Insights

How identifying vulnerability improves customer experience

No two customers are the same. Some may have a straightforward query that you’re able to solve in a matter of moments. Others, meanwhile, may need extra care for any number of reasons – and recognizing these vulnerabilities is not just a matter of good service; it’s a necessity.

In this blog, we’ll explore what vulnerability in this context means, why identifying it is crucial, and how doing so can enhance the overall customer experience. 

What do we mean by ‘vulnerable customers’?

Vulnerability in customer interactions refers to individuals who may be experiencing temporary or long-term challenges, or personal circumstances, that impact their ability to engage with your business. Vulnerability could include any of the following:  

• Temporary challenges: such as bereavement, job loss, illness, or challenging life events.
• Long-term conditions: including disabilities, learning difficulties, chronic illnesses, and mental health issues.
• Language barriers: where the customer may be using a second language.
• Financial hardship: individuals struggling with debt or financial insecurity.
• Addiction-related issues: for example, those affected by problem gambling.
• Emotional distress or anxiety: particularly in high-stress situations such as dealing with financial institutions, healthcare providers, or crisis services.

Some people may experience multiple vulnerabilities at once, which means confidently handling these complex interactions as contact centre agents can be tricky. But understanding and recognizing these vulnerabilities is just the first step.

Why identifying vulnerability is crucial

As well as being the right thing to do, recognizing vulnerable customers and treating them fairly is increasingly becoming a regulatory requirement. 

Frameworks such as Consumer Duty emphasize that financial firms must deliver fair outcomes for all customers, particularly those in vulnerable situations. Meanwhile, energy regulator Ofgem also places specific emphasis on identifying vulnerability in customers.

“…not all companies may be taking the appropriate steps to identify vulnerability and then tailoring their approach to treat these customers fairly and appropriately.”

Non-compliance to such regulations can have severe implications – from hefty financial penalties, to reputational risk. 

Beyond compliance, identifying sensitivity and acknowledging vulnerable circumstances allows businesses to do so much more for their customers, offering a more personalized and meaningful service – which we’ll dive into more now.

How vulnerability appears in customer conversations

Customer vulnerability often becomes visible through what customers say, how they say it, and the support they ask for during interactions – it’s rarely self-disclosed. These signals can be subtle, but recognizing them within conversations allows you to respond with empathy, flexibility, and appropriate support.

Here’s how it can show up in different industries:

Gaming and gambling

In gambling, vulnerability may surface through language that reflects distress, loss of control, or fixation on outcomes. For example, a customer may express frustration about losses, repeatedly ask for bonuses or reversals, or say they are “desperate to win it back”. Others may downplay risk while asking for limits to be removed or complaining about restrictions.

Coaching tip: These conversational cues can indicate gambling-related harm and should prompt careful, supportive handling rather than transactional responses.

Financial Services

In financial services, vulnerability often appears when customers express anxiety, confusion, or pressure about money. This may include statements about struggling to keep up with payments, fear of charges or penalties, or difficulty understanding financial products and decisions. Customers may also disclose life events such as job loss, illness, or bereavement during a call.

Coaching tip: Clear explanations, patience, and appropriate signposting from your agents can significantly affect customer outcomes.

Health Insurance

Health insurance conversations may involve customers who are distressed, unwell, or emotionally overwhelmed. Vulnerability can present through repeated questions, heightened emotion, or difficulty processing information — particularly during claims discussions or coverage disputes.

Coaching tip: Allowing time, avoiding unnecessary jargon, and showing reassurance can make a meaningful difference.

Travel & Hospitality

In travel and hospitality, vulnerability often arises during high-stress situations such as cancellations, emergencies, or accessibility issues. Customers may sound anxious, upset, or disoriented, particularly when away from home.

Coaching tip: Clear guidance, empathy, and flexibility within these conversations can help reduce stress and improve the overall experience.

How to drive positive outcomes for vulnerable customers

Identifying vulnerability is one thing – but you’ll need to act on the information you have to really bring about tangible change for your customers. Here’s three ways you can do exactly that: 

1. Offer targeted support

By identifying specific vulnerabilities, you can make the switch from being reactive to proactive, having a significant impact on wellbeing. 

For example, gambling and gaming operators that identify a customer at risk of problem gambling, you could connect them with dedicated support resources and opt them out of specific offers or messages that might contribute to their struggles. 

Or perhaps you’re a pet insurance provider. A customer gets in touch to cancel their insurance due to pet bereavement. The contract is easily cancelled, and you have an automated email in place especially for this situation. It thanks them for being a customer and expresses your condolences, with links to some pet loss resources. It’s a personal touch in an otherwise difficult time.

2. Reduce accessibility barriers

Recognizing different customer needs enables businesses to design inclusive customer journeys.

One of the best ways for contact centers to do this is by offering alternative communication methods – such as voice, chat, or text-based support. Doing so ensures that customers with disabilities, language barriers, or anxiety can access services in ways that suit them best, without causing unnecessary stress.

The FCA offered up the following as an example of good practice for identifying vulnerability and then taking action to improve accessibility:

“Good practice we observed included a firm that had a ‘care flag’ in place for relevant customers’ accounts… The firm then makes additional provisions to improve the value proposition for these customers, such as help from the customer support team to fill out forms.”

For self-service options, it’s well worth looking into inclusive design practices, particularly when it comes to forms and reducing the need for customers to contact you.

3. Reinforcing agent training

Once you’ve identified where vulnerabilities are typically found among your customer base, you can then tailor training programs for your agents too. 

Contact center staff who are well-equipped to navigate sensitive situations with empathy and expertise are able to create a positive and supportive experience for vulnerable customers.

Let’s say you have an older customer audience. This demographic is typically more likely to gravitate towards voice channels for customer service, so you’ll want to invest in a solid training program that prioritizes active listening and empathy for your agents to get the best outcomes.

The benefits of supporting vulnerable customers

It may feel like a lot of work to be able to identify customer vulnerabilities (more on that in a second), but standing out for providing exceptional, personalized service can give you a competitive edge. 

Ultimately, customers remember how they were treated and how it made them feel – and this can be even more impactful in times of need. Those who experience empathy, care, and tailored support are more likely to remain loyal and advocate for a brand. 

In fact, Forbes research found that 81% of customers prefer companies that offer a personalized experience.

And if you’ve got corporate social responsibility goals, or commitments to ethical and inclusive practices, providing support for vulnerable customers goes hand-in-hand.

How to identify customer vulnerabilities

So how does all this work in practice? It’s not feasible to identify customer vulnerabilities across 100% of your interactions, right?

Actually, with evaluagent, it is.

Our dedicated xVulnerability metric analyzes all your customer conversations to detect signs of vulnerability; such as individuals who struggle with poor literacy or numeracy skills, through to changing circumstances like challenging financial matters.

Using generative AI, evaluagent also summarizes why it believes that customer to be vulnerable. Combined with our other innovative features like predictive metrics and AI Insight Topics, you can quickly build a picture of where your customers need more help and better prepare agents for difficult conversations.

You can then leverage automated workflows to route these specific conversations to QA teams for deeper analysis, helping to improve agent performance while you develop ways to offer targeted support. 

Detecting vulnerability in your customer interactions is a powerful way to improve customer experience, ensure fair treatment, and demonstrate your take your duty of care responsibilities seriously. It’s also evidence to regulators that you’re providing great outcomes.

With a powerful platform like evaluagent, you can take a truly human-centered approach to customer service.

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