Vulnerable customer policy

Vulnerable Customer Policy: Our Commitment to Fair and Accessible Service

Dedicated to Supporting Every Customer in Our Community

At Garden Chic, our passion is helping people create beautiful outdoor spaces. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy their garden, and we are committed to ensuring our business is accessible, fair, and supportive for all customers. We recognise that at any time, an individual’s personal circumstances can change, potentially placing them in a vulnerable situation. This policy details our pledge to act with the appropriate level of care, to identify and support vulnerable customers, and to ensure our processes do not cause any disadvantage.

This commitment is a core part of our business ethos. It is fully supported by our management and is a key component of our staff training and development, ensuring a consistently empathetic and professional approach across our entire company.

Our Understanding of Vulnerability

We adopt the definition provided by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which describes a vulnerable customer as “someone who, due to their personal circumstances, is especially susceptible to detriment, particularly when a firm is not acting with appropriate levels of care”.

Vulnerability is a state, not a label. It can be temporary, recurring, or permanent. It can be caused by a wide array of factors, and we view it as a spectrum of risk. We understand that the primary drivers that can increase vulnerability include:

Health Conditions: Physical disabilities, long-term illness, mental health issues, or cognitive impairments which may impact a customer's ability to communicate with us, make decisions, or handle and assemble products.
Significant Life Events: Events like bereavement, job loss, or a change in caring responsibilities can create significant emotional and financial strain.
Financial Resilience: A reduced capacity to cope with unexpected expenses or income shocks, potentially due to debt, low savings, or unstable employment.
Capability & Skills: Difficulties with literacy or numeracy, a lack of digital skills, or a language barrier that could make it harder to access our services or understand product information.

Our Framework for Support

Every member of the Garden Chic team is trained to recognise the potential signs of vulnerability and to respond with compassion, flexibility, and professionalism. We are dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment for all our customers.

How We Will Support You:

Should you disclose your circumstances to us, or if our team identifies that you may benefit from additional support, we will adapt our approach to meet your needs. Our promise to you includes:

Patient and Clear Interactions: We will always communicate clearly, avoiding complex terminology. We will patiently answer all your questions and are happy to provide information in alternative formats, like a follow-up email, to give you the space to review it properly.
No-Pressure Environment: We are here to help you find the right products for your garden. We will never rush you into a decision and will always encourage you to take the time you need. We can hold items or pause an order to allow for further consideration.
Support from a Third Party: We are very happy for you to involve a trusted friend, family member, or support worker in your communications with us. With your permission, we can speak with them directly to ensure you have the support you need.
Product Suitability: We understand that some of our products require assembly or may be heavy. Our team will be proactive in discussing these practical aspects to ensure the product is suitable for your physical capabilities and that you have a clear understanding of what to expect on delivery.
Flexible Customer Service: We will listen carefully to understand your specific situation and adapt our service accordingly. Whether it's arranging a specific delivery instruction or taking extra time to explain our returns process, we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

If we have any concerns that a customer may not fully comprehend the nature of the product or the terms of the sale, we will take steps to provide additional clarification to ensure they can make a fully informed and confident decision.

Data Privacy and Your Information

Your privacy is paramount. Any information you share with us regarding your personal situation is treated as highly confidential. We will only make a record of such details on your account with your express consent. This is solely for the purpose of ensuring you receive a consistent and high-quality level of care from any team member you speak with. All data is stored and managed in strict compliance with UK data protection laws.

Policy Review and Our Ongoing Commitment

Gudrum Classics Ltd is dedicated to upholding the standards outlined in this policy. It is subject to a formal review at least once a year to ensure it continues to reflect best practices and the needs of our customers. We welcome feedback and are always looking for ways to improve our service.

If you have any concerns or wish to discuss how we can better support you, please contact our customer service team. We are ready to help.

Introduction

Gudrum Classics Limited has a Vulnerable Customer Policy which is designed to ensure that the way in which we conduct our business does not have a detrimental impact upon vulnerable customers.

For the purpose of this policy vulnerable customers are customers and prospective customers whose ability or circumstances require us to take extra precautions in the way that we sell and provide our services in order to ensure that they are not disadvantaged in any way.

