As you read this blog I want you to look at two other people in the office, home or wherever you are. The statistics show that one of you (one in three) will have a disability in your lifetime. Another fact is that there are 17 million people in the UK that either have a disability or are a carer. Across the world 18.5 per cent of the population has a disability.
I find these figures staggering when the service provided to disabled people is usually well below the customer service level of non-disabled people. The big question is why?
One answer may be found in research carried out by BT last year. This showed that 65 per cent of the general public would not go to the help of a disabled person even if they were having an epileptic fit. The reasons given were:
- Fear of doing the wrong thing
- Making matters worse
- Fear of litigation if they did something wrong.
This shows that training staff is vitally important and has an important place in everyone’s training plan. These attitudes must be changed if you want to provide outstanding customer service to all your guests and gain your share of the conference market for disabled people. Remember it only takes one wheelchair user to sell a conference for 200 people.
I booked a meeting room recently as part of a mystery guest visit. Nobody asked if I or anyone else in the party had an impairment and if it had been a genuine booking then we would have been put in a very nice meeting room. The problem would have been that it was miles from the front door and a long way from an accessible toilet. Not much good for anyone with mobility impairment. You need to provide training and check that your processes are fit for purpose and those all start with what is on your website and how the enquiry is handled.
How do you deal with this market? Are your staff trained and confident to deal with accessibility information?
If so you will not only have a fabulous Christmas but be in a great position for a successful 2014. I wish you both.
Any comments? Email jdavis@mashmedia.net
