When it comes to customer service, you need to ensure your business has all the correct systems in place to communicate with anyone and everyone.
This includes having an air-tight complaints procedure for employees to follow that allows all forms of communication to be used, depending on the customer’s needs.
It is essential for all organisations – whether private sector companies or public bodies – to be aware of their customers’ needs and desires.
This is especially true with Deaf and hard of hearing customers, as they often require specific considerations when dealing with customer service or accessibility.
To create a more inclusive environment for Deaf customers, some organisations go so far as to employ Deaf staff members who can communicate directly with the Deaf community.
Some organisations provide British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation services, while others offer written transcripts and captions for their videos and webinars.
However, these are not always effective solutions for Deaf people as they often have trouble understanding the content if it is not in BSL or plain English.
And while larger firms and organisations may have the resource and budget to invest in making their complaints procedure more accessible, their smaller counterparts may not have the time or money to do the same.
Here, we look at some of the simple things your business or organisation, regardless of its size, can do to deal with complaints from Deaf customers or service users more effectively.
How do I make my complaints procedure accessible?
Your complaints procedure should be easy to find and inclusive of all customers, including those with additional accessibility or communication needs, such as people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. According to a study by the Royal National Institute of Deaf People, more than one in five people in the UK have some form of hearing loss. So, to make sure that your complaint procedure is accessible for everyone, it’s essential that the Process is translated into BSL and accessible via your website, so customers understand and can easily follow the process in their first, or preferred, language of BSL. Here are a few other things to bear in mind:Flexibility
You need to ensure your business has multiple ways a customer can get in touch with you. Simply having a telephone number to call when a customer wishes to complain is not a diverse enough form of communication, especially for a Deaf or hard of hearing person. Implementing a live chat or messaging service and phone number will make it easier for Deaf customers to communicate their complaints to you.Text relay service
A text relay service enables Deaf or hard of hearing people to see a text-to-speech or speech-to-text translation of what’s being said. This way, Deaf customers can still contact you via a telephone number, but they aren’t restricted to just using speech.Video chats
If a query comes through that needs to be a more in-depth live conversation, ensuring you have a trained BSL interpreter will aid in the communication between employee and customer.How to make your physical store more accessible
Having an online complaints procedure that’s accessible to the Deaf community is great, but what if your business has a physical location that customers can visit? You need to ensure all areas and aspects of your business can cater to the needs of Deaf customers. You can invest in several technologies to make it easier for Deaf people to engage with your business once they are there. These include:- An accessible doorbell or intercom system
- Fire alarms that provide visual warnings as well as audio ones
- Hearing loops – it’s essential to test these regularly to ensure they work correctly
- Enhanced lighting to help Deaf people who sign or lipread
- Background noise – can this be reduced to help hard of hearing people hear more clearly?
- Deaf awareness training for employees
