Have you considered the importance of accessibility in your business as a key factor for your customer experience?
Travelling is something we’ve all learnt to love. By 2025, the UK tourism industry is estimated to be worth over £257 billion. Over 38 million people are estimated to travel to the UK every year. It’s understandable as the UK has some of the most breath-taking landscapes, where we also host the most music festivals in Europe!
During a time of uncertainty, it’s clear how we’ve all taken for granted how easy it is to leave the house. However, for those living with disabilities, travelling to a new place can be a daunting experience.
Almost 20% of the UK population have a disability where accessibility is key when leaving the house
Source: ABTA
Plenty of research must be completed to understand if all their accessibility requirements are met. Most importantly, recommendations passed on via online communities play an important role in understanding how comfortable their visit will be.
In 2015, disabled people contributed £12 billion to the UK tourism industry. Data also suggests disabled travellers spend 10% more than able-bodied travellers
Source: ABTA
Why should I improve the accessibility of my business?
Many organisations have recognised the importance in valuing their disabled customers by considering all their requirements. Improving accessibility will keep customers happy and build their confidence in your business. It really is a win-win situation!
Everyone knows that feeling of panic when you realise you have lost something important. Travelling with a disability often means that high-value, essential and occasionally custom-made equipment will be taken on the journey. But when these vital items are lost, this can cause a holiday to finish abruptly, resulting in distress. The result? A follow-up from an angry customer if no simple solution is in place to reunite them with their belongings
Improve customer experience by prioritising accessibility
Venues around the UK are always looking at ways to improve their customer experience. No matter what language someone speaks or disability they have, organisations want to make their services inclusive and ensure everyone has a magnificent experience.
Additionally, good customer service can make one organisation stand out from another. It will keep your customers loyal to you and your business, and you’ll gain a fantastic reputation simply by their good reviews.
What does lost property have to do with accessibility?
Customers have the right to get in contact with any venue where they believe they lost their possessions. That could be your company.
The lost property experience is one that can elicit either a good or bad experience. So, why is the lost property process overlooked? It may be hard to fathom how lack of a simple process in place can cause customers to think negatively of their trip. However, every good, or bad, experience is memorable and leaves a lasting impression.
Here are a few reasons why you should implement a robust and easy to use lost property system:
1) Free up staff time
Surprisingly, lost property can take up to 20 hours of staff time when there is no simple system in place. The NotLost platform has shown to reduce time spent on lost property management by 80%. Having an organised and searchable structure gives your staff the tools they need to help customers quicker.
Ultimately, your staff are the key to great customer service.
2) Offer flexible return options
Many organisations are happy for customers to come in person to collect their lost property. However, this might be impossible for many.
Wherever they might be in the world, the NotLost platform gives your customers the option to select a return option suits them best, whilst making sure you aren’t out of pocket at the same time. Offer a flexible return process to enhance your accessibility.
3) Reduce time spent on enquiries
Is your customer service team feeling the pressure, inundated with phone calls about lost property? On average, it takes 10 minutes to help a customer with their enquiry.
Give your customers the option of a straightforward, accessible lost property form on your website. This will help to obtain accurate information, to complete every enquiry in less than half the time.
Why think about accessibility whilst we can’t go anywhere?
We’re all craving to go back out and have some fun! It might seem foolish to focus on creating an accessible lost property process when your doors are closed. However, that is exactly why now is the perfect time to understand your current process. Take the time to analyse whether it is suitable for everyone to use.
Take advantage of this uncertain, quiet period to get a powerful system in place. Then when everything goes back to normal – it’s ready to use!