2023

The State
of Customer
Experience
Understanding the Hidden Drivers
and Expectations of Today’s Consumers
from Generation Z to Baby Boomers

National Study in Partnership

with Jason Dorsey, Behavioral
Researcher, Author, & Speaker

experiencedynamic.com
The State of
Customer Experience
Table of Contents

Welcome from the National Study’s Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

National Study Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The Secret Ingredient for Challenger Brands of All Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Uncovering What Makes a Good Experience Memorable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Affluent Americans, Unique Expectations Around CX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Consumers Say CX Should Affect…CEO Pay! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

How a Bad Customer Experience Leaves a Lasting Impression . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Paths For Resolving CX Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

How Consumers View Interactions Across Different Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

The Gateway to Word-of-Mouth Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Paying Significantly More for Immediate Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

The Impact of Online Ratings and Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Exploring the Views of Customer Loyalty Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Aligning Brand Purpose with Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

National Study Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Five Actions You Can Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Meet The Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Who is Experience Dynamic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

National Study Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

2
 Welcome From the
National Study’s Authors
2023

Customer Experience Is The New Competitive Battlefield.

This is especially true and urgent for any brand, business,
organization, and leader competing in a market that is
increasingly reliant on digital ecosystems. You and your
organization are living this new reality day-to-day, from
online interactions and chatbots to mobile ordering, social
media, ratings/reviews, digital payments, help requests, and
so much more.

While all these interactions (and expectations!) are coming Jason Dorsey
Behavioral Researcher,
at businesses faster than ever, at the same time that product Author, and Speaker
innovation is quickly copied, digital transformation is the
never-ending norm, and true efficiencies are increasingly
challenging to maintain. What is a senior leader to do? Great
question! That is exactly why we led this unique national study.

We wanted to decisively uncover:

• What does the future of customer experience really look like?

• What matters most to customers now—and by generation?

• What does Generation Z—now up to age 26 and the key

driver of emerging trends—most seek, value, advocate for,
Chris Johnson
and love when it comes to customer experience? CEO of Experience
Dynamic

3
 Welcome From the National Study’s Authors
2023

We all know that one of the best options for a sustainable competitive
advantage is developing loyalty, advocacy, and frequency through superior
customer experience. But what does that mean and look like today?

Future-Proofing Your Customer Experience

Starts With Gen Z
We regularly hear from leaders that they know that delivering
great customer experience is critical, but they’re not sure
what really matters, who to trust, and where to start. This
takes on new complexity with the rapid emergence of
Generation Z as consumers and key trendsetters, while at the
same time brands must still engage and delight every other
generation, too.

Meeting Each Generation Through The Lens

of What Matters to Them
HOW TO DELIVER GREAT
Now is the time for business and organization leaders to CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TO
recognize that customer experience is about meeting each GENERATION Z AS WELL AS
OTHER GENERATIONS?
generation and customer where they are through the lens
of what matters to them. Doing so drives not only great
loyalty, but because of the amplification of interactions and
experiences in a digital ecosystem, you not only delight
one customer, but often their friends and followers will hear
about that experience, too! On the flip side, sticking with
what worked only a few years ago appears to be a recipe
for disappointment on all sides, especially as the pace of
change in technology continues to increase.

4
 Welcome From the National Study’s Authors
2023

Making CX a Decisive Advantage

For all these reasons and our own personal
passion for customer experience, we led
this national study to inform the customer
experience conversation so leaders like
you can make informed decisions, build
great strategies, and drive measurable
results. With these research-based insights,
you can determine where to invest your
resources—time, money, and people—in an
uncertain period with more competition than
ever before. You can make the customer
experience a decisive advantage over your
competitors, and we’re thrilled you’re going to
benefit from the discoveries in this study!

Some of the key questions we explored in the study:

WHAT CAUSES
CUSTOMERS TO WHICH ASPECT OF THE WHICH CUSTOMER
REMEMBER GOOD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS EXPERIENCE FACTORS
AND BAD CUSTOMER MOST LIKELY TO THREATEN ARE MOST IMPORTANT
EXPERIENCES? CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, TO CUSTOMERS?
TRUST, AND LOYALTY?

WHAT CAN BRANDS, SERVICES, HOW DO CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS

OR COMPANIES DO AFTER A VARY ACROSS DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES?
BAD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TO
MAINTAIN CUSTOMER LOYALTY?

5
 Welcome From the National Study’s Authors
2023

Delivering Research-Based CX Strategies

At Experience Dynamic, we are on a mission to deliver research-based
strategies, solutions, plans, and ideas that you can put into practice and
see results from right away. If you like the discoveries in this study, you’ll
love working with us and our team.

As our founder and co-author of the study, Chris Johnson, says,

“Now is the time for business and organization leaders to recognize that
customer experience is about meeting each generation and customer
where they are through the lens of what matters to them. And to do that,
you have to know their expectations.”

By diving into this study and all its exciting discoveries,

you now know you’re not alone on this journey to deliver a
customer experience that drives results. Reach out to us at
ExperienceDynamic.com. We’d be happy to share more
insights from the study and frontline stories of what we’re
uncovering in our work with clients around the world. Together,
we can make the customer experience a results experience.

Our best,

JASON DORSEY
Founder of The Center for Generational Kinetics

CHRIS JOHNSON
CEO of Experience Dynamic

6
 National Study
Overview

Bridging the Knowledge and Action Gap of CX MEMORABLE

Customer experience should be all about customers, but too often CUSTOMER
it reflects what works best (or used to work best) for a company, EXPERIENCES IN
organization, team, or brand, and not those they serve. This gap is where PAST MONTH
companies lose ground, market share, and most of all, customers.
Bridging this knowledge and action gap is the immediate, high-ROI focus.

Who We Spoke To
This first-of-its-kind State of Customer Experience national study included
1,000 U.S. participants ages 16-75 weighted to the 2020 U.S. Census
for age, gender, geography, and ethnicity. This a powerful, statistically
accurate “snapshot of America” that is missing from too many customer
experience conversations. To add even more insights to the study, we
included an oversample of 250 Gen Z participants (ages 16-26) and an
oversample of 250 affluent participants (annual household income of
$100,000 or more) so we could go even deeper into the data.

What makes this study unique is the areas we focused on and the sample
groups we spoke with. The study explored what each generation most
wanted from customer experience, what improved customer experience
Younger
vs. what crushed it, along with the tangible outcomes that delivering great
generations have
customer experience can provide. The goal was to ask the questions that
had significantly
we as customer experience leaders—and you as a senior leader at an more memorable
organization—would love to have answered but can’t find anywhere else. customer
experiences than
older generations in
a given month.

