"The Walk Away £" Survey of disabled customers opinions

Employers' Forum on Disability, in partnership with the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) undertook a survey in 2006, into the opinions and shopping habits of disabled customers.

Who did we ask?

The results reveal the opinions of 373 respondents from a range of age groups. 220 were women; 45 were from ethnic minorities.

Respondents reported a range of impairments. Many had multiple impairments: a total of 976 impairments were cited. These included physical impairments affecting arms or hands; legs or feet; back or neck; Visual impairments; Hearing impairments; Speech impairments; Skin condition or alleries; Chest or breathing problems; Heart / blood pressure / circulation problems; Stomach / liver / kidney / digestion problems; Diabetes; Mental illness; Epilepsy; Learning difficulties; Progressive illnesses, including cancer, HIV and MS; Facial disfigurements and other disabilities. 170 were wheelchair users.

Respondents were evenly split between those in employment - either full or part time - and those who were either volunteers or unemployed. 293 of the 373 respondents were responsible for household purchasing decisions.

How many people are affected by barriers to access and poor service?

• 83% of disabled people have 'walked away' in 2005, unable or unwilling to make a purchase
• The most important factor was inaccessible premises
• Other important factors included: lack of physical adjustments in store; that staff were rude or appeared prejudiced; that products were poorly designed for the person's impairment; as well as that staff weren't disability aware
• Other factors included: inaccessible websites; inaccessible telephone systems; inaccessible printed information; poor reputation for disability awareness; inflexible service or unwillingness to make adjustments
• 47% complained about the poor service they received; 34% did not complain
• 78% were unable to purchase a product or service at least once over the last year. 19% experienced this frequently; 35% occasionally. These underserved customers who are unable to buy the products and services they need, represent a significant market

Which services caused the most problems?

Three types of business caused problems to over half of respondents: public transport, restaurants and pubs and corner shops

Where do disabled people choose to shop and what influences their decisions?

• The majority of disabled people - 63% - make most of their purchases in store. 23% primarily shop online and 3% shop most often over the telephone. 6% reported that in most cases someone else shops on their behalf
• 66% of disabled people choose businesses where they have received good customer service related to their disability. For 37% good disability service is the primary reason for choosing a particular business. For a further 29% it is a secondary factor when deciding where to shop. For 26% of customers, their disability was not a factor at all
• 58% of disabled people say that the way in which businesses treat them affects the shopping habits of their friends and families. 38% says the way they are treated does not impact on the purchasing decisions of others close to them
• This can be both a positive and negative impact. 20% of friends and families take their business to companies which provide a good service to a disabled family member. However poor service has an even greater impact: 26% say that poor service means others are less likely to shop with the business; a further 16% said that friends and family never shop with companies which have provided a poor service
• 67% of disabled customers had sought out businesses whose customer service they had heard good things about. Most heard about good customer service from other disabled friends and family (53%); non-disabled friends and family (31%)
• Companies advertising that they welcomed disabled customers attracted 20%; 15% were influenced by positive press, TV and web stories; 10% had shopped with companies which included disabled people in advertising
• 55% of customers also considered companies general reputation on disability, for example whether they were positive about employing disabled people, when making purchasing decisions