Deaf and hard of hearing people are often an afterthought when companies design customer experience workflows, and those companies are leaving money on the table, according to Greg Pollock, division president of CSD Access at Communication Service for the Deaf.
There are 11.5 deaf and hard of hearing customers in the U.S., according to CSD data. These shoppers represent $175 billion in discretionary spending. However, their customer service experience hasn’t changed much in decades.
Many organizations still guide deaf and hard of hearing customers to separate customer service numbers for teletypewriter devices, according to Pollock. Relay services, in which a third party proficient in American Sign Language acts as a translator between the customer and contact center, are available but have their own challenges.
Deaf and hard of hearing people’s customer service challenges can start before they even call the contact center. There are legitimate financial benefits for companies willing to improve accessibility, but leaders need to start by giving all their customers a seat at the table when designing customer service journeys.
Technology by itself isn’t a cure, but the tools for better, more accessible customer service operations are available, according to Pollock. Companies can meet the needs of their deaf and hard of hearing shoppers if they are willing to put in the effort.
“Everybody who is in a leadership position wants to have their own legacy, and that legacy can be creating a better experience,” Pollock told CX Dive.
Problems begin before the contact center
The challenges deaf and hard of hearing people face with customer service often start before they even need to get in touch with a company.
One example is problems at airport gates, according to Pollock. Many airlines will leave a sign at customer service desks when there aren’t any representatives available. The signs usually have a QR code that will automatically call the number for a customer service line, which is insufficient for a deaf person to relay their problem to the company,
“It really leaves out deaf people from that experience altogether,” Pollock said. “They have to figure out how to work around that and get connected with the airline.”
Problems can still arise when a deaf or hard of hearing person uses a relay service, according to Pollock. The issue is that the translators are picked based on availability, which can sometimes make legitimate calls come across as fraudulent if the relay service agent’s voice doesn’t match the customer’s name.
“If a female interpreter picks up and they are calling my bank, my bank rep is gonna hear a female voice saying, ‘Hi, this is Greg Pollock,” Pollock said. “They're gonna say, ‘No, you're not.’ And then they're gonna hang up on me.”
The business benefits beyond doing the right thing
Making customer service accessible carries clear business benefits that go beyond most leaders’ initial expectations, according to Pollock.
“It's so important that businesses recognize it's more than just about doing the right thing by making the experience more accessible,” Pollock said. “You are tapping into a significant target audience.”
Companies willing to improve accessibility for their deaf and hard of hearing customers can expand their audience to others as well, according to Pollock. Shoppers who have positive experiences with a brand are more than happy to share them with friends and family.
One potentially hidden benefit of better service for deaf and hard of hearing people is shorter call times, according to Pollock. Customer service inquiries made through third-party relay services take about 30% to 40% longer than standard calls — costing customers time and contact centers money.
“I have to say something, the interpreter has to translate it, the rep has to process it and respond, the interpreter has to translate it, and then the deaf person responds,” Pollock said. “You are literally adding a third step to the conversation on the phone.”
Get started by offering a seat at the table
Companies have the ability to create customer service operations that are inclusive for deaf and hard of hearing people. It’s just a matter of putting in the effort.
“The easiest question to ask is: Can every customer use this?” Pollock said. “Can every customer navigate this? And if the answer is ‘no’ anywhere in that process, then how do you change that?”
A good strategy includes reaching out to organizations for their expertise and learning about the ideal experience for deaf and hard of hearing people contacting customer service, according to Pollock. If they have a seat at the table, the business gains better insight into the true customer journey.
“What are the experiences like for deaf people?” Pollock said. “I will tell you that some organizations are notorious for using a ‘my voice is my password’ type of mechanism. An IVR or AI will say, ‘Please tell me the reason for your call,’ and not all deaf and hard of hearing people can speak for themselves.”
Implementing technology to help
Better technology can help, but new tech alone does not create smooth experiences, according to Pollock.
AI, for example, has benefits and barriers. One of the immediate issues is that the major models are trained on English and thus do not understand American Sign Language.
“You're going to have a different experience than I am when you interface with a customer service rep that relies on AI to help pull up information to help with a decision tree,” Pollock said. “When I need to call, AI is not going to be able to understand me because I'm using sign language. I’m not using my voice.”
Despite the challenges, the most common scenarios can be easily fixed by leaders willing to include deaf and hard of hearing people in their customer journey mapping, according to Pollock.
One path CSD Access advocates is the inclusion of agents proficient in American Sign Language in call centers, according to Pollock. In a world where Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams are commonplace, call centers can incorporate video calling.
“The phone IVR model has not changed for 30 years,” Pollock said. “It has been exactly the same as it has always been with the exception of the addition of AI. So I would really encourage leaders to take a step back and think about how technology evolves and also have implications on the people that are relying on it.”
