There are some basic services that all travel operators, shops and banks should be offering you as part of their commitment to good customer service. These include:
Customer service for travel
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Information about your journey, provided in a range of ways, such as by telephone, on the internet and in print.
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Accessible ways to purchase tickets.
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Stations and stops that are easy to find your way around.
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Vehicles that provide information essential to your journey, delivered in a range of ways.
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Real time information about changes in your journey or disruptions to your travel, provided in a range of ways.
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Information about your location and surroundings on arrival at your destination.
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Assistance dogs, including guide dogs should always be allowed on any public transport, including licensed taxis and minicabs.
Customer service for shopping
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Information about your location and surroundings on arrival and exit.
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Stores that are easy to find your way around.
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Information about their products, available in a range of ways, such as print, braille, on the internet or from a member of staff.
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Staff assistance to customers throughout their shop.
Customer service for managing your money
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Information about banking provided in all formats, including braille, audio, large print and on the internet. These should be provided in a timely manner.
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Branches that are easy to find your way around.
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Information about your location and surroundings on arrival and exit.
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Staff assistance for customers.
Customer service excellence
Many providers are offering blind and partially sighted people great customer service and the number of these is increasing all the time. For example, Debenhams offer a free enhanced personal shopping service for blind and partially sighted people, Nottingham City Council have added tactile buttons to their bus stops and Northern Bank have talking cash machines.
You can find out about other providers who are offering excellent customer service in the travel, shopping and money sections of our website.
Where there are providers and services that aren't offering you the right level of customer service, adjustments can be made, sometimes it's just a case of asking for what you need.
Poor customer service
If you've asked for a reasonable adjustment to a service and it's not been made or you've experienced poor customer service and would like to know what to do next, our toolkit for challenging service providers can help or you can find out more information about the Equality Act 2010