ysabetwordsmith | Go Citi!

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I almost never pay attention to ads, but this one snagged my attention: "If you are trans or non-binary, let's update your first name on your eligible Citi-branded credit card." That company paid money to promote inclusion and reach out to its customers who are probably frustrated by every other paperwork-holder dragging their feet over the same change. Someone is a marketing genius.

Do you have a service that uses customer names? Make sure people know how to update their names if they change presentation, get married, etc.

Current Mood: pleased
Crossposts: https://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/5974323.html

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From:

dewline

Sounds like we have a new component of "best practices" for banks here!

From:

ysabetwordsmith

Proactive is always best practice, because many people feel uncomfortable asking for things. Other times, they may not know what would help or it's such a damn long list that they forget things.

Another example I've seen locally is a few restaurants post a list of standard accommodations like "Do you need help? Our associates would be happy to: read you the menu, carry your tray to a table, hand you things out of reach..." etc.

Things any business or other provider can do:

* Think about your target market. What do they want or need? What are they often not getting? Then tell them how you meet those needs.

* When trying to grow your market, look for special interest groups in your area who might use your goods or services. Then look up their particular concerns. Design ads, posters, etc. to tell them what you can do for them.

* Watch current issues. When you see a group complaining that nobody takes good care of them, look at your goods/services and see what matches up. How could you meet those needs? Then advertise that.

* Examine your forms. They should not ask for any information that you are not going to use. Fill-in-the-blank forms are much more flexible and inclusive than checkbox forms, although you can balance efficiency and flexibility by giving a checklist followed by one or more blank spaces for other details. If you will be calling people by name, ask how they wish to be addressed. Include information on how customers can access and update their records.

This can be really, really simple but it makes a huge difference. People may forget what they bought from you, but they won't forget how you made them feel.

You can see me do this in my crowdfunding. I'm always on the lookout for unmet needs, because those are market opportunities. By the time any trait or concept becomes "news" I have usually written it already. Also I encourage people to request coverage of things that are ignored and/or mishandled in the mainstream. You want a thingie? I'll make you a thingie! And that matters tremendously to my audience. I always have a handful of people asking for favorite topics that just aren't handled well by most entertainers. While I can't stop other people from ignoring things, I can certainly fill the gap myself.

Here is a master list of disabilities and accommodations that can be sorted in various ways. These are some accommodations for gender identity.

From:

cmcmck

My bank manager even back all those years ago said: 'I know what to do- we'll open a joint account in both names and when the time comes, let me know to remove the old name'.

Simple genius! He was a guy too.