| By :
Martin Hofschroer
The changing personality of today's consumers means that businesses must introduce new strategies in order to improve customer service. New customer types have been created by the recession with The Wall Street Journal identifying the 'just-in-time consumer' as one fresh category of customer that businesses should now be aware of. The newspaper reported that the 'just-in-time consumer' is increasing the number of times they visit a business but maintaining their spending levels and are only buying products that are entirely necessary. Lior Arussy, president of a global consulting firm, told My Customer that such new consumer types might be here to stay as it is possible that customer behaviour will not return to pre-recession levels when the economy recovers. Mr Arussy went onto say that businesses need to understand how new consumer types act in order to adapt their products and services to appear relevant to the modern customer. Five more consumer types have been shaped by the current economic climate and recognising the differences between these categories can help businesses plan for the future, according to Mr Arussy. Following two years of changing prices, one new consumer type is the 'discount customer' who expects to always encounter bargains and does not see the link between product value and price. Another new consumer is the 'mistrusting customer' who is sceptical of major brands because of the failure of institutions such as Lehman Brothers and the drop in performance of organisations like Toyota. The 'fearful customer' is a consumer that is wary over making purchase decisions because of job security concerns while the 'do-it-yourself customer' has embraced a more self sufficient lifestyle in order to keep certain luxuries. While nearly all consumers are cutting back on spending, the 'small indulgence customer' will still allow themselves the occasional personal indulgence to combat concerns created by the economy. Mr Arussy advised businesses to introduce customer service schemes that recognise the impact recession has had on consumer spending and behaviour as keeping clients during a difficult time is crucial to succeeding in the future. He told My Customer: "Demonstrating compassion, understating and flexibility will go a long way. Like any relationship milestone, this is the moment that will define the future of the relationship with consumers." Meanwhile, Google has warned businesses that negative reviews and complaints relating to their products and services will affect where they appear in search results.
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