7
 National Study
Overview

The data revealed that customer experience is CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS ONE

incredibly important and complex, and its behavioral OF THE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES
drivers vary by generation. The data also revealed FOR LARGE COMPANIES TO
there are concrete (often digital) actions organizations PROVE THEY’RE NIMBLE AND
can take right away to drive positive results. Most of all, FOR SMALL COMPANIES TO
the study fills many gaps in the “customer experience SHOW THEY CAN COMPETE
meets technology and trends” conversation through a WITH ANYONE
data-driven, statistically accurate lens.

BAD CX CAUSES AMERICANS

TO REMEMBER A
BAD EXPERIENCE
Insights for Companies - Large & Small
Whether you lead an organization serving 100,000
customers per year or you’re an upstart brand focused
on your first 1,000 customers, there is something for
every leader and company in the findings. In fact,
customer experience is one of the great opportunities for
large companies to prove they’re nimble and for small
companies to show they can compete with anyone—
especially in attracting and keeping trendsetting
Generation Z.

Make CX The Strength Of Your Organization

As new competitors enter markets every day, and
technology increasingly drives interactions, now is the
time to prove what is possible in customer experience to
separate yourself and your organization from the sea of
sameness. The 2023 State of Customer Experience is the
missing data-driven resource to inform the actions you Americans are most likely to
remember positive customer
can take starting where you are right now.
experiences that exceed their
expectations and leave them
In fact, the timing has never been better for you to make feeling better, but are just as likely
customer experience the strength of your organization. to remember negative customer
experiences that are inefficient
or unresolved and leave them
feeling worse.

8
 The Secret Ingredient
for Challenger Brands
of All Sizes

Every Interaction Matters, But CX

Is Often Overlooked
Every challenger brand is looking for a way to compete
against better-funded, better-known, and more
established brands. This is true in every industry from
low-tech manufacturing to services businesses and
cutting-edge enterprise technology. But how does a
challenger brand truly deliver results above its size,
tenure, and limited resource? In the national study,
one of the most interesting discoveries was that
85% of Americans—eighty-five percent! —said that
customer experience can make a small company win
their business from a large company. At a time when
resources are tight, every interaction matters, and
competition is only growing, it turns out that one of
the most powerful, influential, decisive, and too often
Key Questions For
overlooked strengths a smaller company can deploy Your Leadership
to beat larger incumbents is delivering great customer
experience. The clear message: customers are saying
that if you’re looking for a way to win them now, customer HOW EFFECTIVELY DO
experience is the overlooked and highly influential area YOU UTILIZE YOUR CX
to focus on. TO DIFFERENTIATE YOUR
ORGANIZATION FROM THE
COMPETITION?

85%
SAY CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE CAN ARE CHALLENGER BRANDS
MAKE A SMALL STEALING MARKET SHARE
COMPANY WIN THEIR FROM YOU WITHOUT YOU
BUSINESS FROM A
 KNOWING IT?
LARGE COMPANY.

9
The Secret Ingredient for
Challenger Brands of All Sizes

Top 3 Most Important Customer Experience Factors By Generation

Resolving the issue, expertise, speed, and the product meeting their expectations
are all significantly more important to older generations compared to younger
generations. Friendliness, ease of payment, and ease of navigating are all significantly
more important to younger generations compared to older generations.
(By generation; ranked #1/#2/#3)

Gen Z ages 16 to 26 Younger Millennials ages 27 to 35

1. Friendliness - 47% 1. Resolving the problem or issue - 47%
2. Resolving the problem or issue - 37% 2. Expertise, knowledge, or competence - 38%
3. Quick response - 34% 3. Friendliness - 37%

Older Millennials ages 36 to 45 Gen X ages 46 - 57

1. Friendliness - 49% 1. Resolving the problem or issue - 49%
2. Resolving the problem or issue - 44% 2. Friendliness - 39%
3. Quick response - 36% 3. Expertise, knowledge, or competence - 41%

Boomers ages 58 - 75
1. Resolving the problem or issue - 51%
2. Expertise, knowledge, or competence - 44%
3. The product meeting my expectations - 39%

10
 A Huge, Hidden Gap Exists Between What
Gen Z Expects From Customer Experience
and What is Being Delivered Today

Gen Z Is Significantly Less Satisfied With Customer Experience Interactions

In the national study, we asked all participants how satisfied they are with a variety of customer
experience interactions over the past year. What surprising trend do you think we uncovered? Of
all the generations in the national study, Generation Z was significantly less satisfied with EVERY
interaction than all the other generations over the past year. In other words, the generation that has
come of age doing everything through a mobile device is now crashing into customer experiences
that they feel are not designed with them in mind.

This massive generational satisfaction gap—some might call it a dissatisfaction gap—should be

a siren alert for leaders to see that what might have worked with other generations is not working
with Gen Z. As you might guess, when customers are not satisfied, they are more likely to go to
competitors, spend less money with you, write a bad review, or hear about the dissatisfaction other
customers are experiencing and skip your brand altogether.

The urgency to address this satisfaction gap is growing with each passing day. Gen Z is most
dissatisfied with getting a question answered, solving a problem with a product/service, purchasing
something online, and shipping/delivery.

Which aspects of your customer experience over the

last year have been most satisfying?
(Top two box; very satisfied and satisfied)

1 1
54% 73%

PURCHASING PURCHASING
SOMETHING SOMETHING
IN-PERSON IN-PERSON

2 3 2 3
54% 52% 71% 70%

SHIPPING GETTING A PURCHASING USING A

DELIVERY QUESTION SOMETHING PRODUCT OR
ANSWERED ONLINE SERVICE

11
 Gen Z Is Increasingly Influencing the
Behavior Of Older Generations

Once-In-A-Generation Growth Advantage

Gen Z, now up to 26 years old, is the fastest-growing
generation of consumers. They are deciding the
brands they’re going to use in their next life stage
and increasingly influencing the behaviors of older
generations, too. Key Questions For
Your Leadership
Knowing that Gen Z is not satisfied at this critical time
in their emergence as consumers should cause both
concern and excitement. Brands that don’t adapt to
HOW ARE YOU ADJUSTING
the generation can be a cause for concern, whereas
TO GEN Z’S DISSATISFACTION
the excitement is for leaders that see adapting to
these changes can have a once-in-a-lifetime growth
WITH CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE?
advantage. The key is uncovering what Gen Z wants,
expects, and loves as consumers and then adapting to HOW ARE YOU ADDRESSING
deliver it to them. GEN Z’S HIGHER
EXPECTATIONS FOR
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE?
“As Gen Z enters their new life stage,
this group is increasingly influencing WHAT DO YOU THINK
the behaviors of older generations IS DIFFERENT ABOUT
GEN Z’S EXPECTATIONS
whether they realize it or not.” OF YOUR BRAND?
- Jason Dorsey

12
 Uncovering What Makes
a Good Customer
Experience Memorable

Memorable Customer Experiences Drive Long-Term Value For

Your Organization
As customer experience researchers, we care deeply about what makes good
customer experience memorable. The important word: memorable. Why? Because
it is the memory of that experience that creates the emotional foundation for
satisfaction, loyalty, referrals, and a positive emotional association with a brand,
product, service, or experience.

