What kind of advisor would you want your mum to speak to?
That’s my benchmark for service providers.
Yes, I want someone to be great at the nuts and bolts of their job. But to be a human first.
Attuned to clients and operating with empathy.
I was thinking of this yet again this week as I sorted out my mum’s departure from her (awful) utilities company.
I reckon it’s imperative (not just desirable) that organisations get better at fulfilling their obligations towards vulnerable clients like my mum – elderly, a widow and profoundly deaf.
In terms of how NOT to do it, I think up there has to be my experience with them recently when, upon explaining her disability to them on the phone (yet again), they asked me to hold the phone to her ear before shouting their instructions down it to her.
Cue me educating them about the fact that being profoundly deaf doesn’t mean a slight loss of hearing, but total loss.
Regulators are getting more and more hot on this stuff and more prone to imposing sanctions on organisations that get it wrong.
In the world of law, many firms I work with now have vulnerable clients policies. Hallelujah. But many don’t. And what of chambers?
And having such a policy is one thing. But following it is another. In future, I think the SRA will come down hard on firms that get this wrong.
How else can firms get it wrong?
– Don’t put all the onus on the client to tell you about their needs. Many vulnerabilities are invisible. Becoming attuned and reading between the lines is key. Some clients are nervous or reticent to talk about their vulnerabilities. My mum tends to try to lip read rather than use BSL. That presents issues with people whose faces she is not used to. She’s also reticent about telling people when she hasn’t understood them (something we can all relate to). The Law Society and SRA have made clear that the onus is not always on a vulnerable client to inform you of their disabilities. I think this will also become the case for other vulnerable clients.
– Ask the right questions. It’s crucial with clients to ask open (or, as I call them, ‘no way out’ questions) to get to the heart of whether they’ve understood you or not. Don’t ask “do you have any questions?”. Ask them “what have you made of what I’ve said?”.
– Keep a list of potential adjustments and resources (BSL interpreters for example) at their fingertips so you’re ready to discuss with clients what’s possible.
– Having family members/friends involved can be helpful when working with vulnerable clients. But please don’t talk to them instead of your client. It’s SO patronising.
– Conduct risk assessments for all clients. Sounds a bit OTT? Actually it’s just about being aware of red flags. Have they gone quiet recently? Do they seem isolated? Lacking in a support network?
What do you think?