Complaint: Sensitivity training needed for Dunkin Donut Staff in interacting with persons who are hearing impaired

My wife loves Dunkin Donuts, specially their coffee.  This morning, Tuesday, December 14 at about 9:00 a.m., she drove by (not for the first time) the Sheridan Street shop and placed her order — an iced coffee without cream and a chocolate glazed donut with peanuts on top. She also told the teller that she is hearing impaired.  (She wears hearing aids on both ears but there is something about the sound quality of intercoms that instead of hearing words she would hear sputtering sounds.)

The teller continued to converse with her over the intercom, to which she repeated her order and repeated to her that she cannot hear.  The teller went down to talk to her, but with her mask, my wife could not decipher what she was saying.  With some frustrationThe teller came out and continued to talk to her to which she repeated that she cannot hear (specially that the teller had s mask on - as is required). To her it is a simple transaction and there was really no need for vocal interactions.  However, the same thing happened.  The teller continued to talk to her.  She asked for the manager to complain and he also talked to her. At some point the guard, too, told her something.  (My wife would augment her hearing through lip reading but that is made impossible with masks on.  That is why I wear a mask that has a plastic window so she could also see my lips when we converse.)

Extremely frustrated, she left the shop.  She cried in frustration when she got home. 

I drove over to the shop.  The manager, Kim, was  courteous and aware of the incident and told me that he had told the teller and the guard, who are new employees, about the situation and how to properly handle it.  Kim told me that he wanted to get my wife’s orders but she had just driven off.

The lesson is about listening.  Had the teller really listened, she would not have to needlessly engage with the customer.  Sure, the teller could have asked if my wife needed change so that it would be efficient for her to come down to the car with the order and the change.  But she would have to make an exception in this case, only if she had listened.

The other lesson is on sensitivity.  Many companies try to differentiate themselves from their competitor through quality service.  Dunkin Donuts would not be an exception.  They try to make the retail experience efficient for them and as much as possible frictionless for their customer.  Perhaps one area to explore is how to enhance the customer experience by being sensitive to them.

I am fearful that my wife would say that Dunkin Donuts would not anymore  be “worth the trip”.  But she beamed when I got back home to hand her the coffee I bought when I spoke with Kim.  When she bit on the donut, she said “this is really good”!

(This note was sent to the office of Persons with Disability Affairs Division of Mandaluyong City.)