Mental health issues

The following stories are reflective of real-life customer situations that we have seen and helped. We have changed the name, exact events and used photos of actors in order to maintain confidentiality.
 

Kian who suffers with anxiety. He found it difficult to talk over the phone about his financial struggles as it made him feel worse.

Kian had fallen behind with payments. He needed to work out some repayment options with us. Our call centre agent, Amy, recognized that Kian was struggling during a call and stopped to check how he was feeling. We understand that financial issues can be a source of stress, and this can cause complications with mental health. At times, this can be a barrier to talking, so we don’t want the experience to be negative. We might not be in a position to do everything a customer might like. But we will do everything we can to help.

In this case, Kian acknowledged how difficult he was finding the conversation. He opened up to us and disclosed a mental health condition. This condition meant he found talking over the phone stressful and anxious. We reassured Kian that there was no pressure, and they didn’t need to continue the conversation right now. Instead, if he wanted to, future conversations could be done purely over email or live chat.

That changed the conversation immediately. Amy explained when these options were available. She also explained how to use them (including starting the live chat while being logged into the customer’s account). She also asked if she could make a note that Kian preferred to have contact in that way. Future conversations were had over live chat. Kian felt comfortable enough to continue this conversation over the phone. Amy was able to provide a repayment solution that was affordable and met his needs.

We work hard to try and identify if someone is distressed. If you’re finding a conversation difficult, please let us know. There are always other options available.