Digital telecare is fast becoming the industry standard, offering significant benefits over traditional telecare technology for both housing providers and the people you support. Part of our series Managing the Transition to Digital Telecare, this guide looks at how you can engage your customers to make sure they are on board as you make the switch to digital.
Putting your customers at the heart of your digital plans
For housing providers looking to deliver a better service for their customers, digital telecare is a powerful solution. This has the potential to create more inclusive, accessible services that enable older adults to live independently – with the support they need, when they need it.
It is a much more reliable technology than its traditional telecare counterpart. With the impending changes to our telecoms network, digital is fast becoming the industry standard to ensure the safety of these services.
In addition, customers’ needs and demands are changing in the 21st century. Older adults may generally be slower to adopt new technology but their use of this is increasing. As we all become more used to digital in our daily lives, people are coming to expect the same standard in their retirement housing.
Your customers may not be interested in your business case for digital, however! You need to engage with them differently to enlist their buy-in.
This is about much more than simply providing relevant training once your new systems are in place. It’s important to involve your customers throughout the process, from the design stages, through to installation, implementation and beyond.
In this guide, we look at how you can engage your customers with digital technology, covering:
– Why you need to engage your customers with digital telecare
– When should you start engaging your customers?
– Overcoming barriers to engagement
– What’s in it for them? The benefits of going digital for your customers
– Planning a customer engagement programme
Why you need to engage your customers with digital telecare
Your customers are obviously central to your move to digital. They are the end-users of your services but need to be part of the plans from the very beginning.
The Technology Enabled Care in Housing Charter shows how a strong focus on customer engagement benefits everybody involved. This encourages housing providers to commit to making the best use of Technology Enabled Care to support their customers.
Aside from best practice, it makes sense to bring your customers on board so that you can:
– Make sure you get the right systems in place, by understanding your customers’ requirements and needs
– Help your customers to embrace the benefits of the technology and use this fully
– Overcome any barriers to adopting the new systems
– Help your staff manage the transition once the technology is in place
– Make the most of your investment.
It’s also important to recognise that this is personal for your customers. After all, this technology will be going in their homes and they rely on your services to support their wellbeing.
It’s therefore essential to involve them throughout the process so that you can manage the change effectively and ensure a smooth rollout of your new digital telecare services.
When should you start engaging your customers with digital telecare?
Your customers will ultimately determine the success of your services, so you need to prioritise customer engagement from the outset.
The objectives for this will change as you progress through the different phases of the project.
1. Involving your customers during the planning phase
Involving your customers as you research and plan your new digital systems is crucial to make sure that you are investing in the right areas and creating a service that meets the needs of your residents.
– At the very least, you need to talk to them to:
– Understand their requirements
– Look at what’s already in place – how do they use these services and what do they think of them?
– Find out what opportunities there are to build on your current offering.
This is all fundamental information as you map out the specification of your digital telecare services.
Your customers will need to understand more about digital technology and the ways this can support them in order to provide the feedback you need, so engaging them with this is a key first step.
Many organisations are now taking this further, using the principles of ‘co-production’ to design and deliver better services that genuinely meet the needs of the people they support.
This sees them working with their customers, recognising the value of their experiences and knowledge. Customer engagement is an integral part of this approach, offering significant benefits for both the individuals and the organisation. (See ‘The value of co-production’ for more information on this.)
2. Engaging with your customers before you begin the installation phase
Early engagement can help you pinpoint any barriers to the uptake of your digital telecare services, which you can then proactively address before launching.
You may be required to provide legal notification of works to install the digital systems at your properties, with a Section 20 (S20) notice. Covering certain proposed works and services, this needs to let your customers know what work is planned and why, giving them the chance to comment on this.
You certainly don’t want this to be the first they have heard about the project or to issue the notice in isolation without any supporting information! If you have already engaged your customers with digital telecare, these practicalities will be much more straightforward.
As you get closer to installation, your communications should deal with the practicalities of implementation. Make sure that you:
– Understand the impact that the works will have on your customers
– Make it easy for them to ask questions
– Keep the process transparent with project updates
– Provide reassurance with training.
3. Keep engaging following the launch of your new digital telecare systems
Once your digital telecare services are up and running, your customers will need specific support to help them get used to these:
– Make sure your staff are fully briefed and on board so that they are equipped to help your customers properly (see Managing the Transition to Digital Telecare: A Guide to Engaging Your Staff with the Technology )
– Give hands-on training to go through the new systems to make sure everybody is confident with these
– Provide straightforward FAQs and other documentation for additional information
– Consider how you will continue to prioritise customer engagement going forward so you can make the most of your investment in digital telecare.