Making customer experience memorable also increases the ROI for an investment in
customer experience, because it drives greater long-term value for the organization.
In short, a memorable customer experience is a win for the organization and for the
customer being served.

• What drives memorable customer experience?

• What makes an experience stand out as being worthy of positive emotional recall?
• What are the aspects of the experience that matter most?

You need to know so you can take informed action.

We found these four actions were by far the most important to

making a positive customer experience memorable:
(Top two box; very satisfied and satisfied)

1 2 3 4
62% 61% 50% 48%

AN ACT THAT AN INTERACTION/ DIRECTLY AND

GOES ABOVE EXPERIENCE THAT ATTENTION EFFICIENTLY
AND BEYOND MY LEAVES ME FEELING TO DETAIL ADDRESSING
EXPECTATIONS BETTER AN ISSUE

13
 The Top Drivers of Meaningful
Customer Experiences

Making Interactions Unforgettable

In this national study, we explored the top drivers that
leaders, brands, businesses, and organizations need to know
to deliver (and delight) on the customer experience drivers
that are most meaningful to consumers across America.
These are the interactions, moments, feelings, emotions, and
elements that take customer experience from neutral or bad
and instead make it good, great, and even unforgettable.
These are the areas of focus, determination, and resource
commitment that senior leaders need to know and plan
to support as components of their customer experience
strategy, roadmap, and day-to-day playbook.

Which Factors Make a Good Customer

Experience Vary Across Generations
(By total; ranked #1/#2/#3)

14
 Affluent Americans Unique Expectations
Around CX

Understanding Affluent vs. Non-Affluent

Going even deeper, the study found that affluent
Americans are significantly more likely than non-affluent
Americans to remember customer experiences that
feature attention to detail. Non-affluent Americans Key Questions For
are significantly more likely than affluent Americans Your Leadership
to remember a customer experience where the
representative remembered something about them
personally and offered a free gift.
HOW DOES YOUR
ORGANIZATION DELIGHT
Great customer experience is clearly something that
CUSTOMERS IN A
must be delivered consistently and is something
MEMORABLE WAY?
an organization cannot fake. The better you know
your customers, the better you can deliver the exact
experience that most inspires and delights them—and IS YOUR BRAND BENEFITING
that they remember! FROM CONSISTENTLY GOOD
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES?

On average, affluent Affluent Americans Non-affluent Americans

Americans are 11.3%
more satisfied with all
customer experiences
across industries tested
than non-affluent
Americans.
are significantly more
likely than non-affluent
Americans to remember
customer experiences
that feature attention
to detail. 48% Non-
Affluent vs. 55% of
Affluent Americans
consider it one of their top
reasons for remembering
a good experience.
are significantly more
likely than affluent
Americans to remember
a customer experience
where the representative
remembered something
about them personally and
offered them a free gift.

15
 Consumers Say CX Should Affect…
CEO Pay!

Leadership Sets The Tone & Culture That is

Reflected in Customer Experience
Customers today don’t think that a bad customer
experience reflects just on those involved in the
interaction. Nope. Today’s customers recognize
that leadership sets the tone, leads the culture, and
ultimately is accountable, including for customer
experience results. This is a BIG discovery because
customers are saying that their customer experience
should affect the pocketbook of the ultimate leader at
the organization. How strongly do Americans believe
that CEOs should have their pay impacted based on
customer experience?

72%
Elevating CX To Highest Levels
of Organization
An eye-popping 72% of Americans say CEOs should have
their pay affected based on customer experience. 72%!
Wow. That is a huge number and very telling of not only
the importance of customer experience to consumers,
but also the underlying feeling that the customer
experience should be elevated in terms of importance,
value, and accountability to the very highest levels of
OF AMERICANS SAY CEOS
an organization. Interestingly, the question was asked
SHOULD HAVE THEIR PAY
to create the opportunity for the impact to be positive
AFFECTED BASED ON
or negative. Americans aren’t saying that customer
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
experience should only be punitive for CEOs, but rather
that customer experience is so important it should
positively or negatively affect CEO compensation to
make sure it has the right level of attention and urgency
within an organization.

16
 Making CX a Priority in the
Executive Suite

Holding Senior Leaders Accountable

Another way to look at the finding is that today’s
Key Questions For consumers have a desire, in this case, a very strong
Your Leadership desire, to hold senior executives accountable for the
customer experience they are allowing, fostering,
funding, and delivering under their watch. If sharing
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF this study with other members of your senior
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT’S leadership team, be sure to share this discovery! If
a CEO isn’t supporting a new customer experience
COMPENSATION WAS COUPLED
initiative, they need to know that today’s customers
TO DELIVERING CONSISTENTLY
ultimately think the customer experience they receive
GOOD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE?
is not just reflective of their interactions with those on
the frontlines of a business but of the CEO and their
IF YOUR PAYCHECK WAS company priorities.
DEPENDENT ON PROVIDING
CONSISTENTLY GOOD
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE,
WOULD YOU GET A RAISE?

17
 How a Bad Customer
Experience Leaves a
Lasting Impression

Mistakes You Must Avoid

Bad customer experience happens. Everyone
has had that experience that just leaves them
shocked, surprised, disappointed, and even
mad. But bad customer service is also layered,
and certain feelings and emotions that bad
customer service creates are more negatively
impactful and memorable than others. These are
the emotions customer experience leaders must
try to avoid at all costs so that customers don’t
have just a bad experience, but even worse: an
unforgettable bad customer experience.

