DMA produces guide for contact centres to help deal with ‘vulnerable consumers’
Contact centres are set to be issues with new guidelines from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) with the aim of helping them improve the way they deal with vulnerable consumers, including those with dementia, a limited understanding of English or mental health issues.
The DMA’s Guidelines for call centres dealing with vulnerable consumers sets out for call centres and companies engaged with telemarketing practical guidance on how to identify and manage a call with someone they believe is unable to make an informed decision.
Elaine Lee, chair of the DMA Contact Centres & Telemarketing Council, said: "The marketing industry needs to increase its efforts to ensure that companies can identify vulnerable consumers and understand how best to meet their needs. However, it’s not easy to identify those within our communities who are vulnerable when selling at a distance.
“We’ve produced a clear set of practical guidelines to enable organisations provide helpful and supportive sales and customer service to those struggling to remain independent. This initiative will provide further industry safeguards to protect and help society's most vulnerable people. We urge all organisations to implement these guidelines."
The DMA will roll out the guidelines to the industry, which comprises more than 5,000 call centres and employs more than one million people.
The unveiling of the guidelines follows the release of Prime Minister’s challenge on dementia, which aims to deliver major improvements in dementia care for the 670,000 people in the UK living with dementia.
Jeremy Hughes, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society, added: “Call centre staff may speak to people with dementia on a day-to-day basis so ensuring they can recognise the condition is vital. Someone with dementia may be confused during a call and sign up for a product they don’t need or can’t afford, which is bad for both the company involved and the person.
“Dementia is the biggest health challenge facing society and all of us have a role to play in tackling the condition. These guidelines represent a welcome step from the direct marketing industry to ensure that vulnerable consumers are protected. We now need all organisations across the industry to play their part by signing up to this valuable initiative.”