Overcoming barriers to engagement
The idea of new technology can trigger various reactions. For example, your customers may be excited about the opportunities your digital systems offer, feel apprehensive about the change or be very resistant to this.
Involving your customers from the outset gives you time to gauge these reactions, identify any potential barriers and tailor your communications so that they are inclusive for all.
1. Lack of confidence with, or lack of use of, digital technology
There is a ‘digital divide’ in the UK, putting those unable to access the internet at a disadvantage. A recent Ageing Better report examined how the Covid pandemic has both highlighted and exacerbated the effects of this, noting that the stats show older adults make up a significant portion of this group.
Among those who do use the internet, it’s also important to remember that there will be people who are not confident with this or who only use it for a small number of tasks. Again, the data shows that adults aged 55+ are particularly likely to fall into this category.
These groups may well include some of your customers, who could be worried about what your move to digital telecare means for them or who simply won’t use the services properly.
You can tackle this by providing clear information, reassurance and support, along with hands-on training to increase familiarity with the technology.
2. Resistance to, or suspicion of, new technology
Research from Lancaster University found that there can be a whole host of reasons behind the rejection of digital technology among older adults. These include concerns about how this is affecting society in general, a perception that technology makes some tasks more time consuming, a fear of getting things wrong and anxiety that technology may replace face-to-face interactions.
These are all elements that you can address in your communications:
– Explain why the switch to digital telecare is happening – make sure your customers are aware that telecare services are being impacted by the telecoms network upgrade
– Show how the technology will and won’t be used – for example, with assurances that this won’t replace personal contact
– Provide details on how digital systems can enable your customers to live more independently
– Include hands-on demos and training to help familiarise your customers with the systems.
3. Lack of knowledge or awareness of digital technology
If your customers do not know much about digital telecare, they will not be able to appreciate the benefits of this, or may wonder what’s the point of changing the services they are comfortable with.
This could also lead to misunderstandings about what digital telecare actually is or a negative perception that these new systems have been imposed on them.
You can make sure this doesn’t happen by:
– Actively involving your customers throughout the process, seeking their input from the beginning
– Thinking about your communication mix so that information is provided in a range of formats and is accessible
– Providing regular updates to keep the process transparent.
What’s in it for them? The benefits of digital telecare for your customers
– Your customers may well be wondering what all the fuss is about digital!
– Demonstrate what this actually means for them personally, so they can see how digital telecare can enhance their lives.
How digital telecare helps your customers to be safer
Digital offers many advantages when it comes to safety. It is much more reliable than traditional telecare, which has a failure rate of as many as 1 in 10 calls. Digital also has a much faster connection speed. Video entry systems give residents the reassurance of seeing who is at the door before letting them in, while 24/7 service monitoring means any faults can be picked up and fixed with quickly. Staff are able to keep track of maintenance issues, such as battery levels, and deal with these proactively.
How digital telecare helps your customer to have more control
Features such as an “I’m OK” facility and video calling mean that residents are able to choose how and when they have contact with your staff. This enables them to live as independently as possible, with the peace of mind that they can access support when they need it.
How digital telecare helps your customers to be more connected
Video calling and Wi-Fi helps residents to stay connected with family and friends wherever they live. This makes keeping in touch much easier and gives them the means to access the latest information and advice. This can overcome the feeling of being isolated, particularly for residents who are less able to leave their home often.
Communication is key
The move to digital telecare can be a significant change. It’s important to recognise that your telecare services are a central part of your customers’ lives, supporting their wellbeing and safety. Changes to these services could therefore be concerning.
You need to think carefully about how to best manage this change in a constructive and positive way, reflecting the many benefits of digital telecare.
The key is to find the right balance between addressing valid concerns or barriers, and generating excitement and appreciation for your new systems.
This requires thoughtful communication.
Start with ‘why’
What is behind your switch to digital telecare? This may be about improving your services to meet changing customer requirements or expectations, or you may be driven by the impending changes to the telecoms network, which make moving to digital telecare essential to ensure the safety of your services. Explaining the reasons for the project helps your customers to understand that the change is important.
Focus on the tangible benefits
Digital technology is a means to an end. Instead of focusing on the features of digital telecare, show your customers how they will be able to use this to support their needs and wants by relating this to their lives.
