Enter the Zen of Gen Z

Impatient. Intolerant. Demanding.

Are you sure you want these people in your shop? Yes, you do.

Gen Z consumers (8 to 23 years old) represent one-third of the U.S. population and are tracking to unseat millennials as the largest generational group.

What’s more, Gen Z’s global direct spend is estimated at $143 billion, according to a 2018 study by Barkley—and they influence yet more spending by friends and family. According to the National Retail Federation, most Gen Zers (67%) prefer brick and mortar over online shopping—far more than older millennials and Gen X consumers.

For a peek into the psyche of Gen Z, EB sat down with one—Tiffany Zhong, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.

Zhong founded and serves as CEO of Zebra IQ, which decodes Gen Z for Fortune 500 companies seeking to better engage them. She has worked with Snapchat, Levi Strauss, and Google, among others, and is founder of Pineapple Capital, an early-stage consumer VC fund.

At age 18, she was the world’s youngest venture capitalist. At 21, she was named to Vanity Fair’s Future Innovators Index.

Here’s what Zhong—now 23—thinks you should know about her peers.

EFFICIENCY. PRONTO.

“Gen Z is impatient and used to having things on demand,” such as Uber ride-hailing service and GrubHub food delivery. “That just means our tolerance for inefficiency is a lot lower than the prior generation,” Zhong says.

Gen Z grew up on smartphones, so ECPs should establish messaging-based relationships rather than use kludgy email forms or generic surveys “that no one wants to fill out.”

Collect information on customer needs and preferences in advance of appointments using “push-based” messaging so once patients arrive, their visit is streamlined and efficient.

Authenticity reigns. Avoid auto-scripts that indicate a robot, not a human, is responding on text or social media.

BE CREATIVE, INCLUSIVE, FUN

As prolific creators of digital content, Gen Z prides itself on self-expression. They are the originators of viral memes.

Involve them in shaping an experience “that they are in charge of, as opposed to being in the passenger seat,” as Zhong says these consumers expect a doctor’s appointment to be enjoyable, not a chore.

Gain a first-mover advantage with an account on the TikTok video-sharing platform to see how Gen Z consumers express themselves. Few brands are there, yet.

Then find ways to collaborate so they can showcase their personas on social media, perhaps wearing eyewear frames from your shop.

DATA + EMPATHY

The experience should be customized, not cookie-cutter. Gen Z knows ECPs have data about them and expect it to be used to personalize the visit.

“It’s just adding in more care and empathy on the customer-experience side,” Zhong says. With a little effort—like designing the store to feel more like home than an office—the experience can inspire Gen Z to share good feels on social media and thus generate word-of-mouth recommendations.