Good customer service can make all the difference and guarantee loyal customers. Positive shopping experiences translate into better engagement with products and services and increased spending and customer loyalty.
Communication:
- Encourage employees to speak clearly but not to use a tone that is exaggerated or overly simple words when speaking to older customers, this can be interpreted as “senior-speak” or talking down.
- Don’t shout or speak overly loud to customers who seem to have difficulty understanding.
- Train staff not to assume hearing loss or raise their voice above a normal level when speaking to older customers.
- Train staff to lower the pitch of their voice when speaking to someone who has difficulty hearing instead of raising their voice. Lower pitched voices tend to be heard more clearly.
- Train staff to speak to older adult customers rather than deferring to their companions or caregivers.
- Assure that the business is easily accessible by telephone and calls are answered by a person
- Assure systems are in place for customers to be able to make delivery orders online, by phone, or in person.
- Staff members and elected officials are trained on dementia-related matters
Customer Service
- Train staff to be aware of and assist those with vision and hearing challenges
- Encourage staff to be respectful and patient with all customers and give staff the option to provide extra customer service as they see fit.
- Train employees to respect the tastes and/or preferences of all customers, regardless of age.
- Train staff to recognize signs that someone needs physical or medical assistance
- Train staff to recognize signs that someone is being physically, emotionally, or financially abused.
- Provide training on how to handle incidents such as falls or medical needs while preserving customers’ dignity as much as possible
- Make sure staff are available to help read product labels, get products down from shelves or offer other directions.
- Offer assistance with carry-out of purchases when possible.
- If you don’t normally offer delivery, consider offering it on a case-by-case basis to those that need it.
- Develop a plan for an anticipated or unforeseen disaster and consider the needs of older people and how your services and products might help to meet this need.
- Train staff on dementia-related matters