Lesson 7 – Avoiding Labels, Stereotypes and Assumptions

Vulnerability should never be used as a negative label.

Employees should not assume that a customer:

1. Cannot make decisions because they are elderly;
2. Does not understand because English is not their first language;
3. Needs help because they use a wheelchair;
4. Is unreliable because they have a mental-health condition;
5. Cannot afford a property because they receive benefits;
6. Has memory difficulties because they repeat a question;
7. Is being abused simply because another person attends; or
8. Does not require support because they appear confident.

Ask rather than assume

A respectful approach is:

“Would any adjustment or additional assistance help you during this process?”

Where a customer requests support, the employee should establish:

1. What barrier the customer is experiencing;
2. What assistance they are requesting;
3. Whether the employee can provide it;
4. Whether management approval is required;
5. Whether consent is needed to involve someone else; and
6. What information should be recorded.

Appropriate language

Records should describe facts and support needs.

Inappropriate record

“Customer is confused and mentally unstable.”

Appropriate record

“During the telephone call, the customer asked for the same payment information to be repeated three times. At the customer’s request, a written summary was emailed following the call.”

The appropriate record describes what occurred without making an unsupported medical judgment.