Communicating with Customers

Customers who have hearing or speech disabilities may need to communicate with sales staff without using speech. The method of communication will vary depending the abilities of the customers and on the complexity of the communications that are required. For example, some people who are deaf are able to use speech but unable to understand words spoken by others while other people who are deaf are not able to communicate with speech. People with speech or hearing disabilities may require extra time to complete their message or extra attention by staff to understand what is being said. When communication by speech is not possible, simple questions, such as the price of an item, may be handled with pen and paper by exchanging written notes or a mixture of speech and written notes. Staff should be aware of the need to use notes or both speech and communication with pen and paper. It is appropriate to ask the customer what is their preference for simple communication.

When more complex or lengthy communications are needed, it may be necessary to provide a sign language interpreter in, for example, negotiating the purchase of an automobile or home. But most business communications with customers involve only simple communications that can be done using pen and paper.

Many people with hearing or speech disabilities use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) instead of a standard telephone. This device has a keyboard for entering messages and a visual display to view the content of a conversation from another person using a TDD.

To make it easy for people who use a TDD to communicate with businesses and individuals who do not have a TDD, the ADA established a free state-by-state relay network nationwide that handles voice-to-TDD and TDD-to-voice calls. Customers who use a TDD to make telephone calls may telephone your business using a relay network. The relay consists of an operator with a TDD who translates TDD and voice messages. For example, a caller using a TDD calls the relay operator who then calls your business. The caller types the message into the TDD and the operator reads the message to you. You respond by talking to the operator who then enters your message into the TDD.