SignVideo for Customer Services
BSL video interpreting for your deaf customers
UK service providers should be putting Equality and Diversity at the forefront of their decision making on customer service provision, in order to meet the government’s proposal that all businesses should offer parallel customer experience for those with disabilities in the UK. We are setting the standard for Video Relay Services (VRS) and Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) solutions in the UK, driving equal accessibility for deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users.
SignVideo gives deaf people using BSL independence, by allowing them to make telephone calls confidently to hearing people through fully qualified interpreters. With SignVideo calls can be made via a videophone, laptop, PC, smartphone or tablet, enabling deaf British Sign Language users to have equal access to your customer services.
So why are Video Relay and Remote BSL interpretation so important?
Excellent customer service is vital to the success of service provider organisations. Ensuring your customers get the help they need, when they need it and in the way they want it, will drive customer loyalty and new acquisition.
Service providers often set up their customer services over the phone, geared towards hearing people, however it’s often forgotten that there are approximately 150,000 deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users in the UK. These people face daily barriers in accessing services because phones are the number one contact method for many service providers in this country. You might have email or online chat services to support your deaf or hard of hearing customers, but these are often not accessible to BSL users. BSL and English are two distinct languages and for some BSL users, communicating in English can be a huge barrier. If you don’t give these customers access to your helpline services in their own language, you are at risk of losing their business, damaging your brand reputation and most importantly, discrimination.
Also consider an in-branch experience for a deaf customer. When they visit a branch or your reception and need to talk to your staff, what do they do? Do they resort to using pen and paper? It is just as uncomfortable for your staff as it is for your BSL customer. It is also very time consuming. A much better experience would be for your employee and customer to communicate naturally – your employee in speech and the deaf customer in sign language – and have a professional translator relay the conversation between them both in real time. SignVideo makes this possible.
How does SignVideo work for customer services
There are three ways to use SignVideo to improve your customer service accessibility for your deaf or hard of hearing customers that use BSL. With each of the SignVideo services, your business only pays for the minutes used by these customers and nothing more.
We will fully support you through the set up process and can have the service set up in 3 days, opening access quickly and efficiently for your deaf BSL-using customers.
SignVideo Live
An online, live BSL video interpreting service accessed via the SignVideo app or your website which allows a deaf customer to call through to your normal customer services call centre. When a deaf BSL user clicks on the link, they are connected via their PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet, to one of our interpreters who can converse with them in British Sign Language.
The qualified BSL interpreter then connects to your customer services helpline and relays the call live to the agent as any normal call would occur. There is no need for additional equipment or special training for your staff – just a business as usual phone call.
SignVideo on Site
An in-branch Video Remote Interpreting solution that uses the SignVideo online interpreting service via a tablet, enabling two co-located people, the customer service representative and the Deaf customer, to converse normally using a video-based interpreter to relay the conversation. This is a huge time saver as there is no longer the need to wait up to two weeks for a face-to-face interpreter. It also helps to free up valuable time for the interpreters, who are much in demand due to a shortage in the UK, so they can be more available to help others.
SignVideo Mobile
A mobile Video Remote Interpreting Service which allows employees on the move or who are out and about meeting deaf customers, to connect instantly to a BSL interpreter via their mobile phone who can then relay the conversation live between them. This service works via a simple, one-off download onto an iOS or Android device.
Why choose SignVideo as your VRS provider?
- Allow your deaf employees equal communication with their hearing colleagues
- Ensure Diversity and Equality is at the forefront of your employee welfare strategy
- Save money and time as no need to book face-to-face interpreters
- Allow your deaf BSL-using employees to take part in meetings and make and receive phone calls as and when they need to.
- Ensure professionalism due to our high standard in VRS and VRI provision.
- Huge organisations like Barclays, Sainsbury’s, Lloyds Bank, BT and the NSPCC among others have chosen to work with us.
- We hold 3 ISO accreditations – ISO9001, ISO27001 and ISO14001
- Our contact centre is PCI DSS compliant, secure and runs a closed access location policy
- We can help serve deaf employees during normal business hours – Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm
- We are highly secure – we do not capture, store or retain any call information
All of our interpreters:
- Are fully registered, qualified and certified (NRCPD or equivalent)
- Have native or bilingual proficiency in BSL and English
- Hold at least 5-7 years of training before joining us
- Have at least 5 years community interpreting experience
- Hold a current DBS Enhanced Disclosure certificate
- Have Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII)
- Have signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement at the start of their employment with us
- Are supported all the time by dedicated Contact Centre Managers
- Are required to complete 24 hours of continuing professional development annually
