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RV dealers & manufacturers might have a hard time pleasing Gen Z buyers

The youngsters want great service, and they want it now.

New research from Qualtrics XM Institute says Gen Z adults (ages 18-24) are the most likely to become upset by a company’s customer service. Young customers are also the most likely to make their purchasing decisions based on values and COVID safety measures but are the least likely to be loyal to a brand.

Qualtrics asked 9,000 consumers to rate how they felt after a recent interaction with a brand or organization (on a scale of upset to delighted). Across all age groups, Gen Z adults gave the lowest scores to every industry in the analysis.

The “mad meter” was highest when Gen Zers dealt with federal agencies, investment firms and airlines. They gave higher scores to social media and retail stores.

Baby boomers seems to be the easiest group to please. The older set had the highest likelihood to be “delighted” by interactions with companies. They were also the most likely to be willing to promote a brand from which they purchased goods or services.

Gen Z is a larger group, by number, than the millennials that preceded them, and play a huge role in influencing the purchasing behaviors of older generations.

To please the Gen Z generation, it appears businesses need to concentrate on speed and gratification (fair warning to RV dealers and manufacturers).

“These savvy consumers are accustomed to instant service, and they will hold companies accountable for their values and service quality, even amid a global pandemic,” said Bruce Temkin, CEO of Qualtrics XM Institute. “To win in 2022, organizations need to better understand and cater to the needs of these younger consumers, even as those needs shift during different stages of the pandemic.”

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Mike Gast
Mike Gast
Mike Gast was the vice president of Communications for Kampgrounds of America Inc. for 20 years before retiring in 2021. He also enjoyed a long newspaper career, working as a writer and editor at newspapers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, and Montana. He and his wife, Lori Lyon, now own and operate the Imi Ola Group marketing company, focusing on the outdoor industry.

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Tony Barthel
1 year ago

They have a hard time pleasing everybody but the Gen Zs have better social media presence. There really, really needs to be a shake-up in the RV industry starting with a company where the decision makers actually go RVing.

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