CalMac is the first transport operator in the country to offer the British Sign Language Interpreting Video Relay Service (VRS) to hearing impaired ferry passengers, providing an easy and flexible way to interact with sign language users through their mobile phone.
According to the British Deaf Association there are around 87,000 deaf people who rely on sign language to communicate, and CalMac are setting out to improve the experience of all of its customers.
The new video interpretation service is said to make it easier for hard of hearing passengers to manage their ticket bookings, with CalMac’s Head of Customer Experience, Sandra Crighton praising the new technology as “a great addition to our customer service offering for passengers who rely on sign language”. Passengers simply download the sign language app to their mobile, and connect with an interpreter via video link. The interpreter then calls CalMac’s customer care team and interprets back through sign language via video to the customer.
Sarah outlined CalMac’s “committment to making our services as accessible as possible to passengers whatever their individual needs. Our team is constantly monitoring new industry developments to see how we can improve our customer care standards. We will always be early adopters of the latest technology if it is going to improve a passenger’s experience of travelling with us.”
The technology goes both ways too, as once the app is downloaded CalMac will also be able to contact the customer with any service updates via sign language.
To find out more about this service, contact www.calmac.co.uk/contact
