Photo credit: Luna Vieria/IRC
Signpost can be seen as a compassionate call-centre. People can get in touch with us online and be treated with respect, dignity and empathy throughout their whole experience talking to us. Our users’ trust is key to our success. If people don’t trust us then our information is worthless. As a Signpost digital community liaison you might be in touch with people who are having emotional reactions such as anxiety, fear, anger, excitement, uncertainty, feeling overwhelmed and much more. Sometimes people need to express themselves and release their emotions before turning to a more logic-based discussion. This is where your role is to really listen to the person, help create a sense of safety and calm, and stabilize the individual so that you can connect them to the help and resources they need.
Answering comments and messages shouldn’t feel like a box ticking exercise. We are here to talk to people. Our job is to make them feel as relaxed and at ease (as possible) whilst they are talking to us. At the same time, it is important to manage expectations and not to make specific promises. For example:
- Instead of saying: “Please tell us what you need and I’ll help you…”
- Instead say: “Please tell us about your problems and we will try to help you/do our best to give you the right information.”
Every interaction is a chance for us to make a positive imprint on a users’ day, by showing them we are listening and care about them as individuals. Before sending every response take a moment to think about the person you’re writing to, think about their age, their situation, their gender, etc. and try to understand how they feel and what they need from us.