How to Provide Elderly People with High-Quality Customer Service

We read a lot about the quality customer service experience provided to the millennials and the importance to satisfy them with good customer care. There is a little discussion to help the senior people or the elderly. In the physical stores, senior people are always treated differently considering their age and comfort level. So why would virtual assistance be different? Here they should also be treated differently than the millennials. Being a BPO call center service, this is a challenge to deal with the senior people as it comes with a unique set of requirements. The interaction would be the same as millennials and middle-aged people. The reasons are the following –

• • They are mostly not tech-savvy
  • Health deterioration often leads to hearing and memory loss
  • Often have issues remembering things and keep on repeating themselves
  • Slow communication
  • Do not like to be dependent

Elderly people often get issues understanding the very basics of modern technologies such as fixing basic computer problems or resolving a billing issue. Therefore, the BPO company agents in the United States need to pay extra attention to elderly people. Here are some suggestions to make them feel good and valued –

Show Respect

This is a common pet peeve of the seniors to make them feel patronized or belittled while interacting with the BPO call center service agents who are younger than them. Elderly people might communicate slowly but they are not stupid. Instead of turning them down or making them feel low, start acknowledging their wisdom and treating them the way you behave with others. Making the seniors understand anything may take a little more time to reach a resolution. This is your challenge to not get frustrated in such situations.

Write Things

Elderly people often are forgetful and often could not present the queries properly. From your end, you can write things down for their convenience. The whole process will be easier for them and help in a better way.

Give Coupons

Old age means no regular income for most people but the regular expenses remain the same with added ones like medicine and more. When the finance funds are going down, giving them special coupons for your service, will make them satisfied like anything. Since the senior adults mostly live off their retirement funds, coupons mean a lot to them.

Have Patience

Seniors often take a longer time than expected to explain their concerns to the customer service agents. You need to be patient with them, listen to them carefully, and respond accordingly. Dealing the seniors with patience is the key to delivering the required resolution. Senior adults can be impatient, and might not be able to explain their queries but you must not be annoyed, irritated, or frustrated. Listen very carefully and try to collect as much as information possible. This is surely going to help you to give the solution quickly.

Better Communication Technique

Whilst the millennials like self-help tools but the older generation like someone face to face or talk directly to get solutions for their problems. Having said that, when you are getting engaged in a communication with a senior, check your tones, language, and calmness. Verbal communication will be successful when you are well-versed in different communication forms. Try to maintain a cheerful, yet helpful attitude to make the live customer experiences successful.

Listen to Them

Many elderly people are lonely. They do not always intend to talk more or share a story while explaining their concerns but they cannot help it. Listening oftentimes goes a long way. Try not to cut their stories short. The problem-solving session will be more pleasant when you listen to them with interest, no matter what the topic is.

Make Sure They Understand

With their age, seniors may need more time to understand what you are saying than youngsters. Make sure you take the time to make them understand the solution to their problem. Do not leave unless you are assured that seniors have absorbed everything you have said. And remember, if they said they have understood, that does not necessarily mean they truly have comprehended everything. Always keep a soft and pleasant tone while talking to them, not a grilling one.

Memory Issues

Irrespective of age, we tend to forget instructions and other details required to resolve an issue. Seniors are more forgetful. So while assisting seniors, make sure they understand and memorize everything.

No Company Jargon

Every business, companies, and organizations have own jargon that they use internally. While speaking to the seniors, make sure you do not use anything such. Using internal language with a senior would make them confused as they would not be able to associate and connect.

Every communication with a senior does not always go smooth and perfect even after applying these principles. However, if you are putting concentrated efforts to make a senior satisfied with the concerns, the risks of losing the customers will reduce. This is the capability of the agents of the BPO companies in the United States.