers you serve, be aware of their preferences in terms of how you communicate with them.  Their style may not match yours. 

Generally, boomers tend to prefer voice-to-voice or face-to-face interactions versus email or texting.  But that may not be universal and you need to find out how each person wants to communicate with you and your company.

Get off to a good start.  Ask a new boomer customer what his or her first and second preferences are for communication.  You will learn, for example, that one customer prefers you call the cell phone first and if there’s no response, email.  Someone else may prefer an in-person discussion so they can show you what their concerns are and talk about them at the same time.  This interaction can also be an opportunity to educate customers and suggest other services you provide that meet their needs.  

Set clear expectations.  How soon after they contact you should they expect a response? And this applies to most customers, not just boomers.  If customers get a voicemail when they phone you, they will want to know how soon they can expect a reply.  Is it 4 hours or 24 hours?  Be clear about your response time and address their expectations.

Because of their buying power and networking, boomers can seriously impact your business if they feel they are not getting the kind of service or value they want.  Be attentive, handle complaints promptly and communicate with them in the ways that are most meaningful to them.  Follow the Platinum Rule:  Treat others the way THEY want to be treated.

Courtesy Tom Borg, a business expert who works with small and mid-size green industry companies.  Excerpted in part from Irrigation Green Industry Magazine.

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
Have you guaranteed your company’s debt?
Start-up is busy for thieves too
Do customers like how you treat them?
Drivers wanted