Insights

Empathy in action: How identifying vulnerable customers can improve CX

No two customers are the same. Some may have a straightforward query that you’re able to solve in a matter of moments. Others, meanwhile, may need extra care for any number of reasons – and recognizing these vulnerabilities is not just a matter of good service; it’s a necessity.

In this blog, we’ll explore what vulnerability in this context means, why identifying it is crucial, and how doing so can enhance the overall customer experience. 

What do we mean by vulnerability?

Vulnerability in customer interactions refers to individuals who may be experiencing temporary or long-term challenges that impact their ability to engage with your business. Vulnerability could include any of the following:  

• Temporary challenges: such as bereavement, job loss, or illness.
• Long-term conditions: including disabilities, learning difficulties, chronic illnesses, and mental health issues.
• Language barriers: where the customer may be using a second language.
• Financial hardship: individuals struggling with debt or financial insecurity.
• Addiction-related issues: for example, those affected by problem gambling.
• Emotional distress or anxiety: particularly in high-stress situations such as dealing with financial institutions, healthcare providers, or crisis services.

Some people may experience multiple vulnerabilities at once, which means confidently handling these complex interactions can be tricky. But understanding and recognizing these vulnerabilities is just the first step.

Why identifying vulnerability is crucial

As well as being the right thing to do, recognizing vulnerable customers is increasingly becoming a regulatory requirement. 

Frameworks such as Consumer Duty emphasize that financial firms must deliver fair outcomes for all customers, particularly those in vulnerable situations. Meanwhile, energy regulator Ofgem also places specific emphasis on identifying vulnerability in customers.

“…not all companies may be taking the appropriate steps to identify vulnerability and then tailoring their approach to treat these customers fairly and appropriately.”

Non-compliance to such regulations can have severe implications – from hefty financial penalties, to reputational risk. 

Beyond compliance, identifying vulnerability allows businesses to do so much more for their customers, offering a more personalized and meaningful service – which we’ll dive into more now.

How to drive positive outcomes for vulnerable customers

Identifying vulnerability is one thing – but you’ll need to act on the information you have to really bring about tangible change for your customers. Here’s three ways you can do exactly that: 

1. Offer targeted support

By identifying specific vulnerabilities, you can make the switch from being reactive to proactive, having a significant impact on wellbeing. 

For example, if you’re a gambling and gaming operator that identifies a customer at risk of problem gambling, you could connect them with dedicated support resources and opt them out of specific offers or messages that might contribute to their struggles. 

Or perhaps you’re a pet insurance provider. A customer gets in touch to cancel their insurance due to pet bereavement. The contract is easily cancelled, and you have an automated email in place especially for this situation. It thanks them for being a customer and expresses your condolences, with links to some pet loss resources. It’s a personal touch in an otherwise difficult time.

2. Reduce accessibility barriers

Recognizing different customer needs enables businesses to design inclusive customer journeys.

One of the best ways for contact centers to do this is by offering alternative communication methods – such as voice, chat, or text-based support. Doing so ensures that customers with disabilities, language barriers, or anxiety can access services in ways that suit them best, without causing unnecessary stress.

The FCA offered up the following as an example of good practice for identifying vulnerability and then taking action to improve accessibility:

“Good practice we observed included a firm that had a ‘care flag’ in place for relevant customers’ accounts… The firm then makes additional provisions to improve the value proposition for these customers, such as help from the customer support team to fill out forms.”

For self-service options, it’s well worth looking into inclusive design practices, particularly when it comes to forms and reducing the need for customers to contact you.

3. Reinforcing agent training

Once you’ve identified where vulnerabilities are typically found among your customer base, you can then tailor training programs for your agents too. 

Contact center staff who are well-equipped to navigate sensitive situations with empathy and expertise are able to create a positive and supportive experience for vulnerable customers.

Let’s say you have an older customer audience. This demographic is typically more likely to gravitate towards voice channels for customer service, so you’ll want to invest in a solid training program that prioritizes active listening and empathy for your agents to get the best outcomes.

The benefits of supporting vulnerable customers

It may feel like a lot of work to be able to identify customer vulnerabilities (more on that in a second), but standing out for providing exceptional, personalized service can give you a competitive edge. 

Ultimately, customers remember how they were treated and how it made them feel – and this can be even more impactful in times of need. Those who experience empathy, care, and tailored support are more likely to remain loyal and advocate for a brand. 

In fact, Forbes research found that 81% of customers prefer companies that offer a personalized experience.

And if you’ve got corporate social responsibility goals, or commitments to ethical and inclusive practices, providing support for vulnerable customers goes hand-in-hand.

How to identify customer vulnerabilities

So how does all this work in practice? It’s not feasible to identify customer vulnerabilities across 100% of your interactions.

Actually, with evaluagentCX, you can.

Our dedicated xVulnerability metric analyzes all your customer conversations to detect signs of vulnerability. Using generative AI, it’ll also summarize why it believes that customer to be vulnerable. Combined with our other innovative features like predictive metrics and AI Insight Topics, you can quickly build a picture of where your customers need more help.

You can then leverage automated workflows to route these specific conversations to QA teams for deeper analysis, helping to improve agent performance while you develop ways to offer targeted support. 

Detecting vulnerability in your customer interactions is a powerful way to improve customer experience, ensure fair treatment, and evidence to regulators that you’re providing great outcomes. With a powerful platform like evaluagent, you can take a truly human-centered approach to customer service.

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