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How do you provide good customer service to people who are blind or vision impaired?
It’s assistance with three As…
Approach
Assist
Ask
Approach
• If you suspect someone may need a hand, walk up, greet them and identify yourself.
• Always say your name and if appropriate say your role, e.g. “Hello, it’s Mary, the Customer Service Assistant”.
What do I say when I approach a person who is blind or vision impaired? How do I approach them?
Ask
• Ask: “Would you like some help?”
• The person will accept your offer or tell you if they don’t require assistance.
Assist
Assistance is generally:
• describing
As you Assist you can also Ask
or
or• guiding
• a combination of both
• Speak naturally but clearly.
• Continue to use body language.
• Use everyday language. Don’t avoid words like “see” and “look”.
Assist – describing
One of the most common ways to help is by describing objects or
locations.• Use accurate and specific language like left / right, top /
bottom, e.g. “the door is to your left” rather than “the door is over there”.
• Use the clock face to help describe locations, e.g. “the pen is at 12 o’clock”.
• Explain what you are doing or what you are about to do.
• Describe change when you hand it back, e.g. “I have your €11 change – a €10 note and a €1 coin”.
Assist – describing
Exercise 1: Please describe…
Assist – describing
Exercise 2: Please describe…
Assist – describing
Assist – guiding
Sometimes physical assistance is required to help someone who is
blind or vision impaired – remember not to grab, push or pull.
Situations when physical assistance may be needed are:
• Guiding a customer’s hand so they can find an object, for example, a pen to sign their name.
• When a customer asks you to guide them somewhere.
Signed ………………………………
Exercise 3: Obtain signatures with or without a signature guide…
Assist – guiding
Being a sighted guide
Getting started…
• Make contact by touching the back of their hand with the back of your hand.
• Say, “take my arm”.
Assist – guiding
Being a sighted guideWalking…
As you ASSIST you can also ASK
• Watch out for obstacles above, below and to the sides.
• You should be half a step ahead.
• Walk at a pace that is comfortable for both of you and stop to explain obstacles if necessary.
• Relax!
Assist – guiding
Exercise 4: Being a sighted guide…
Remember…
• Make contact by speaking or touch.
• Walk at a pace that is comfortable for both of you.
Assist – guiding
As you ASSIST you can also ASK
Approach
Assist
Ask
In summary
Remember…
Assistance is a partnership – if you aren’t sure of the best way to help, check back with the customer.
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