Supporting Vulnerable Customers is the Right Approach – and Provides a Strategic Advantage

Supporting your vulnerable customers creates meaningful connections, inspires confidence and drives lasting engagement.

How organisations respond to vulnerable customers can make all the difference between a positive customer experience and a missed opportunity, especially when nearly half of all customers are likely to face vulnerability at some point in their lives.

The Hidden Scale of the Challenge

Here’s a statistic that will reshape how you think about vulnerable customers: only 4 in 10 of customers with vulnerable characteristics actually disclose their circumstances to organisations.

Even more striking is that 47% of UK adults exhibit characteristics of vulnerability yet many organisations remain unprepared for this reality.

The service gap becomes more apparent when you consider the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Financial Lives Survey 2024 findings. While just 3% of adults with no vulnerability characteristics had difficulties dealing with financial services on the phone, this rose sharply to 51% among those with four vulnerabilities. Research of 1,000 vulnerable UK customers found that 45% struggled to get through to the right person and 51% were passed between different frontline staff.

Sometimes, vulnerability isn’t always obvious or permanent. The CCMA’s Good Practice Guide identifies key drivers including health conditions (chronic illnesses, cognitive impairments, mental health), life events (bereavement, job loss, caregiving responsibilities), low resilience levels, and capability factors like poor literacy or financial expertise. These situations can affect anyone at any time, making vulnerability a universal concern.

Ensuring Fair Treatment: FCA Guidance on Vulnerable Customers

The FCA sets clear expectations for how organisations should identify and support customers in vulnerable circumstances. This includes taking proactive steps to recognise signs of vulnerability, even when customers do not disclose them, and ensuring that information is tailored to individual needs.

Frontline colleagues must be equipped with real-time guidance, tools and coaching, while supervisors should monitor and step in on complex cases to provide additional support. The FCA also stresses the importance of ongoing training, effective compliance monitoring and maintaining accurate records through efficient documentation. Together, these measures ensure vulnerable customers receive fair treatment and the right support at every stage of their interaction.

Best Practice Insights from Industry Experts

The Supporting Vulnerable Customers CCMA Good Practice Guide points to several key themes for effectively supporting vulnerable customers, while remaining compliant with regulatory requirements.

1. The Training Evolution

Specialised approaches like the TEXAS drill (a five step approach for managing initial vulnerability conversations) and the CARE protocol (Comprehend, Assess, Retain and Evaluate), suggest that traditional customer service training is insufficient, which calls for more bespoke training.

2. Using Tech to Enhance Frontline and Team Leader Skills

Tapping into advanced technology can improve colleagues’ capabilities by providing instant support, strengthening the ability to recognise vulnerability, and ensuring consistent compliance. Data and analytics also offer valuable insights that can reshape how teams approach and manage interactions.

3. Collaborating for Better Outcomes

By engaging with colleagues across different parts of the business, contributing to industry forums, and sharing knowledge through specialist networks, teams can strengthen their approach to supporting customers and improve the overall experience.

4. Driving Continuous Improvement

It must be an ongoing commitment rather than a single, short-term action. Regular monitoring, feedback, and analysis against key performance indicators, can help contact centres refine their policies, processes and training, ensuring support remains effective and responsive to customer needs.

Turning Vulnerability into a Strategic Strength

Supporting vulnerable customers is no longer just a regulatory requirement – it’s a strategic opportunity. By proactively identifying needs, equipping teams with the right skills and technology, collaborating across the business and industry, and embedding continuous improvement, contact centres can deliver fair, empathetic and efficient service.

Organisations that embrace this approach don’t just protect their customers; they build trust, loyalty, and long-term resilience, turning vulnerability into a genuine competitive advantage.

Read more advice on supporting vulnerable customers in the contact centre here.