9 Steps to an Inclusive Customer Experience

In today’s diverse world, businesses have a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to create environments where everyone feels included. But what does inclusivity mean in the context of customer experience (CX)? It’s more than just a buzzword; it’s about breaking down barriers, celebrating diversity, and making every customer interaction a positive one.

Quick links:

What is inclusive CX?

Inclusivity increases profits

Conduct a comprehensive assessment

Design inclusive customer journey

Ensure accessibility

Implement inclusive communication

Use the right technology

Have inclusive policies

Train your employees

Engage with diverse communities

Monitor your efforts

Want to know how inclusive CX can change your business for good? Schedule a free consultation to explore possibilities together.

How Can Inclusivity Guide Customer Experience Design?

Inclusivity should play a pivotal role in guiding your customer experience initiatives. An inclusive approach ensures that products, services, and interactions are accessible and welcoming to everyone.

Inclusive CX goes beyond avoiding discrimination or offensive content. It is a mindset or stance that actively values, respects, and understands all demographics and psychographics, regardless of cultural identity, religious identity, level of ability, or other differentiators.

An inclusive approach recognizes that cultural and other differences can significantly impact how customers perceive and interact with your brand, and it bridges these gaps to provide a seamless and satisfying experience for everyone.

Prioritizing an inclusive experience can drive increased customer satisfaction, improved brand reputation, and ultimately, business growth.

Inclusive Customer Experience Makes Financial Sense

Diverse customers expect businesses to understand and cater to their needs and preferences. They also want to see representation on your website and in your branding. If your customer experience efforts are narrowly focused on one or two demographics, you risk losing out on a whole lot of potential customers who will go to a competitor that makes them feel appreciated.

An inclusive approach helps you avoid legal troubles and damage to your reputation. For example, accessibility lawsuits against companies that don’t accommodate people with disabilities have increased recently. There are many other ways that a lack of inclusivity, whether actual or perceived, can hurt your public image and your bottom line.

An inclusive culture fosters employee satisfaction and engagement, as well. Chances are, you have a diverse workforce, and your emphasis on inclusivity encourages motivation, higher productivity, lower turnover rates, and better profits.

Let’s look at the steps you can take to foster an inclusive customer experience.

Step 1: Conduct a Comprehensive Assessment

Start with assessing your current CX practices and identifying areas where you can make the customer experience more inclusive.

Evaluate your existing customer touchpoints (your website, mobile app, social media channels, and physical stores). Assess them for accessibility, usability, and inclusivity, considering factors such as text readability, color contrast, and ease of navigation.
Analyze your customer data to identify any gaps or biases in your current CX strategies. Look for underrepresented customer segments or those who may have unique needs that aren’t being adequately addressed.
Gather feedback from a diverse range of customers through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Ensure that you’re reaching out to customers across different demographics, including age, gender, ethnicity, and ability. Use this feedback to gain insights into their experiences and pain points.
Conduct an audit of your current policies, processes, and training materials to assess their inclusivity. Identify any language, imagery, or practices that may be exclusionary or offensive to certain customer groups.
Engage in self-reflection and honest conversations within your organization about unconscious biases and cultural assumptions that may be impacting your CX. Encourage open dialogue and create a safe space for employees to share their perspectives and experiences.

Step 2: Design Inclusive Customer Journeys

To create customer journeys that resonate with diverse audiences, it’s important to understand your different customer groups. Follow these key steps to design inclusive customer journeys:

Research to gather data on your customers’ demographics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, language preferences, and geographic location. Use surveys, customer feedback, and analytics tools to collect this information.
Dive deeper into understanding specific cultural nuances that impact your customers’ experiences, such as differences in communication styles (direct vs. indirect), time orientation (punctuality vs. flexibility), power distance (hierarchical vs. egalitarian), and individualism vs. collectivism.
Respect different religious and cultural holidays celebrated by your customers. Acknowledge and honor these occasions in your CX strategy to show that you value their cultural identity.
Remember that cultural diversity goes beyond race and ethnicity. It also encompasses age, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and socio-economic status. Consider the intersectionality of these identities and how they shape customer needs and preferences.
Continuously educate yourself and your team about different cultures and their unique characteristics. Seek out resources, training, and expert guidance to deepen your understanding of cultural diversity.