The national study explored the emotion and perceptions behind bad
customer experiences. Across America, the study found that three specific
emotions most create memorable bad customer experiences—the kind
that absolutely must be avoided:
(By total; ranked #1/#2/#3)

#
1
INEFFICIENT OR
#
2
INTERACTION
#
3
LACK OF
THAT LEAVES THEM ATTENTION TO
UNRESOLVED ISSUE
FEELING WORSE DETAIL

63% 55% 49%

18
 How a Bad Customer Experience Leaves a
Lasting Impression

Gen Z Wants to be Heard

While Boomers Just Want
Their Issue Resolved

SAY AN INEFFICIENTLY OR

49% 75% UNRESOLVED ISSUE CAUSES

THEM TO REMEMBER A BAD
EXPERIENCE.

of Gen Z of Boomers

Younger Consumers Focused on How an

Experience Makes Them Feel
Going deeper into the data, the study also found
that 75% of Boomers and 60% of Millennials say
an inefficiently or unresolved issue causes them
to remember a bad experience. This is in contrast
to Gen Z, where 53% of them say an interaction/
Key Questions For
experience that leaves them feeling worse causes
them to remember a bad experience. In fact, younger Your Leadership
generations are significantly more likely than older
generations to remember a customer experience when
they have a negative recollection of the environment WHAT DOES YOUR
and when the representative forgets something about ORGANIZATION DO TO
them personally. DELIVER MEMORABLE [OR
REMARKABLE] EXPERIENCES?
The key generational differences this discovery
highlights are that while older generations focus on HOW DO YOU ENSURE
the practicality of customer experience (did we get the CONSISTENCY IN DELIVERY OF
job done efficiently), younger generations are more THOSE EXPERIENCES?
focused on the experience itself. How did the overall
experience make me feel? Do I feel like the experience
connected with me as a person?

19
 Paths For Resolving
CX Issues –
Generational Differences

Younger Generations More Tolerant of Issues

The national study seeks to separate myth from truth, and we
love when discoveries contradict perceptions and mainstream
headlines. One area where this was particularly pronounced in
the study was uncovering the impact of bad customer service
and the tolerance or forgiveness for it from different generations. Key Questions
In a very surprising finding, we found that younger generations are
For Your
willing to give more chances to a brand, service, or company after Leadership
a bad customer experience before going somewhere else when
compared to older generations. That’s right! It turns out younger
generations are more forgiving of a bad customer experience than
HOW EFFECTIVELY
older generations. How much more forgiving? Going deeper into
DOES YOUR
the data, we found that Baby Boomers are only willing to give 1.1
ORGANIZATION TURN
chances on average after a bad experience, vs. Gen Zers who
A POOR CUSTOMER
are willing to give 2.6 chances after a bad experience. So Gen Z is
willing to go back on average more than two more times after a bad EXPERIENCE INTO A
customer experience! The younger generations are giving customer POSITIVE OUTCOME?
experience leaders a greater chance to get it right and make it right.

Gen Z is more Number of Chances They Give You

forgiving after a to Make Up for a Bad Experience:
bad experience as
compared to older Gen Z 2.6x
generations. Young Millennials 2.1x
Older Millennials 1.7x
Gen X 1.5x
Boomers 1.1x
20
 The Different Paths to Resolve Issues -
Communication Channels

The Significant Technological Divide

Each generation in the national study came of age with different norms when it
came to shopping, buying, paying, and resolving customer experience issues using
technology. Baby Boomers remember a time before personal computers, Gen X likely
remembers the first PCs and Macs, Millennials came of age around the rise of the
Internet, and most members of Gen Z don’t remember a time before smartphones.
That is a lot of deeply engrained generational differences in one technology
throughline. The results of this generational divide, or generational differences in
expectations, are most apparent when the study explored how each generation
wanted to have their customer experience issues resolved.

While earlier in the report we talked about generational preferences in resolving

customer experience issues, the technology divide by generation is even greater!
The study found that older generations are significantly more likely than younger
generations to prefer to resolve a customer experience issue via telephone, in-
person, or email before making a purchase. You read that correctly. They are much
more likely to want to call, go to a physical store or location, or send an email than
the younger generations. This directly follows the technology trend line of older
generations and what is most comfortable and normal to them.

Channel People Prefer to Resolve a

CX Issue Pre-Purchase
(By total; ranked #1/#2/#3)

Telephone 62%
OLDER GENERATIONS ARE
In-person 58% SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY THAN
YOUNGER GENERATIONS TO PREFER
TO RESOLVE A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Email 57% ISSUE VIA TELEPHONE, IN PERSON, OR
EMAIL BEFORE MAKING A PURCHASE.
Online-chat 47%
YOUNGER GENERATIONS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY
Text 36% MORE LIKELY THAN OLDER GENERATIONS TO
PREFER TO RESOLVE A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Mobile ISSUE VIA ONLINE CHAT, TEXTING, OR SOCIAL
app 23% MEDIA BEFORE MAKING A PURCHASE.

Social
media 16%

21
 The Different Paths to Resolve Issues -
Communication Channels

72 %
OF MILLENNIALS SAY IF COMPANIES MADE
IT EASIER, THEY’D RATHER HANDLE A
CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUE WITHOUT HAVING
TO INTERACT WITH A PERSON, THE HIGHEST
OF ANY GENERATION.

Response Times Matters Across Channels

On the opposite end of the spectrum, younger
generations are significantly more likely than older
generations to prefer to resolve a customer experience
issue via online chat, texting, or social media before
making a purchase. This also aligns with Gen Z and
Key Questions For
younger Millennials coming of age being able to do Your Leadership
everything through their mobile device, including
resolving issues and having questions answered—
all without having to talk with a human being, use HOW EFFECTIVELY
traditional email, or even leave their favorite social DO YOU TAILOR YOUR
media platform! CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES TO
DIFFERING GENERATIONAL
This expectation bifurcation by generation is one that
EXPECTATIONS?
brand leaders and customer experience leaders need
to know and be prepared to address. Giving each
generation the pathway that best meets their comfort
and expectations is the best way to delight them and
create great interactions that lead to satisfaction and
loyalty. It’s also important to keep in mind that no matter
which channels a generation or customer selects,
response times matter. The better prepared you are to
respond to them, the better the experience they will have
in whichever communication channel they choose.

22
 Paths For Resolving CX Issues -
The Gender Disparity

The Want to Engage Varies Significantly By Gender

We’ve all heard that great customer experience should be customer-first, but the
study found something even deeper and more important when it comes to resolving
issues and answering customer questions by gender. The national study uncovered
that both men and women place a very high priority on companies adapting to
resolve customer experience issues as well as answer questions from customers.
However - and this is the key insight - how they want to engage to resolve those issues
or have a question answered varies significantly by gender. Customer experience
leaders need to know this key insight, and so do their teams!

