[My Biggest Mistake] Every Generation Needs Special Treatment

For the first three years my business was in business, I was so wrapped up in building our clientele and managing our growth that I neglected to identify a fairly major hurdle that was standing in the way of reaching our full potential. Insight Pest Solutions serves four generations of customers in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., market — four demographic groups that are very different — yet we were treating every generation the same. Our employees also represent several age groups. How could we expect to be effectively connecting with every member of these diverse groups using the same approach?

As an organization committed to taking great care of both our customers and our employees, we needed to make a change. So last year, I set out to learn more about each generation’s world view, communication preferences and comfort levels with the goal of meeting everyone’s needs. I educated myself and gained deeper insight into each age group. The changes we’re making in light of this new knowledge and understanding is helping us improve our relationships with customers and employees alike. Here are some of the areas we’re addressing to better serve each generation of customers:

• Traditionalists (born before 1945) prefer human interaction to electronic and want to know they’re getting value for their money. As technology evolves, offering us increasingly innovative new solutions, we tend to get wrapped up in the excitement and incorporate it into our businesses as fast as we can. We often lose sight of the fact that the hottest new electronic solutions might not be as appealing to some of our customers as it is to us. For our Traditionalist customers, we spend more face-to-face time with them during service calls, telephone them to discuss their needs, and provide them with written service reports.
• Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), the second-largest segment of our clientele, appreciate technology but, like Traditionalists, still expect a fairly high level of face-to-face interaction and want tangible proof of the value they’re receiving. We either meet with them during service calls or leave door hangers to let them know what tasks were completed, and we make regular outbound phone calls to offer them one-on-one reassurance that we appreciate their business and want to improve our service continuously.
• Generation X (born 1965-1980), which represents the largest percentage of our clientele, prefers electronic communication, focuses on accountability and is environmentally conscious. We provide paperless solutions and ample information about our reputation, warranties and protocol. As long as we deliver what we’ve promised and own up to any errors along the way, Gen X customers trust us and stay with us. As with Traditionalists and Boomers, we also place calls to Gen X and Y, but these folks are less likely to pick up the phone to chat.
• Generation Y (born 1981-1995), the youngest demographic we serve, is the generation who grew up on technology and social media. Success with this generation entails appealing to their emotional needs. We cater to them through environmental stewardship efforts and social networking. These customers trust testimonials and expect to have the opportunity to offer feedback themselves. We also strive to keep things as simple as possible for this group; they place an extremely high value on their family life and look for hassle-free household maintenance.
   

Across all generations of customers, as well as employees, we rely on surveys to help keep us on track. We commit to satisfying all of our stakeholders, whether that means exceeding their standards for service quality or providing them with a great place to work — which brings me to the topic of generational differences among employees.

The majority of our employees are Generation X and Y. We also employ several Baby Boomers. Here’s how the perceptions and needs of these generations differ in the workplace:

• Our Gen X employees, whether technicians or managers, likely became independent at an early age (this is the generation of “latchkey kids”), and they continue to look for the freedom to work independently. Their ideal work environment is one in which management gives them the tools they need to do their job and then gets out of their way so they can do their thing.
• Our Gen Y employees hold higher expectations in the areas of professional development and recognition. Looking to develop their skill sets and learn as much as they can as fast as they can, they expect us to offer in-depth training and stay on the leading edge of technology. They want us to help them become their best, and they appreciate recognition for a job well done.
• The Baby Boomers on our team tend to focus more strongly on financial security. They look for transparency from management in issues involving how and why they get paid as they do. They appreciate stability in their work environment and want to be able to plan for their future.
   

We take all of these characteristics into account as we strive toward continuous improvement in our communication with employees. In addition to offering employees the opportunity to share their ideas and feelings through surveys, we provide them with a liaison they can talk to about business-related issues. Without the fear of affecting their employment status that they might experience approaching their supervisor or me, employees of all ages are more likely to voice concerns or grievances, which gives us the opportunity to address these issues and continue making Insight Pest Solutions a great place to work.

As told to Donna DeFranco.