Step 3: Ensure Accessibility Across All Touchpoints

Accessibility ensures that all customers, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, can easily interact with your brand and access your products or services. To ensure accessibility across all touchpoints, consider implementing best practices such as providing alt text for images, using clear and concise language, offering closed captioning for videos, and designing your website and mobile app with accessibility features like keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility.

Make sure your physical spaces are accessible, with features such as ramps, wide doorways, and braille signage. Prioritize accessibility to demonstrate your commitment to inclusivity and create a welcoming experience for all customers.

Step 4: Implement Inclusive Communication

Inclusive communication involves the avoidance of stereotypes or biases and the use of language that makes everyone feel welcomed and valued regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, religion, or other differentiators.

Some keys to inclusive communication include:

Language usage: avoid insensitive language, slang, or idioms that could exclude or offend certain groups. Use gender-neutral pronouns and respectful terms when referring to customers’ identities.
Accessible content: make sure customer communications in many different formats (website, emails, chat, printed materials, etc.) are accessible to those with disabilities. Use adherence to web accessibility standards, alternative text for images, transcripts, or captioning for audio/video, etc.
Multilingual support: for companies serving multilingual populations, provide translations and language assistance options so customers can communicate comfortably in their preferred languages.
Representation in visuals: use inclusive imagery representing diversity across race, gender, age, ability, body types, and other characteristics in marketing visuals, product photos, and branded content that customers will encounter.
Empathetic listening: train customer service teams on empathetic listening skills to make customers of all backgrounds feel heard, understood, and respected during interactions.

Create accessible content for all customers, including those with visual or hearing impairments. Inclusive communication strategies create a welcoming environment that makes all customers feel seen and heard.

Step 5: Use the Right Tech for Inclusivity

Technology can be a powerful tool for promoting inclusivity in your customer experience. Implement the following technologies to create a more inclusive environment:

Chatbots and virtual assistants with natural language processing capabilities can provide personalized support to customers with different communication preferences or abilities.
Text-to-speech and speech-to-text technologies can assist customers with visual or hearing impairments, making your content more accessible.
Language translation tools can help break down language barriers and provide support for non-native speakers.
Artificial intelligence algorithms can help identify and mitigate biases in your customer data, ensuring that your CX strategies are fair and inclusive.
Accessibility tools, such as screen readers and magnifiers, can make your digital platforms more user-friendly for customers with disabilities.

Step 6: Develop Inclusive Policies and Practices

Review current policies and identify areas that may unintentionally exclude or discriminate against certain customer groups. This includes policies related to product returns, customer service, and accessibility accommodations.

Develop new policies that prioritize inclusivity. For example, offer flexible return policies for customers with disabilities who may need more time to evaluate a product. Provide accommodations for customers with special needs, such as quiet hours for sensory-sensitive individuals or assistance for those with mobility challenges.

Establish clear guidelines for respectful and inclusive customer interactions. This includes using inclusive language, avoiding stereotypes or assumptions, and treating all customers with dignity and respect. Provide training for employees to ensure they understand and consistently enforce these guidelines across all touchpoints.

Regularly review and update policies to reflect changing customer needs and industry best practices. Seek feedback from diverse customer groups and incorporate their perspectives into policy decisions.

Step 7: Train and Empower Employees

The journey of building a culturally inclusive customer experience does not end with designing inclusive products and services. You also need to train and empower your employees to deliver inclusive CX consistently across all touchpoints.

