Rachael Merrell, Customer Service Director explains how water companies can better support and communicate with customers who are neurodivergent.
Contacting any business can be daunting for customers, but it can be particularly challenging for someone with a hidden disability. It is estimated that as many as 15-20% of the UK population is considered to be neurodivergent, so adapting communication methods to suit their needs is crucial to supporting the entire customer base.
Each form of neurodivergence is different and has a range of associated characteristics. Importantly, these can vary from person to person and can change throughout their lives, becoming more severe in certain situations.
In the case of water utilities, neurodiverse customers may struggle to contact their provider to discuss complex or difficult circumstances. For example, they may need to report a leak at their property or let their supplier know that they are struggling to pay or understand a bill. This makes high-quality, personalised customer service business critical, especially during an emergency.
Water utilities must consider accessibility through all areas of their service offering, including the use of digital technology on the website, and service channels such as telephone calls and emails.
On the phone
A key aspect of omnichannel support is telephony. According to our research last year, telephone was preferred by almost half (47%) of water customers for communicating with their provider. With the preference for phone calls still high amongst water bill payers, the call process should be designed to be as supportive and inclusive as possible. This starts with customer service agent training to help them to identify customers who may need more time or information explained differently.
However, good practice for all customers is to keep conversations jargon-free, provide information in small sections, and check in with the customer as they go to ensure they understand. Additionally, water providers should offer the option of call-back times to reduce the anxiety that can come with unexpected calls.
For autistic customers, unexpected phone calls mean interactions with things they didn’t see coming. Having a call-back option allows customers to choose when suits them best. Perhaps they need to be at home, in their own space to handle questions, or a certain time of day works best for them. Comfort is key to getting the best outcome for the customer and the provider.
Something we have adopted at Echo is the JAM (Just a Minute) Card scheme to support people with hidden disabilities or communication barriers. Customers that have the cards are signalling to businesses that they may need a little longer to process engagements. The contact centre representative can then ensure they give the customer enough time to digest and understand the information.
Written communication
As with phone calls, all written communication should be simple, with clear headings and bullet points to enhance readability. Visual aids and diagrams are a valuable tool when explaining complex billing issues and processes. For example, if the water provider has noticed a customer has started significantly increasing their usage, demonstrating how this translates to higher bills through a diagram can help customers understand.
Text messages should be used for simple, non-urgent communications for bill reminders or confirmation of payments. Once again, the key to success with texts is keeping the initial message concise, yet informative. Providing links to online resources where customers can get more detailed information allows customers to peruse information at their own leisure.
Providers must avoid bombarding customers with multiple texts that include lots of information. For neurodiverse customers who struggle to prioritise or digest information, repeated messages will quickly become overwhelming. When customers become overwhelmed, they are unlikely to take onboard information or take any necessary actions.
Critical to all these processes is training. Without a team that feels confident to implement the systems, progress will be limited. When it comes to neurodiversity, we encourage our contact centre team to consider how their own experiences can shape the strategy. We all know someone with a form of neurodivergence and we can take learnings from our own experiences to inform the processes we adopt at work.
Encouraging people to share their experiences can help the business to develop an inclusive strategy that is based on internal feedback. We know that involving the team in the development of new processes often increases their involvement and success and a customer support strategy should be no different. Training people on the processes will also become much easier if they have already bought into the importance of the programme.
And like with any new system, training should be continuous. There is regularly new guidance produced by the NHS, charities and independent foundations on neurodiversity and how we can support those with it. This means training programmes need to be reviewed accordingly and refresher sessions should be organised when necessary.
Final thoughts
All customers should feel comfortable engaging with their water provider. Having a strategy that is underpinned by continuous training and development is crucial to creating an inclusive and supportive environment.
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