The national study found that men are significantly more likely than women to
prefer to solve a customer experience issue in person before making a purchase.
However, women are significantly more likely than men to prefer to solve a customer
experience issue via online chat before making a purchase. What does this mean to
CX leaders focused on pre-purchase questions, concerns, interactions, and delighting
customers? It means that you have to offer both in-person and online chat if you want
to meet and exceed the expectations of the different genders that you serve.

Communication Channel You Would Most Prefer to Use to Resolve a

Customer Experience Issue Before Making a Purchase

Men Women
1 1
63% 60%

TELEPHONE TELEPHONE
CALL CALL

2 3 2 3
62% 57% 58% 51%

IN-PERSON EMAIL EMAIL ONLINE CHAT

(By gender; ranked #1/#2/#3)

23
 How Consumers View Interactions Across
Different Industries

Millennials Most Likely to Switch Brands After a Bad Experience

The national study uncovered that across all nine industries and/or situations explored, Millennials
(particularly younger Millennials) are the most likely generation to switch brands, services, or
companies after receiving just one bad customer experience in each situation. Which interaction
was most likely to cause switching if there was a bad customer experience? Buying a car!

The industries or situations we tested where a bad

customer experience would most lead to switching to
another brand or service provider:

1 2 3
57% 51% 50%

BUYING PLANNING DISCUSSING

A CAR FINANCIAL
A TRIP
SERVICES

(By generation; top two box; very likely and likely)

24
 How Consumers View Interactions
Across Different Industries

The discovery that Gen Z is most willing to give brands,

services, and companies another chance (or 2.6 chances)
was very exciting for our research team. This is also
important because as we noted earlier in the findings report,
Gen Z is also the least satisfied in every aspect of customer
experience. Given this dissatisfaction—and likely a history of
unmet customer experience expectations—it makes sense
that Gen Z is the most willing to put up with bad customer
experience before leaving. But how do specific industries
and situations affect each generation’s tolerance for bad
customer experience?

Gen Z say they are Millennials and Gen X

least satisfied with: say they are least
satisfied with:

1 1
33%

SELECTING A BUYING
HEALTHCARE A CAR
PROVIDER

2 3 2 3
34% 40%

DISCUSSING PLANNING SELECTING A DISCUSSING

FINANCIAL A TRIP HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL
SERVICES PROVIDER SERVICES

25
 The Gateway to Word-of-Mouth
Recommendations

The Digital Experience Is Now a Major Driver Of

Referrals & Advocacy
The study has shown that there are a variety of important
drivers that create great customer experience, what drives
memorable customer experience for all the right reasons, and
what to avoid so you don’t create memories of bad customer Key Questions
experiences that stick. The study has also shown interesting For Your
differences by generation, especially with Gen Z, as well as some Leadership
by gender and annual household income. All of this can look like
a lot of messages to take in at one time, so where should you
start to improve your customer experience if you had to pick one
area to drive more recommendations, referrals, and advocacy HOW CONSISTENTLY
from customers? Great question! DOES YOUR CX DRIVE
NEW CUSTOMER
The study uncovered that one of the most influential ways to REFERRALS?
drive all-important referrals, recommendations, advocacy, and
more is to focus on digital experience. Why digital experience? IS YOUR DIGITAL
Because so much of customer experience is now interacted, EXPERIENCE
primarily or in the customer experience journey, through CREATING
technology. In fact, the national study found that a whopping ADVOCATES,
76% of all Americans will recommend a brand, service, or
OR FRUSTRATED
company to a friend simply because they had a good experience
CONSUMERS?
using their website or mobile app. This is a big clue and should
be a priority for any organization that can immediately benefit
from more referrals and word-of-mouth support.

Digital Experience is the

Gateway to Word-of-Mouth
Recommendations

of Americans will recommend a brand,

service, or company to a friend simply
because they had a good experience
using their website or mobile app.

26
 Paying Significantly More for
Immediate Service

Speed of Service Has Increasingly Become a Top Priority

Expectations about the speed of service have evolved rapidly over the last decade. These
expectations have been fueled by the ubiquitous usage of online ordering, Covid-accelerated
adoption of rapid delivery, Amazon Prime, and an increasingly “instant everything” mindset
towards interactions in general. What does this mean for customer experience and customer
expectations? A lot. Why? Because Americans have become conditioned to pushing a button—or
even speaking to Siri or Alexa—and having something delivered right to where they are, whether
that is home, at work, or on the go. Exactly how far have Americans’ expectations gone toward
the speed of product or service delivery?

Our data found that 47% of Americans would be willing to pay up to 30% more if immediate
service was guaranteed. That is almost half of America saying they are willing to pay materially
more for guaranteed immediate service. Wow! It gets even more interesting when the data is
analyzed by household income. The same question revealed that 50% of non-affluent households
were willing to pay up to 30% more for immediate service. In fact, the $50,000 to $74,000 annual
income bracket was the group most likely to pay up to 30% more for immediate service, with over
52% of them in the study saying so! But clearly, affluent households also love immediate service.
We found that 44% of affluent households, those earning $100,000 per year or more, were willing to
pay up to 30% more if immediate service was guaranteed. That is a big number, especially when
you consider their annual income. All of these unexpected insights speak to the shift in customer
mindset and value of immediate service across the US and economic groups.

CONSUMERS WILL PAY HOW MUCH MORE WILL CONSUMERS

SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PAY FOR IMMEDIATE SERVICE?
FOR IMMEDIATE
SERVICE

consumers would pay 10% or more.

of Americans would be
willing to pay more for
a product or service if
immediate service is
guaranteed, with Gen Z
being the highest consumers would pay 20% or more.
generation at 78%.

27
 Paying Significantly More for Immediate
Service - Gen Z Leads the Way

The Gen Z Need for Speed

What generation do you think is leading the way in valuing immediate
service? If you guessed Baby Boomers with their generational wealth,
you’d be wrong. The generation that most values and would be willing
to pay a brand or company more for immediate service is…Gen Z. That’s
right, 78% of Gen Z say they would be willing to pay a brand or company
more for immediate service, more than any other generation in the
study, and is a strong predictor of future expectations toward service
speed right around the corner. Gen Z prioritizes speed, and it’s time for
brands to adapt if they want to unlock the generation’s potential as
consumers, advocates, and trendsetters.

