How Customer Retention Strategies Target Older People.


Active consumers are spanning many different generations from Traditionalists  to Baby Boomers, Gen X, Y or Z to Millennials. Each of these generations bring unique perspectives on customer loyalty to the retail sector. Customer retention strategies are, therefore, focused on understanding the challenges of meeting the requirements of older folks in the multi-generational marketplace. Identifying the needs of older adults and providing products and services that encourage retention and engagement remain the focus of most brands.

A one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t work. With so many companies focused on understanding Millennials, customer retention for older clients is almost always an attempt to bridge generational gaps with generic offerings. This is where most companies miss the opportunity to truly connect with the mature adult groups who have certain expectations from a brand. Older adults have enormous spending power and unique preferences regarding regarding how they want to interact with their brand. So, let’s find out how your business can tap these:

Customising Retention to Suit Requirements

Older adults are mature and seasoned. But they are also active. They work, travel, volunteer and even spend a lot of cash on retail products. As priorities change, customer retention strategies need to focus on meeting the demands of evolving lifestyle choices. Recent retention research has revealed that traditionalists aged 70+ don’t like to be seen as old or dependent. Though online, they respond better to traditional forms of engagement, seeking value-for-money deals and appreciating consumer education more than the average customer.

Baby Boomers aged 53+ are reaching the retirement age, but this does not mean they lack the smarts to be price savvy. This group of older adults values traditional and digital engagement alike and testimonials resonate easily with them. Convenience and wide variety of options are what set this niche segment’s requirements apart from others. According to retention research by Marketing Scope in 2017, 73 per cent of the traditionalists and 63 per cent of Baby Boomers seek to engage with brands in person. So retention strategies are customised keeping the needs of these two distinct segments of mature adults in mind.

Banking on Brands That Offer Safety

Older adults may enjoy independence but they also seek comfort, safety and convenience. What’s more, they are willing to pay for it! NYT studies show communicating to older adults regarding how the product or service increases security, boosts independence or makes life healthy or enjoyable is likely to be a positive retention tactic for this age group. Providing comfort, safety and saving time, money and effort, your products or services should be robust, converging at multiple touchpoints.

Why Customer Service Should Care

Customer service departments need to also adopt customer retention strategies where patience is the key theme in their interaction with older customers. Older adults spent more time on the retention call as opposed to younger groups who prefer the quick fix. Being clear and patient is the way to boost engagement and interaction with older age groups, as they are used to F2F communication. Customer retention strategies are not about increasing the font size of your marketing collateral or featuring the seniors in ads. Instead, effective customer retention is all about communicating a sense of caring and making your older customers feel valued. Using relatable language, avoiding internet slang and making retention communication all about putting the decision firmly in the hands of the older consumer is the key to effectively targeting this demographic.

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