I recently debated with a colleague about whether great customer service truly matters to millennials or not. I used a recent business trip to California to support my argument that they do care. This trip was designed to educate myself on several components of the 2018 Coachella Music Festival. This massive Festival is situated on nearly 700 acres in Indio, California, and I was allowed access to review ticketing, internal operations, and security. Admittedly, my knowledge of the current music scene is very limited, so it was easy for my daughter to convince me to allow her and two of her friends to accompany me as mentors.I would say that nearly 100,000 college kids a day pile onto the grassy compound to hear their favorite band play from one of the stages. In total, 68 bands performed including seasoned artists such as Beyoncé and Eminem, and each year, several top newcomers such as the Weeknd and Migos are asked to perform. Tickets were not cheap. General admission tickets started at $399, and VIP tickets started at $1750, increasing to as much as $7500. Who in their right mind pays that kind of money to attend a music festival you ask? Clearly, a lot more people than I thought because the tickets sold out in just over twenty minutes.
This event operated like a well-oiled machine. The crowds flowed through security with ease, the portable facilities were clean and plentiful, and the food and beverage lines were rarely backed up more than a few minutes. From the moment you hit the parking lot, you were met by friendly, welcoming people. AEG monitored virtually every touch point of the event. Of course, there were the usual things you might expect to see at a concert, but I witnessed only one unruly person requiring security.
So, how do the Coachella event coordinators create such an incredible experience? They invest in the people who serve their attendees. The moment you enter the parking lot, you will encounter someone charged with making your experience the best. They want you to be a raving fan.
Contrast Coachella with any number of other festival experiences/venues that must invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to attract concert goers. Coachella doesn’t have to advertise at all. So, my position/argument is that millennials do care about how they are treated, and if treated favorably, they will reward a business just as they have this event.
This year, Coachella generated nearly 800 million dollars of commerce. I’d say that presents a pretty good case for making sure your customer service is designed to make raving fans of your business’s clients.
to your business!