Travel retail staffing and experiential agency specialist Blackjack Promotions has launched a new accessible travel retail training programme. The aim of the programme its train its brand ambassadors on how to offer service and advice to passengers with various accessible challenges.

The bespoke training is being launched to coincide with Purple Tuesday which is today (12 November 2019). This is a day dedicated to changing the customer experience for disabled people.

Drawing on its own in-house resources, including Lead Trainer Karen Sutor, Accessibility Expert Samantha Saunders and Head of Learning & Development David Wheeler, Blackjack is running an accredited disability module in a half-day workshop to cover all types of visual and hidden disabilities. The idea is to set up a ‘train the trainers’ concept in key airports to ensure they can help share and spread the message within their own field teams. 

The ‘purple pound’ — the collective spending power of disabled people and their families — is estimated to be worth £2.25 tn ($2.81tn) yet, on average, only 10% of organisations have a plan in place to access this market.

Furthermore, four in five disabled customers say businesses could do more to be accessible and more than half (56%) agreed that improving staff understanding about different disabilities would encourage them to spend more.

MUST-HAVE TRAINING

Jason Miles, Managing Director, Blackjack Promotions, said: “Given the huge spending power of disabled customers, this kind of training is a must-have in the travel retail space. Giving retail staff the confidence to understand how they can recognise both visible and hidden disabilities and make small changes to their service and approach will make shopping in an airport environment more accessible and enjoyable for disabled people — and we, as an industry, should all strive to be better at this.”

Purple Tuesday involves organisations of all sizes and all sectors meeting the needs of disabled customers. All organisations are urged to make changes to improve the customer experience for disabled people. It has been developed by disability organisation Purple, which works with businesses to improve the customer experience for disabled people.

Last year, the first ever Purple Tuesday was a success, with over 1,500 pledges to make significant changes and improve the customer experience for disabled people. This included commitments such as staff training, digital audits, better signage and training of frontline staff in basic British sign language. Purple Tuesday was supported by over 750 businesses.

Samantha Saunders, In-House Accessibility Expert, Blackjack said: “It is so refreshing and exciting that Blackjack is embracing this initiative and taking the lead in the travel retail sphere to give their ambassadors the knowledge and confidence to offer a wholly inclusive service experience in airports.”

Mike Adams, CEO, Purple added: “I am delighted Blackjack Promotions is involved in Purple Tuesday. It underlines their public commitment to improve the customer experience for disabled people. Meeting the needs of disabled customers makes commercial sense for businesses and I am hopeful others will follow Blackjack’s lead. Together we can and commit to change the customer experience for disabled people for good.”

Stay close to TRBusiness.com for an extensive interview with Jason Miles, Managing Director, Blackjack Promotions