Firms urged to assist vulnerable customers, employees amid economic crisis

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — Organizations must take more action to support vulnerable customers during the economic crisis, said Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) UK Public Sector Development Director Rob Irons.

According to Irons, “vulnerable customers” now extend to people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, not just older and disabled people.

Irons states that businesses must adapt and meet these new challenges while ensuring contact center agents can communicate with customers empathetically.

Given customers’ varying preferences across different age groups and demographics, he added that there is a need to create the right environment to help and support customers across all communications channels.

As a solution, the HGS Director suggested re-training agents to develop their empathy and listening skills. Managers must also allow agents to have longer conversations with vulnerable customers to build trust and ensure the best help possible.

Externally, businesses need to effectively communicate what support they can offer and how so people know what to expect before they reach out.

Irons also emphasized that an employee’s well-being is crucial to ensure they’re coping well and can support customers without negatively impacting their mental health.

HGS is a global leader in Business Process Management (BMP) service that supports all phases of the customer service process. The firm ranked #134 in the Time Doctor OA500, the world’s first objective index of the top 500 outsourcing companies.

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