Businesses that are ready to provide an inclusive customer experience to every demographic will have a much larger potential customer base than those that can not. There are an estimated 10,000,000 people in the United States who are members of the Deaf or hard-of-hearing community that companies can miss out on if they are not trained or equipped for them.
Let’s talk about how to bring accessibility and inclusivity to the corporate culture and how to improve business with the Deaf and hard of hearing.
Understanding Challenges Faced by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Deaf and hard of hearing community faces significant challenges when shopping for goods and services due to a language barrier and a lack of accessibility from the company they are interested in. This can lead to issues such as being unable to ask the staff questions about products or services or having frustrating customer service interactions due to misunderstandings.
These communication barriers can often leave the Deaf and hard of hearing with limited information about what your company offers, which can lead to lost sales since you cannot fully showcase what your product or service offers. Any in-store announcements that are done over a loudspeaker or PA system can be missed by the Deaf or hard of hearing, which means that you are not reaching all of your potential customers.
Customers who are Deaf or hard of hearing may not be able to fully take part in certain services and activities such as concerts due to a lack of accessibility. Although many people who are not well informed about the Deaf Culture may think that concerts are for those who can hear, many have sign language interpreters. This allows the Deaf and hard of hearing, who may be there to feel the pounding of the music and watch the visual effects, to enjoy the lyrics as well.
Taking the time to improve communication accessibility will go a long way in creating a more inclusive customer experience, leading to more business for your company.
Related: Top Ways to Communicate with a Deaf Person
Accessibility Measures and Solutions
Many corporations and other organizations have taken measures to improve accessibility for the Deaf and hard of hearing. Here are some of the more effective measures and solutions that have been implemented in some businesses that have enhanced communication accessibility.
One of the solutions that has been successful was the adoption of assistive technologies. Video relay systems, which the Deaf and hard of hearing use to communicate with friends who are hearing via a trained sign language interpreter, significantly reduce delays and misunderstandings when communicating leading to much more positive customer service interactions.
Mobile apps that offer sign language services or communication support have become some of the most powerful communication tools available to the Deaf community. Apps like Bridg’d provide comprehensive translation services that enable the Deaf and hard of hearing to have an effective conversation in real-time with someone who does not know sign language, tearing down communication barriers. This reduces the need for a business to have a trained interpreter on staff since any employee with a mobile device like a tablet or smartphone can easily communicate with the Deaf community, making their business much more inclusive.
Deaf Culture training is another measure that organizations have taken to enhance communication accessibility and tear down the misconceptions about the Deaf community. Companies have also redesigned their websites to be more accessible to the Deaf and hard of hearing, which leads to increased sales.
Are you looking to provide a welcoming and inclusive shopping experience for your Deaf customers? Check out Bridg’d for the best way to enhance communication accessibility.
Innovative Approaches in Service Provision
Organizations have come up with incredibly innovative ways to make communication more accessible for the Deaf community. Interactive apps or informational in-store kiosks that provide visual or written information on products, services, promotional deals, or map out the location of stores in commercial buildings like shopping malls, make information more accessible to everyone, especially the Deaf and hard of hearing.
Implementing closed captioning or translators in videos, public address systems, and live events such as concerts will make products and services more accessible and attractive for the Deaf community. Adding an option for chat-based customer support services will also make it easier to provide the proper level of customer service to members of the Deaf community.
Training employees on mobile apps like Bridg’d and providing mobile devices for use at work when interacting with the Deaf and hard of hearing will make sure that they have all the tools needed to provide all of your customers with the highest level of customer service and make them feel at ease. Since customers who have excellent customer service experiences tend to spend much more money, making your business more inclusive to the Deaf community is an extremely smart business decision.
Related: Closed Caption vs. Open Caption: Knowing the Difference
Collaborations and Community Engagement
Collaboration between companies and the Deaf community is a mutually beneficial arrangement. Companies and corporations that invite feedback from Deaf customers and use it to improve their customer service will have access to many more potential customers than their competitors that do not provide an inclusive customer experience.
Businesses that engage with the Deaf community will create a significant amount of goodwill and trust between them. Showing a commitment to building an inclusive customer experience will do wonders to increase customer loyalty and how customers who value social responsibility view your brand.
Do you want to provide your employees with the tools needed to provide excellent customer service to the Deaf community? Give Bridg’d a try risk-free using our free 7-day trial!
Future Outlook and Ongoing Efforts
The future holds a lot in store for the Deaf and hard of hearing as technological advances will make the process of purchasing goods and services much more accessible. Successful companies are rapidly evolving to meet the needs of every potential customer, including the Deaf community.
Make sure that you give your employees the tools needed to communicate with the Deaf and hard of hearing so that you can create a welcoming and inclusive shopping experience for every customer by utilizing the Bridg’d mobile app at all of your store locations.
Related: Introducing: Bridg’d App | Deaf and Hard of Hearing – Life Changing Technology
