• by Larissa Faw , December 21, 2016

Generation Z — young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 — are 60% more likely than the average consumers to hang up if the number they are dialing is not answered within 45 seconds. The insight?  They value, if not demand, fast, responsive customer service more than other age groups, according to new research from advertising analytics company Marchex. 

This younger generation is also 30% more likely to curse over the phone at a business than the average consumer when they feel their needs aren’t being met.

“Businesses tend to arrive late to the party when it comes to understanding young adult customers,” says Sabrina Gravlee, analytics manager, Marchex Institute. “Gen Z is fast-emerging behind Millennials with new needs and preferences, and this data shatters the stereotype that Gen Z-ers tend to avoid talking to businesses. The truth is Gen Z places a premium on connecting in real time over the phone.” 

However, contrary to popular perception, Gen Z-ers do not prefer digital-only interactions, says Marchex. Young adults are the most likely of any age group to click-to-call a business from a mobile phone after searching for that business online.

For example, they are 2.5 times more likely to actually call a cable company, 2.6 times more likely to call a wireless company, and 1.6 times more likely to call a hotel than the average consumer.

Most young consumers call immediately after a digital interaction – such as after searching for a business on their smartphones – which illustrates the high level of comfort this demographic has in combining online and offline actions during a purchasing process, per Marchex.

“Gen Z consumers can be speaking to a customer agent, research everything that agent is saying and simultaneously tweet about how great or awful their experience is,” says Gravlee. “The faster businesses can understand the patterns and preferences of Gen Z, the faster they can gain footing with this next wave of consumer growth and ensure their own success."

“Our advice is to sync up all online-to-offline pricing, because these savvy consumers will call you out on it – and they won’t hold back on telling you where to go,” says Gravlee. 

Analysts from the Marchex Institute, the  research and insights arm at Marchex, examined anonymous data from more than 2.3 million consumer phone calls to businesses throughout the U.S. in 2016.