A warm welcome to all
Exceptional customer service is important for all customers. But it is especially important for customers who may require specific services or facilities to enjoy your services.
This page provides help and information on how you can improve your inclusive customer experience. This includes expert advice from Mike Adams OBE, CEO of Purple and founder of Purple Tuesday.
Why is inclusive customer service important?
70%
of disabled people won't return to a business after receiving poor customer service.
Loyalty
Disabled customers have a higher level of brand loyalty than any other customer group.
75%
of disabled visitors will tell others about a positive experience with a business.
25%
of disabled visitors will post about a positive experience on social media.
Sources: Purple, 2023 and Euan's Guide Access Survey, 2022
1. Top tips to improve your customer service
-
Staff training
Train your staff to help them become confident in providing great service to all customers.
See our calendar for latest industry training and events opportunities.
-
Staff awareness
Ensure that your staff are aware of your business’ inclusive/accessible practices, policies, and facilities, and can confidently answer questions about them.
-
Understand your customer
Take the time to understand your customer’s needs but don’t make assumptions about the type of adjustments required. Instead ask "can I help?" or "how can I help?". Not all customers will want or require help.
-
Think about all your customers
Ensure that emergency evacuation plans are considerate of all customers and be ready to explain these procedures when required.
-
Get feedback
Request feedback to find out what your customers think and use this to improve your offering.
2. Training resources for inclusive customer service
Providing training is a great way of helping your staff feel confident in giving a great experience for all customers.
Having confident staff to support all your customers needs can make a massive difference to your customers and your business. 77% of disabled customers agree that staff training can increase a venue’s accessibility.
Disability essentials - online course
This course will give your staff confidence in their engagement with disabled people. It uniquely combines legal requirements with the lived experience of disabled people.
It's also a time-efficient way to gain the knowledge. This knowledge helps provide the best inclusive customer service. The course modules cover:
- what do people mean by the word "disability"
- types of disability conditions
- how to provide a great service for all customers
- language surrounding disabilities
Dr Gregory Burke, the founder of AccessAble, wrote the course content. Dr Burke is a practicing employment and discrimination barrister and disabled person.
We are making this resource available to tourism businesses for free. It is on a first come, first served basis. Once you register, you can do the course all in one go, or stop at any point and comeback to it.
At the end of each module there is a short multiple-choice test with the pass rate of 70%. After you have successfully completed the modules you will receive a training certificate.
Welcoming all customers training course
This is a one-day classroom-style customer service course. It can help you improve your customer service for disabled customers.
Discover how small changes and a positive attitude can make all the difference.
Participants will learn about:
- adopting a positive attitude to all customers and anticipating accessibility requirements
- successful communication styles to identify customer needs
- the business benefits of accessibility and inclusivity
- legal obligations and types of discrimination
Experienced trainers deliver this session in an interactive way throughout. It will include activities, exercises, and discussions.
The participant’s guide contains practical tips and reminders. It'll show you how to make facilities and services accessible and inclusive.
Participants also receive a jointly branded VisitScotland / Welcome to Excellence attendance certificate.
The in-house course has an introductory price of £950 +VAT, maximum 16 people. The price includes course materials and training certification for each participant.
Trainer travel and accommodation (if required) are additional to the course fee and are charged at cost.
Purple Tuesday
This free initiative supports organisations to improve their customer experience for disabled people. It operates 365 days a year.
To be part of the initiative, businesses must make at least one commitment to change practice that leads to greater accessibility. Commitments can be simple. For example, you might commit to training your customer-facing staff in accessibility. Or you might want to create an accessibility guide.
Each year, they celebrate these changes made as part of a global disabled customer celebration day in November.
We're one of the official tourism sector partners for Purple Tuesday.
Visit purpletuesday.co for more information and how to get involved.
Purple 365 webinar series
This webinar series focuses on increase knowledge and understanding of the disability market. Each month, topic experts share handy hints, tips, and guides. Staff can watch all recorded webinars in their own time the following day.
Scottish tourism businesses can benefit from free access to Purple's monthly webinars. Access the 365 webinar schedule for 2024 and registration form on purpletuesday.co.
Purple customer service free e-tutorials
Mike Adams OBE, CEO of Purple, has also created a series of short tutorials. Each tutorial lasts from 10 to 16 minutes. The tutorials cover a range of topics. These include:
- tips for serving disabled customers
- cover disability language and etiquette
- how to make your website more accessible
3. Further resources on inclusive customer service
Become dementia-friendly
visitscotland.orgRead our practical business guide for dementia-friendly tourism.
Guidance for businesses
equalityhumanrights.comBrowse guidance for businesses on various topics with regards to equality.
Easy does it
visitscotland.orgBrowse our series of simple, low-cost changes to benefit you and your visitors.
Inclusive and accessible events
visitscotland.orgRead our guide for organisers of inclusive and accessible events.
Deaf awareness tips
deafaction.orgBrowse some simple deaf awareness tips to help improve communication with deaf customers.
Website accessibility and usability
rnib.org.ukFind some simple steps to make your website more accessible.
4. Services to help improve your customer service
-
WelcoMe
This web app enables disabled customers to communicate their needs and requirements in advance of arriving at your venue.
It'll also give you real-time accessibility tips for your staff on how best to support the disabled customer on their arrival at your venue.
Deaf Action
They offer advice and training to improve customer service for deaf people. Deaf Action can advise venues on equipment and adaptions to better cater for deaf customers.
They also offer a low cost online British sign language training course.
Tourism for All
They offer advice and staff training for businesses looking to improve their accessibility.
RNIB
They offer training and other advice services to help businesses become accessible for people with sight loss.
Dementia Friends Scotland
A free learning initiative offered by Alzheimer Scotland to raise awareness of dementia. They share simple and practical changes businesses can do to become more dementia friendly.