Engage early
Start talking to your customers about digital telecare as soon as possible and involve them throughout the process. Put together a proactive engagement programme that you can run alongside the technical aspects of your digital telecare project.
Planning a customer engagement programme
A dedicated customer engagement programme will help you to bring all these different elements together.
This is an essential part of your digital telecare project to prepare your customers so that they are ready to make the most of your new systems.
What are the objectives of a customer engagement programme?
The overall objective is to ensure a smooth transition to digital telecare for your customers and maximise your investment in this.
By proactively engaging with your customers, you are aiming to:
– Raise awareness, inform and generate excitement
– Reassure and instil confidence
– Ensure that the process is open and transparent
– Address potential barriers to adopting the new technology.
Keep in mind that the key objectives and messages of engagement will change as the project progresses, so you need to think about how you will communicate with your customers and when.
For example, during the research and planning stage, provide general information to raise awareness, and use surveys and events to collect feedback on existing telecare services and ideas for improving these. As you get closer to the installation phase, progress to hands-on training. When you are ready to launch your new digital telecare services, provide information, reassurance and support.
What might your engagement programme look like?
Make use of a variety of communications tactics but remember that accessibility is key.
Coffee mornings and other in-person events are likely to be important, as these give your customers a chance to ask questions and air any concerns face-to-face. You can also provide demos and training, with the opportunity to handle new equipment and see how the technology actually works.
For example, the Appello LivingHub device (part of our Smart Living Solutions suite) allows you to tailor what is on screen, so a hands-on event could help your customers explore what this might look like for them and visualise how they will use it. Once your systems have been installed, your staff can then support your customers to set up their device so that it works for their needs: by enabling access to certain features, making some features more prominent (some customers choose to have just a big alarm button on this first screen), or adding links to other useful services.
This case study shows how a discovery and co-design workshop brought a group of residents together with family members, staff and project facilitators. There were fun activities to engage the attendees, which also helped to uncover the requirements and motivations of typical users.
Written resources are also useful to raise awareness and provide information that can be referred back to. These could include:
– Posters for noticeboards around your property
– Articles in your residents’ newsletter or leaflets for each flat
– FAQs, such as ‘Why are we changing our telecare services?’, ‘How will this affect me?’ and ‘How can I make the most of the new services?’
– Quick ‘how to’ guides
– Graphics that give a visual guide alongside written information
Other ideas include:
– Nominating digital telecare champions at the properties – people often prefer to learn from their peers, so actively involve those residents who are more aware and open to new technology
– Sharing positive customer stories from other housing communities to show how the technology works in practice.
The Appello approach – how we support your customers as you transition to digital telecare
At Appello, our ‘tried and tested’ framework helps you prepare your customers for the installation of your digital telecare systems:
– Our installation team visits the property to talk through the practicalities of installation so that your staff know what to expect and can reassure your customers
– We provide a clear timeline and discuss how to minimise disruption to the residents
– We also host a coffee morning with all residents so that they can ask questions and are comfortable with what to expect while we carry out the works.
Our aim is to make the process transparent, deal with any potential issues and get everybody excited about the new technology and what it will mean for them!
– We understand that your customers are key to a successful rollout and we provide ongoing training and support to help with this:
– Our Welcome Pack contains lots of useful information and guidance for your staff, which they can use to assist your customers, such as how-to videos
– We also have user guides and support materials specifically aimed at your residents, such as Quick Start Prompt Cards
– Your staff have access to a KnowledgeBase with further materials, and they can log queries at any time via our support desk
– Your staff can also book refresher training sessions, which is useful if they need to recap anything or if they have a new customer who was not living in the property at the time of the installation.
– Training sessions on different aspects of the systems.
The key takeaways on engaging your customers with digital telecare
– It’s essential to prioritise customer engagement as part of your digital telecare plans, not least because the success of your new systems will depend on your customers’ buy-in as the end users.
– You need to engage with them as early in the process as possible, as you research and plan your digital telecare project. Among other things, this helps you ensure you understand their requirements and develop services that meet their needs.
– Digital telecare can be a significant change for your customers. Communication is key in order to manage this change in a constructive and positive way, while acknowledging your customers’ concerns or any barriers to using your new digital systems.
– Showing your customers what’s in it for them is important to generate excitement and buy-in. Make sure they can see the tangible benefits of digital telecare and understand how this technology can enhance their lives.
– A proactive customer engagement programme helps you to pull everything together. Recognise that your aims for engagement will change as your digital telecare project progresses. Continue to prioritise this engagement once your new systems are in place.
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