Here are the steps you should follow:

Provide the right training
Foster inclusive culture
Empower employees to make decisions
Hire diverse talents
Measure CX metrics

Provide Cultural Sensitivity Training

Provide cultural sensitivity training to all employees, covering:

Cultural awareness, unconscious bias, inclusive communication, and active listening
Real-life scenarios and role-playing exercises to practice navigating cultural differences and handling sensitive situations
The importance of delivering inclusive CX, regardless of an employee’s role or level

Foster an Inclusive Workplace Culture

Keep up with an inclusive workplace culture that:

Values diversity, equity, and inclusion
Encourages open communication, feedback, and dialogue around cultural issues
Celebrates cultural diversity through events, employee resource groups, and mentorship programs

Empower Employees to Make Inclusive Decisions

Train employees to make inclusive decisions with:

The autonomy and resources they need in their customer interactions
Encouragement to adapt their communication style, problem-solving approach, and service delivery to meet each customer’s unique needs
Access to cultural experts, resources, and tools to help them navigate complex cultural situations

Hire and Promote Diverse Talent

Hire and promote diverse talent to:

Build a diverse workforce that reflects the cultural diversity of your customer base.
Implement inclusive hiring and promotion practices that mitigate bias and ensure equal opportunities for all employees.
Recognize and reward employees who demonstrate inclusive behaviors and excellence in serving diverse customers.

Invest in employee training and empowerment to create a workforce that is culturally competent, confident, and committed to delivering inclusive CX. This enhances the customer experience and creates a more engaged and motivated workforce.

Step 8: Engage with Diverse Communities

Reach out to community organizations and advocacy groups that represent diverse customer segments. Attend events and gatherings to learn more about their unique needs, preferences, and challenges.

Establish partnerships and collaborations with these organizations to gain valuable insights and feedback on your products, services, and customer experience. Invite them to participate in focus groups, surveys, or user testing to ensure your offerings are inclusive and accessible.

Amplify diverse voices and perspectives in your marketing and communication efforts. Feature diverse customers and their stories in your campaigns and social media content. Celebrate cultural holidays and events that are important to your customers.

Support causes and initiatives that matter to diverse communities. Donate to organizations that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Participate in community events and volunteer activities that align with your values.

Step 9: Monitor and Improve Your Inclusive Efforts

To create a truly inclusive customer experience, monitoring and improving your efforts is crucial. Regularly assess the effectiveness of your initiatives and make data-driven decisions to refine your approach. Here are some key steps to monitor and improve your inclusive efforts:

Conduct surveys and interviews with diverse customer groups to gather their perspectives and feedback on your inclusive initiatives.
Analyze customer data to identify gaps or disparities in how different segments experience your brand, and use this information to prioritize areas for improvement.
Establish a system for tracking and promptly addressing customer complaints related to inclusivity issues, using these complaints as opportunities for growth and learning.
Create a dedicated, diverse team responsible for overseeing your inclusive efforts, with representatives from different departments and levels of your organization.
Regularly review and update your inclusive policies, practices, and initiatives based on customer feedback and industry best practices, staying informed about emerging trends and technologies.
Celebrate your successes and share your progress with customers and stakeholders, communicating your ongoing commitment to inclusivity through your marketing and communication channels.

Examples of Inclusive Customer Experience

Here are some examples of companies providing inclusive customer experiences:

Peloton Adds Deaf Accessibility

Peloton introduced subtitles for live classes, allowing deaf and hard-of-hearing members to fully participate in both recorded and live classes. Peloton provides an inclusive customer experience through captioning.

Nike’s Hijab and Plus-Size Lines

Nike released a performance hijab in 2017 and a plus-size collection in 2017/2018 to be more inclusive of Muslim women and plus-size athletes. The hijab was designed after feedback from Muslim athletes, while the plus-size line catered to sizes 1X to 3X. Nike’s marketing featured diverse athletes to promote an inclusive brand message.

