This webinar looks at the ways in which organisations can identify their vulnerable customers—the first step in managing and supporting them.
We know that around half of all people are vulnerable at any one time, but we also know that many firms are identifying a far smaller percentage of vulnerable people.
Think of vulnerability identification as being like a fishing net. The more open the mesh of the net, the more fish pass through it. In the same way, simplistic identification methods only catch the most obvious vulnerabilities, leaving the majority to slip through. While we might not need to act on every vulnerable customer, we do need to identify more than just the most obvious cases.
Overview
Understanding the regulatory requirements and recent guidance
Why we should expect to identify around half of our customers as vulnerable
The difference between a reactive and a proactive approach
Why many firms identify only a small number of vulnerable customers – and why it is important to engage with everyone
Why people are not inherently vulnerable: understanding the interaction between characteristics of vulnerability and circumstances
Types of vulnerabilities – obvious and hidden
How to go about it: a comparison of ways to identify vulnerable customers, including voice analytics, socioeconomic databases, inferring vulnerabilities from third-party data, and using services such as the Vulnerability Registration Service
Why training has a role to play, but is an incomplete solution
What information do we need, and how do we ask for it?
Are customers willing to disclose personal information?
When is the right time to ask?
What happens when a customer vulnerability is identified?
Building vulnerability identification into your processes and customer journey
What are the privacy concerns?
Why we need digital systems
Why good, structured data is an important foundation for what follows
Guest
Our guest this month is Kirsten Howells, Director of Services and Deputy CEO of STAMMA, the British Stammering Association—the national UK charity for people who stammer and their allies. Stammering is a common vulnerability, yet a STAMMA survey conducted in September 2025 found that 65% of people who stammer said their calls were mishandled, and 14% reported being hung up on. If firms are able to identify customers who stammer early in the customer journey, they can tailor their response accordingly, making a significant difference for those for whom verbal communication can be both difficult and stressful.
Next webinar
In our next webinar, scheduled for 26 March, we will explore the challenge of recording consistent data, the importance of effective classification methods for customers’ vulnerabilities, and the need for a common vocabulary.