Requirements of the Policy

To deliver fair outcomes to our customer we must consider the circumstances of each individual and in our dealings with them tailor our approach, removing any barriers that restrict the customer achieving a resolution and accessing our products and services.

What is a vulnerable customer?

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) defines a vulnerable customer as “someone who, due to their personal circumstances, is especially susceptible to detriment, particularly when a firm is not acting with appropriate levels of care”

Identifying a vulnerable customer

Gudrum Classics Limited is committed to ensuring that all its staff are capable of identifying vulnerable customers, and that they are able to handle a situation involving a vulnerable customer with the required levels of care, attention and respect. A customer may find it difficult to make an informed decision about their available options for a variety of reasons.

The following are types of circumstances and characteristics which may suggest vulnerability, but these are not exhaustive, and the identification of the vulnerable customer must be individual, responsive and aimed at removing barriers to accessing our products and services.

· Age

· Mental health

· Low-income levels

· Addictions such as gambling, drink and drugs

· Medial and/or health condition

· Financial hardship

· Language barriers

· Mental capacity limitations

· Life changing event

· Victims of financial crime

· Environmental impacts

When engaging with customers over the phone it is often difficult to identify a vulnerable customer because it is not possible to see many of the characteristics, such as body language and facial expressions, which may identify whether the prospective customer requires additional information and guidance to enable them to make an informed decision. For this reason, it is critically important to listen carefully to all customers and to identify people who may be classed as a vulnerable customer.

Typical telephone characteristics include:

· An inability to hear or understand what is being said

· Repeated questions of a similar nature

· Comments or answers which are inconsistent with the telephone discussion, or which indicate they have not understood the information which has been provided.

· Verbal confirmation that they don’t understand or that they require the assistance of somebody else in making a decision.

Treatment of Vulnerable Customers

Due to the diversity of the factors that can contribute to the level of customer vulnerability there will not be one approach that can be adopted to fit each circumstance. The over-riding principle that much be adhered to by staff in their dealings with vulnerable customers is that fair outcomes are achieved throughout the customer journey, and any barriers are removed to access our products and services. It is therefore essential that staff take a flexible approach as our failures can lead customers to suffer financial and non-financial impacts.

When speaking to a vulnerable customer we:

· Remain patient and empathetic; do not rush the customer, interrupt or appear impatient. Allow the customer to arrive at their own decisions and process the information sufficiently.

· Provide additional opportunities for the customer to ask questions about the information we have provided.

· Ensure the customer is able to hear and understand what you are saying, continuously seek confirmation that they have understood the information that has been provided.

· Allow the customer to explain thoroughly; do not assume you already know what their requirements or needs are, and do not finish their sentences which often implies you are rushing them to progress the conversation.

· Listen carefully to the client and remain conscious of any absence of understanding, hints at unawareness, or forgetfulness of topics already discussed.

· Clarify that the customer is comfortable with the standards and method of communication and offer to provide details in an alternative format such as via post or email for clarity.

· Ask if there is anybody with them who is able to assist them and offer them the opportunity to have a family member or friend present during the conversation.

· Offer them the opportunity to complete the transaction after a period of further consideration.

If for any reason, we think the customer does not understand the service which is being offered to them we will not proceed with the transaction and advise them that we will write to them with further information about the product or service they are seeking.

When a vulnerable customer has been identified a relevant note should be added to their order to ensure that awareness extends to all staff within the company who deal with the customer. It is important that we maintain a consistent level of service, and that a vulnerable customer receives adequate care irrespective of which staff they liaise with. Any such notes should describe the reasons for the assessment of the customer as vulnerable and be respectful.

Data Protection

Personal information that relates to an individual’s health, ethnicity or race is considered sensitive and should be handled with particular care. Gudrum Classics Limited will obtain the customer’s consent to record their vulnerability on its system to facilitate future contact.

Review

Gudrum Classics Limited will conduct a review of this policy on an annual basis, or sooner, if triggered by internal changes (e.g., business process changes) or external changes (e.g., changes in law).