| Wokingham Area Access Group |
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A Guide to Serving our Disabled Community
The following is a press release to announce the availability of a booklet prepared by the retailers in Wokingham and WAAG. Arrangements are being made of distribution. If you do not get one this month and would like one please contact us at WAAG. Press Release A Guide to Serving our Disabled Community Wokingham Town Centre, along with the Borough’s other retail centres, can claim a nationwide first following the launch of a guide offering tips and advice on serving customers with a disability or impairment. The guide has been developed on the back of some successful workshops attended by Wokingham retailers and members of the Wokingham Area Access Group (WAAG) earlier this year. The guide is being distributed to all retailers across Wokingham Borough. It gives, in a very simple and easy to read style, advice and tips on how to give appropriate service to customers with a speech, hearing, sight or mobility impairment or a learning difficulty. The key messages are: · Appropriate service, not special service. · Be patient, be understanding. · Treat the customer with respect. · Customers with a disability are the same as every other customer. Their purchases help keep your shop in business. · Where appropriate consider how your shop layout impacts upon customers with a disability. · Good service is satisfying for the customer and the sales assistant, just enjoy it. Dave Gaskin, Chair of WAAG, said “We think this is a first for Wokingham. Nowhere else in the country are retailers and disability groups being so pro-active together in promoting the mutual benefits of appropriate service for both retailers and disabled customers. We want to build on this relationship as we believe this can only be good for our members and the shops.” John Piasecki, Hudson Bay Clothing Co, who compiled the guide added “It was apparent from the workshops that although service from the Town Centre shops was already pretty good, there was as opportunity to build on best practice. Sales staff need knowledge and awareness if they are to deal confidently with all of their customers. We trust that this leaflet will provide that guidance.” Mark Ashwell, Trademark Windows and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, who provided the financial backing for this initiative said “On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce and TradeMark Windows I fully support this exciting development. It is important for Wokingham’s retailers to be pro-active in giving the best service in these difficult times.” If you want more information about this guide please contact the Wokingham Times, who are supporting WAAG and the retailers with this innovative project. (Pass on any contacts to me) John Piasecki Hudson Bay 0118 979 3144
written by WAAG Secretary, 07/06/2009 Visit the WAAG news archive to catch up on all WAAG news |