WILLING TO PAY FOR GUARANTEED IMMEDIATE SERVICE

Key Questions For

Your Leadership
78% 33%
of Gen Z of Boomers

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A Better CX Impacts Revenue & Profits

THE REVENUE IMPACT OF Speaking of paying a premium for speed of service, the
SPEED OF SERVICE? study also uncovered that customer experience by itself
can become a powerful premium pricing driver. A strong
DOES YOUR majority of Americans, 60%, said they have paid more for a
ORGANIZATION product or service they could get somewhere else for less
PROVIDE PREMIUM money because the customer experience was great. Talk
SERVICES BASED ON THE about a way to stand out in a crowded market, charge a
PREFERENCES OF YOUR premium, and improve your margins all at the same time—
CORE CUSTOMER BASE? and all because the customer experience was great. The
bottom line: better experiences can equate to great revenue
and greater profits. So powerful for anyone looking to create
measurable results and understand the direct link between
customer experience and driving ROI for their organization.

28
 The Impact of Online Ratings
and Reviews

Bookend Generations Placing Less Value in Ratings & Reviews

Online ratings and reviews have become a hallmark of the customer journey across almost all
major industries, including both consumer and enterprise buyers. The desire to read and trust
online ratings and reviews rapidly emerged as the Internet gained acceptance and review sites
began proliferating search results. However, the emergence of ratings and review sites and their
historical importance leads to a core generational question: Do different generations seek out
and value online ratings and reviews in the same way?

We first dug into the importance of rating and review sites by asking America how much online
ratings and reviews influence their view of a business, product, or service they have not tried. The
study found that Millennials, significantly more than any other generation, most valued online
ratings and reviews of businesses, products, and services they have not yet tried. However, in a
surprising twist, there were two generations that valued them less than the others: Gen Z and…Baby
Boomers. Yes, the bookend generations both currently value online ratings and reviews less than
Millennials and Gen X. This could be due to Gen Z still emerging as consumers and Baby Boomers
not coming of age with the Internet, but either way, it is an interesting twist for companies seeking
to leverage ratings and reviews, particularly in reaching Gen Z as they emerge.

of Younger of Gen Z
Millennials

say ratings and reviews a

 re critical to
their major purchase decisions.

29
 The Impact of Online Ratings
and Reviews

Looking At Major Purchase Decisions

The study then asked the questions differently, through
the lens of major purchasing decisions. The reason
we wanted to focus on major purchasing decisions is
that these decisions tend to carry the most emotional,
logical, and financial risk and weight for those making
the decision. The study uncovered a similar theme, with
a strong majority of Americans (63%) saying online
ratings and reviews are critical to influencing their view
of a major purchasing decision. Going further into the
analysis, the study uncovered which generation cared
most about ratings and reviews when making major
decisions, and the insight was clear: more than any other
generation, Millennials said ratings and reviews were
critical to making major purchases.

Do we think that ratings and reviews are not a fit for

Gen Z or the start of a new generational trend? Not
necessarily. Gen Z is still emerging as a consumer and
often has made very few major purchases, so more
studies will need to be led to fully understand the role
of ratings and reviews on them as maturing customers. Key Questions For
However, one thing continues to be clear: Gen Z is very
different from Millennials, and customer experience
Your Leadership
leaders need statistically accurate data to best
understand and adapt to them.
HOW EFFECTIVELY DOES
One fascinating twist in the ratings and review data YOUR ORGANIZATION’S CX
is the divergence between those who identify as men DRIVE POSITIVE RATINGS AND
and those who identify as women. The study found REVIEWS?
that men are more likely than women to post a review
after a negative experience. However, women are DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION
more likely than men to leave a review after a positive HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE
experience. Understanding these insights in addition to FOR MONITORING AND
the generational discoveries helps to provide a more RESPONDING TO ONLINE
accurate picture of the customer experience mindset RATINGS AND REVIEWS?
shaping interactions today.

30
 Exploring The Views Of Customer
Loyalty Programs

The New Generational Frontier And Divide

Now that we’ve explored many different aspects of customer experience, where
does the data lead us when it comes to customer loyalty programs? What does
each generation, gender, and household income bracket think of when it comes
to customer loyalty programs by industry? Exploring the views of customer loyalty
programs provides missing insights into understanding generational and other
behavioral mindsets and expectations that leaders need to know, as well as creating
a more accurate understanding of views toward specific industries and their current
loyalty program status.

The national study found that the customer reward and loyalty programs that
Americans are most satisfied with vary dramatically by generation. Gen Z is
significantly more satisfied than other generations with quick service and fast casual
loyalty programs (Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, etc.) and beauty reward programs (Sephora,
Ulta, etc.). While Millennials also rank quick service and fast casual loyalty programs
as tops for them, they are also significantly more satisfied with coffee rewards
programs than other generations. This presents an interesting dynamic where the
younger generations overlap in the top two types of reward and loyalty programs, yet
they each rate them very differently from one another!

Top Customer Reward and Loyalty Programs

Gen Z Millennials
1 1
39% 29%

QUICK SERVICE QUICK SERVICE

LOYALTY LOYALTY
PROGRAMS PROGRAMS

2 3 2 3
27%
21% 16% 13%

COFFEE BEAUTY COFFEE AIRLINE

REWARDS REWARDS REWARDS REWARDS
PROGRAMS PROGRAMS PROGRAMS PROGRAMS

(By generation)
31
 Exploring The Views Of Customer
Loyalty Programs

Understanding Affluent vs. Non-Affluent

We uncovered that non-affluent Americans are
significantly more satisfied than affluent Americans
with their quick service and fast casual loyalty
programs. At the same time, affluent Americans NON-AFFLUENT PREFER QUICK
are significantly more satisfied than non-affluent SERVICE AND FAST CASUAL
Americans with their airline loyalty programs and LOYALTY PROGRAMS
hospitality loyalty programs.

Putting all this together, it is clear that loyalty and

rewards programs in some categories are doing well
with some generations, but the study also found that
overall hospitality, airlines, and beauty scored way
AFFLUENT PREFER AIRLINE AND
behind the other categories tested.
HOSPITALITY PROGRAMS

Most Satisfying Customer

Reward and Loyalty
Programs
(By total)
HOSPITALITY, AIRLINES AND BEAUTY SCORED
LOWER IN CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAMS THAN
Quick service/Fast casual
OTHER CATEGORIES
30%
Coffee rewards

20%
This analysis is important, as the value of Gen Z and
Other
Millennial consumers continues to grow as they
mature and enter higher earning years, as well as for 14%
customer experience leaders whose product or service Airline loyalty
focuses on different income brackets. The better
leaders can understand the current state of customer
13%
loyalty and rewards programs, the sooner they can Hospitality loyalty
begin innovating on them through generational and
other lenses to drive greater satisfaction, loyalty, and 12%
lifetime value. Beauty rewards

9%

32
 Aligning Brand Purpose
With Values

“Gen Z are the ultimate day traders. They trade up and down. Strong
brands win with this cohort. Values are often a tipping point factor that
allows Gen Zers to lean into their values by purchasing brands they
believe in and trust.”

