Customer Service and Universal Access

Tammara Geary

A comedian once said, “have you ever noticed how many hotel employees hate guests, restaurant staff hate diners, teachers hate students, doctors hate patients?” It is a droll observation of the reality of customer services (or perhaps customer disservice would be a more accurate description) standards in many businesses.

Good customer service is essential to a business of any type, and it is a cornerstone of Universal Access. These are principles that every employment consultant who represents people with disabilities should know. Universal Access is defined as, “ensuring that an equivalent level of information regarding aid, benefits, services and training is provided to all populations of eligible participants.” This means anyone should be able to enter your organization or the employers you support, and receive services and use its resources, including its core, intensive, and training services.

The better job you do in serving all people who come into your organization and the businesses with whom you consult, the more likely you are to make it easier for a broad variety of customers to successfully access available services. Remember that as the population ages, more and more people will require the features of universal access.

Keep in mind that these points apply to all staff. It is also critically important for staff that have routine contact with the public to have excellent customer service skills. This includes computer or other help desk staff and the front desk or reception staff. As the first point of contact for people entering the “system,” front desk staff have a huge impact on the customer.

Make Everybody Feel Welcome
Make all people feel that they are in the right place, that they belong there. Help them to feel free to use services and ask for what they want or need.

Treat People with Respect and Courtesy
All too many people who have been into offices seeking benefits or other public services or assistance leave feeling disrespected and devalued. People deserve respect and courtesy no matter what their situation in life.

Focus on the Individual You Are Serving
Many offices are very busy places, and many staff have multiple roles and responsibilities. It is important to make the individual the center of your attention when working with them. For instance, career advisors should not be taking other calls, having people drop in their offices, etc. when working with somebody. It is also critical for the front desk or reception personnel attend to the person despite the multiple activities that go on in a reception area. Remember to stop, acknowledge people, and make eye contact.

Be Responsive
Make sure you understand what the person wants, and figure out how to help them get it. Sometimes people don’t ask for exactly what they want. Sometimes they don’t know. Sometimes they are embarrassed to ask for what they need (example: when someone can’t read). Responsiveness requires listening not only to what the person is saying, but also to the unspoken subtext. Help them identify what they want, and respond appropriately.

If You Can’t Help the Person, Find Somebody Who Can:
If you can’t help the person, don’t let them go. Don’t tell them to call back later and hang up the phone. Find somebody who can answer their question or respond to their need. If that person isn’t readily available tell the individual who they will need to talk to and contact that person yourself, inform them of the individual’s need, and have them make contact.

Follow Up to Make Sure Needs Were Met
If you hand-off questions or services to another staff person make sure they were able to help the person. Follow up to find out what happened or prompt the person to make the contact until you know the issue has been resolved.

Strive for Customer Satisfaction
Striving for customer satisfaction is striving for excellence. Striving for less is striving for mediocrity.

Don’t Overpromise
It is the kiss of death to promise more than you can deliver. It is a common mistake in customer service to say anything to make the customer happy at that moment. This is at best a short-term strategy. In the long-run it frustrates and alienates the customer and make the organization look bad.

Create an Environment That Encourages People to Request Assistance
It is essential that organizations make it easy to ask for and receive assistance. Many people are uncomfortable asking for help. Sometimes they feel embarrassed. Sometimes they feel stupid or inadequate for asking. Make it easy for people by placing signs, having staff routinely offer assistance to people, etc. And when somebody does make a request, it should be accommodated in a pleasant and helpful manner.

Focus on Abilities
Always focus on abilities. It doesn’t matter who you are talking about, a person with a disability or without, what’s important in a career development and job-seeking situation is ability and competence.

Don’t Stereotype
Our world is full or stereotypes and those stereotypes can affect the way we behave toward a person or a group of people. Learn to question yourself when you are responding negatively or making assumptions about a person. Identify what you are thinking and why. Get rid of the stereotypes, they can only hurt people

Make It Easy to Ask For and Receive Accommodation
Just as some people don’t like to ask for help, some people don’t like to ask for accommodation. Make accommodation part of the range of assistance services you offer. You can place a list of readily available accommodations within the center available in key locations (front desk, help desk, computer or resource are, etc) including a note that indicates if what they need is not on the list they should ask. It also helps to offer accommodation when you think it may be needed.

Examples:
Ramps
Powered doors
Accessible bathrooms
Raised tables
Braille signs
Door levers
Clearly marked directions and stations
Large print signs
Lower counter/desk
Easy on-off faucets, hand dryers, etc.
Good lighting
Wide doors

Also, can the person use the services and programs to the same extent as other customers? With basic modifications in place, the broadest range of people should be able to access services and programs.

Examples:
TTY
Interpreters
Braille Materials
Modified work stations
Print enlarger
Everyone feels welcomed and feels like they are a desired customer
All offered assistance filling out forms, applications, etc.
Larger monitors
Speech capacity on equipment
Scanners
Materials available in large print, by internet, and other formats