We're proud to treat all our customers fairly and with respect, including those who are in vulnerable situations.
If you're elderly or one of the millions of people in the UK living with an impairment you'll find a wealth of information online and advice on how you can use the phone, internet and TV to carry on doing what's important to you.
If you or someone you know has an impairment, you can discover more about the impact it can have on day-to-day life and how we can help with this. As well as suggesting the best phone features for your needs, we have lots of information to help you understand these conditions better:
- Hearing loss
- Sight loss
- Speech and language impairment
- Mobility issues
- Reduced dexterity
We also offer all information from Inspire Telecom in alternative formats speak to our team to find out more.
We know that there's lots of different factors and life events which may cause vulnerability, whether it be long-term or on a temporary basis. It could be because of age, a physical or learning disability, or difficulty in communicating. We also understand that challenging events like bereavement or separating from a partner can mean that you need extra support, to help keep you connected while you get back on your feet.
We'll do our very best to offer you the right level of help and the most appropriate products and services. Our customer support team will always try to identify specific needs and give specialised assistance where it's needed. However, it's not always easy for them to know if you're having difficulties, so please let our team know if you think they could help.
If you're in a vulnerable situation and need extra help, just contact us to let us know. We'll register it on your account and will consider your extra needs whenever you get in touch.
Also, if you'd like to, you can give permission for someone else to contact us on your behalf. Rest assured that we'll treat any information you provide in confidence and in accordance with data protection law.
Whilst we have high standards with customer handling, we have a specific policy when dealing with Elderly or Vulnerable Customers. This includes:
- Older People
- People who speak English as a second language
- Children and young people
- People with mental illness
- People with learning disabilities
- People with physical disabilities
- People with alcohol or drug use problems
When dealing with an elderly or vulnerable person our team are trained to speak clearly, confirm that the customer understands the information provided and to remain patient.
If at any point our staff feel the customer is not in the correct state of mind to proceed, they are trained to politely end the call.
All our team are trained to ensure an easy flow of two-way information is carried out on every call but specifically when engaging with elderly or vulnerable customers.
For example:
- Avoiding the temptation to just speak louder in reaction to
someone who does not speak English well or who is not necessarily retaining the
information you are giving
- Avoiding the use of metaphors or phrases that might confused, such as ‘second to none’
- Speak at a steady pace using standard, non-embellished, clear language.
Our team are instructed to never get angry or frustrated if a customer is not retaining the information or engaging in a two way conversation, they are trained to provide the website or contact details, advise the customer to have a look into it and contact us if the customer wishes to.
We have a responsibility to protect the interests of the elderly and vulnerable and to consider additional safeguarding steps.
For our customer service teams this means extended cooling off periods and ensure any transaction or correspondance with the customer is also provided to the customer through the post. This includes large font if required.
If we suspect a customer is elderly or vulnerable before placing any orders to transfer the customer we will contact the customer as a layer of protection to both the customer and Inspire to identify signs of vulnerability. We will confirm everything with the customer and again confirm if the customer is happy to proceed.
Our team are trained to always record elderly or vulnerable customers needs when inputting information into new business submission forms - this will ensure all existing and potential customers of Inspire Telecom are handled correctly from introduction.