- Jeff Fromm,
Senior Advisor & Author,
Marketing to Gen Z and The Purpose Advantage 2.0

Brand Purpose Matters More Than Ever

We saved one of the best discoveries from the national study for the
last one to be revealed. This discovery aligns with much of the media
coverage today as well as an increasing groundswell of momentum
around causes, values, mission, and purpose. We wanted to uncover
Key Questions if a brand, service, or company’s purpose in mission really impacted
For Your loyalty. What did America say?

Leadership The national study revealed that a stunning 76%(!) of Americans

would be more likely to be loyal to a brand, service, or company
whose purpose or mission aligns with their values. That is over three-
HOW EFFECTIVELY quarters of ALL of America saying that purpose, mission, and values
DOES YOUR matter to them, so much so that it directly impacts their loyalty.
ORGANIZATION ALIGN Wow! This is a huge opportunity for customer experience leaders,
AUDIENCE SOCIAL executives, and innovators to put their mission, purpose, and values
VALUES TO YOUR CX? front and center to stand out and connect with people across
generations. Speaking of generations…the differences and similarities
DO YOU PROACTIVELY within the data for this question were fascinating.
MANAGE YOUR

76
WOW!
CUSTOMER’S

%
EXPERIENCE IN
76% of Americans would be
ALIGNMENT WITH more likely to be loyal to a brand,
YOUR AUDIENCE’S service or company whose
SOCIAL VALUES? purpose or mission aligns with
their values.

33
 National Study
Conclusions

Customer experience is complex, dynamic, and a misunderstood yet

critical area of business today. The national study found that new
generational trends, beliefs, and expectations are fast emerging and
impacting every aspect of customer experience, from pre-purchase
behaviors to trust, loyalty, reviews, and more. Separating myth from truth
by generation, as well as exploring gender and income differences, helps
customer experience and senior leaders across organizations gain the
accurate insights necessary to analyze and strategize on the right actions
to take now to drive measurable results.

There is also no doubt that customer experience has taken on a

heightened urgency as more companies compete in a digital ecosystem
or have customer touchpoints that mesh in-person and digital. This trend
is not going away as more and more interactions shift to digital, and the
complexity, transparency, and impact of these interactions highlight the
increasing focus on getting them right to delight customers.

The national study also revealed that very specific emotions and actions
create the most positive memories that lead to repeat purchases and
brand advocacy—as well as what customer experiences to avoid! Getting
customer experience right not only drives a clear return on investment
for organizations, but as the study found, Americans think it should also
directly impact CEO pay!

Where do you go from here?

34
Five Actions
You Can Take

#
1
Understand the customers you serve.
While this study took a broad look at generational differences in CX
expectations, your unique makeup of customers will surely have
more specific needs. Take a deep look at the generations that are
represented in your customer base. Through customer research,
you can identify your most important customer segments and their
generational trends, and understand what truly matters to them.

2
Start listening to your customers.

#
No brand is perfect, and neither is yours. Feedback from those who
matter most: the customers who are living your experiences are
some of the most impactful data you can leverage to improve CX.
Implementing a thorough voice of the customer program and
developing feedback-based action plans will quickly address hot
issues with your customers.

#
3
Take an honest look at your current customer experience.
Perform an audit on your own or hire a CX expert to take a
comprehensive look at all of your customer touchpoints. Having a
holistic view of your CX will help create priorities and a go-forward
plan for addressing critical needs and strategic changes over time.

#
4
Get your digital customer experience in order.
78% of Americans will become advocates for your brand solely based
on the experience they have with your digital CX. Upgrades here can
be done quickly, create a sustainable competitive advantage, and
will have a significant impact on customer advocacy and loyalty.

#
5
Create a long-term CX roadmap that strongly considers Gen Z.
This national study clearly identifies Generation Z as the generation
least satisfied with the current state of CX. Creating a long-term plan
that evolves your CX to best meet their needs will not only capture a
new generation entering the marketplace but will improve experiences
for older generations as well.

35
 Meet The
Co-Authors

Chris Johnson, CEO of Experience Dynamic, a customer experience

professional services collective. With both LaneTerralever and
Convince & Convert in the collective, Experience Dynamic guides
clients through transformational CX change. Chris has more
than 25 years of experience providing strategic digital marketing
guidance and has helped develop strategies for top global brands,
such as Time Warner Cable, Red Bull, Honeywell, Apple, BMW, and
Microsoft. Chris’ passion lies in understanding the unique needs and
challenges of businesses, as well as providing the right solutions
in order to make a meaningful impact and deliver long-lasting,
Chris Johnson profitable growth.
CEO of
Experience Dynamic
Chris’ experience started while working as a general manager
of a publicly held professional services organization. In 2002, he
recognized a need in the market for highly skilled technology
competencies, creative and strategic counsel in one shop. From
here Terralever was born – a firm that leveraged both technology
and world-class digital design to solve real business problems.

Jason Dorsey is an acclaimed generations and behavioral

researcher and speaker. Jason Dorsey delivers transformational
insights that future-proof your business. Jason wrote his first
bestselling book at age 18 and co-authored Zconomy with Dr. Villa.
He has appeared on more than 200 television shows, including 60
Minutes, The Today Show, CNN, and CNBC, and was featured in a
New York Times cover story.

An acclaimed keynote speaker, he’s received over 1,000 standing

Jason Dorsey
Behavioral Research, Author, and Speaker
at the Center for Generational Kinetics.
ovations. Jason’s clients range from Mercedes-Benz and the Four
Seasons Hotels to Frito-Lay and global private equity firms. An avid
supporter of entrepreneurs, Jason serves on corporate boards and
is a venture partner at a venture capital firm. Dorsey co-founded
The Center for Generational Kinetics to shed new light and reveal
practical solutions for bridging generations of customers, clients,
employees, and stakeholders.

36
 Meet The
Contributing Authors

Kelly Santina 20 years of experience in digital marketing, project

management, and technology integration, she is President at Convince
& Convert, where she oversees team efforts, maximizes efficiency and
organization, and contributes to overall strategy and development of new
products and services. Her love for digital marketing started with online
media buying, which quickly grew into development of full strategic plans
incorporating both digital and traditional elements. Previously, she has held
senior positions with the top digital advertising agency in Phoenix, Arizona,
Kelly Santina
and spent several years as the Senior Internet Director and Vice President
President, Convince & Convert
of Marketing for Thunderbird School of Global Management, the leading
international business school in the world.