Mattel’s Gender-Neutral Doll Line

In 2019, Mattel launched a gender-neutral doll line called “Creatable World” to allow kids to customize the dolls’ hair, clothing, and accessories however they want. This gave children more freedom of expression beyond traditional gender norms. Mattel’s marketing promoted inclusivity by showing different kids styling the dolls in unique ways.

Fenty Beauty For More Skin Tones

Fenty Beauty launched in 2017 with an unprecedented 40 shades of foundation to cater to a wide range of skin tones and undertones. This was revolutionary in the makeup industry which had long ignored deeper skin tones. The brand’s marketing featured models of different races, ages, and sizes in an authentic way. Fenty Beauty’s inclusive approach disrupted the cosmetics industry and set a new standard.

Netflix’s Visual Impairment Aid

Netflix provides audio descriptions of shows and movies. Audio description is a narration that describes visual elements such as actions, facial expressions, costumes, and settings, helping provide an inclusive experience for people who cannot see the screen.

About Symplicity

Want to create an inclusive customer experience that meets the diverse needs of your customer base? Contact us today to explore how we can help you build a culturally inclusive CX that drives customer loyalty and business growth.

See our solutions page for the full range of services we offer.

Inclusive CX FAQ

What are the components of inclusion?

The key components of an inclusive experience are accessibility, representation, flexibility, and empowerment. Inclusion involves designing products, services, and interactions to be usable by people with diverse abilities and backgrounds.

What makes an inclusive customer service policy?

An inclusive customer service policy outlines a company’s commitment to provide equal and fair treatment to all customers, regardless of their background, identity, or abilities. It includes guidelines for respectful communication, accommodating special needs, and handling sensitive cultural issues. The policy also emphasizes continuous training for employees to deliver inclusive customer service consistently.

What is the perfect user experience?

The perfect user experience is seamless, intuitive, and tailored to the individual user’s needs and preferences. It takes into account factors such as accessibility, cultural relevance, and inclusive design. A perfect UX anticipates and addresses potential barriers, ensuring that all users can easily navigate and enjoy the product or service.

Why is inclusion important in customer service?

Inclusion is important in customer service to ensure equal access, dignity, and quality of service for all customers, regardless of disabilities or differences. It prevents discrimination, builds trust and loyalty, and allows businesses to tap into the significant purchasing power of diverse communities like individuals with disabilities.

What are inclusive strategies?

Inclusive strategies are proactive approaches that organizations adopt to create a welcoming and equitable environment for all individuals. These strategies focus on the identification and removal of barriers, the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and the design of products and services that cater to a wide range of users. Examples include the implementation of accessible design, the provision of inclusive customer service, and the fostering of a culture of inclusivity within the organization.

How can I provide digital accessibility?

To provide digital accessibility, keep accessibility in mind from the start. Design your website and apps thinking about the disability community, ensuring that users with visual impairments or other disabilities can navigate and access content easily. Use inclusive language, follow accessibility guidelines, and test your digital products with assistive technologies.

How do you provide an inclusive employee experience?

To provide an inclusive employee experience, make inclusion efforts a priority within your organization. Foster a culture that values diversity and encourages open communication. Ensure that all employees, including those from underrepresented groups, have equal access to opportunities, resources, and support. Regularly gather employee feedback and address any concerns related to inclusion and accessibility.

How can businesses create a culture of inclusion?

To create a culture of inclusion, businesses must make a continuous effort to prioritize diversity and equity. This involves having open conversations about diversity, providing training on inclusive language and practices, and ensuring that all employees feel valued and respected. Building a culture of inclusion requires commitment from leadership and active participation from all team members.

What steps can you take to provide an inclusive client experience?

To provide an inclusive client experience, you should consider the diverse needs of your potential clients. You may offer resources in alternative formats, such as Braille or large print for blind persons, or use gender-neutral language in communication materials. Seek expert insights and conduct accessibility audits to identify areas for improvement in creating inclusive digital environments and exceptional service for all clients.