Daniel Lemin is a bestselling author and advisor on digital reputation

management, ratings and reviews, and word-of-mouth marketing. He splits
his consulting time between his own firm, One Good Brand, where he works
exclusively with a small roster of senior leaders on brand and executive
reputation issues; and Convince & Convert, a senior-level content and digital
marketing advisory firm serving the world’s most iconic organizations.

Daniel Lemin
Sr. Strategist, Convince & Convert
Author and Keynote Speaker

Sunny Hunt with more than 20 years of digital marketing, customer

experience, and integrated marketing communications strategy experience,
Sunny has been a customer advocate throughout her career and is always
looking for ways to center the customer in marketing plans and tactical
execution. Sunny has been a consultant since 2012 and she’s primarily known
for helping service-selling companies design easy-to-love online experiences
that attract, convert, and keep profitable customers.

Sunny Hunt
Strategist, Convince & Convert
Author and Keynote Speaker

Jeff Fromm led the first public study of Millennials through a research
partnership with the Boston Consulting Group. That research informed his first
book “Marketing to Millennials” (2013). He has since co-authored five books –
his most recent “The Purpose Advantage 2.0” (2021). Jeff speaks professionally
all over the world, has written 500 articles at Forbes, served on the board of
directors and invested in high-performance companies including Service
Management Group (SMG.com), TicketSolutions.com, Three Dog Bakery &
more. Brands whose market capitalization (combined) has increased from
Jeff Fromm under $25M to over $600M.
5X Author, Speaker, Strategist
at LaneTerralever

37
 Meet The
Contributing Authors
Lauren Hillery
VP of Strategy at LaneTerralever
Andy Parnell
President at LaneTerralever
Nick Dan-Bergman
VP of Marketing at LaneTerralever
Lauren Hillery is a creative strategist by nature and by trade, and
is genuinely passionate about digging into business nuances
to uncover the most actionable insights that set brands up for
opportunity and success. As VP of Strategy at LaneTerralever, Lauren
brings over a decade of experience working with some of the most
recognizable brands, including PetSmart, Massage Envy, The Strat,
and Toyota, to develop brand strategy, insight-driven go-to-market
plans to help move CX initiatives forward. Lauren has worked
specifically with enterprise-wide employee experience and change
management initiatives during pivotal moments of transition, and
supports Experience Dynamic in architecting and building upon its
employee experience strategies.
Andy Parnell is currently President at LaneTerralever and leads
the day-to-day operations of the agency. A long-time agency
veteran, Andy has experience across many business categories and
has helped lead partnerships with brands such as Red Bull, Cisco,
Honeywell, Time Warner Cable, and many more. Andy has more
than two decades; worth of experience handling revenue growth
and management with a focus in advertising and marketing.
Nick Dan-Bergman is a seasoned marketing leader with a deep
focus on developing strategic marketing and digital experiences
for marquee brands across hospitality, casinos, attractions,
healthcare, and b2b technology. As a data-driven individual, he has
also led national consumer research studies aimed at uncovering
actionable generational insights, with a keen focus on Gen Z and
Millennials. He has consulted with notable executives at national
and global brands to identify growth opportunities and to help solve
customer experience challenges. His work has been featured by
Forbes, Casino.org, Jefferies, Healthcare Dive, and The Society of
Digital Agencies.
38
 About Experience
Dynamic

Experience Dynamic (XD) is a collective of companies committed to customer experience. From the first
touchpoint through the full life of your customer, Experience Dynamic helps solve complex problems to fuel
meaningful engagements that drive results for your brand. With both LaneTerralever (Marketing & Digital
Experience) and Convince & Convert (Content Marketing & CX Strategy) as part of the collective, Experience
Dynamic guides clients through transformational CX change.

Experience Dynamic services encompass CX strategy, change management consulting, customer journey
mapping, digital experiences, content marketing and growth marketing, to help companies build loyalty
and generate more revenue through targeted customer interactions.

About The Center for Generational Kinetics

Research | Speaking | Advisory

The Center for Generational Kinetics, LLC (CGK) is the leading research, speaking, and retained advisory firm
focused on generational change, key emerging trends, and behavioral insights. We have led more than 100
custom research studies for clients around the world.

CGK’s team leads original research to solve important consumer, employee, technology, and emerging
trend challenges. The firm uncovers new and unexpected, statistically accurate insights for innovative,
market-leading clients. CGK’s team has worked with over 700 companies around the world, from the
biggest global brands to financial services, technology pioneers, retailers, banks, hotels, and automotive
manufacturers. The firm’s latest bestselling book is Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business.

CGK’s team and discoveries have been featured on more than 200 TV shows and hundreds more media
outlets globally. Learn more about CGK’s pioneering research at GenHQ.com.

39
 National Study
Methodology

1,500
NATIONAL STUDY OF 1,500 U.S.
PARTICIPANTS AGES 16-75 PARTICIPANTS WEIGHTED
TO THE 2020 US CENSUS FOR
AGE, GENDER, GEOGRAPHY,
AND ETHNICITY.

+/- OVERSAMPLE
OVERSAMPLE OF 250 OF 250 GEN Z
MARGIN OF ERROR PARTICIPANTS WITH PARTICIPANTS
+/- 2.53 ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD
PERCENTAGE POINTS INCOME OF $100,000+

The national study included a total of 1,500 U.S.

participants ages 16-75, including 1,000 U.S. participants
weighted to the 2020 U.S. Census for age, gender,
geography, and ethnicity. In addition, the study included
an oversample of 250 Gen Z participants (ages 16-26)
and an oversample of 250 affluent participants (annual
household income of $100,000 or more). The margin of
error is +/-2.53 percentage points. The national study was
conducted online from July 28, 2022, to August 8, 2022.

40
Copyright and
Allowed Usage

This document is protected by copyright 2023 by Experience

Dynamic and The Center for Generational Kinetics, LLC. All
rights are reserved.

The information in this document can be referenced in

the media, in whole or in part, as long as this document is
cited as the source of the information. In no way does this
document provide an endorsement of any product, service,
company, or individual.

This document is provided “as is.” Information and views

expressed in this document may change without notice. The
strategies and examples depicted herein are provided for
illustrative purposes only and are not guarantees of specific
results. You bear the risk of using this document.

41