Invisible Needs, Missed Opportunities: What Brands Get Wrong About Vulnerability
The Hidden Customer Experience Crisis
Imagine this: you’re struggling with anxiety, debt, or a chronic health condition— yet you hesitate to contact your energy provider, fearing you won’t understand the jargon or that you’ll be treated insensitively.
You're not alone.
Research we conducted for the Vulnerability Registration Service (VRS) revealed that nearly a quarter of vulnerable individuals (24%) have avoided reaching out to brands altogether for fear they wouldn’t understand the information given to them. An additional 16% said the information provided by brands didn’t meet their needs while 28% have fallen into debt because of a vulnerability.
These figures aren’t marginal. They’re symptoms of a deeper issue: a customer experience ecosystem that inadvertently excludes those who need support the most.
Vulnerability Isn’t the Exception—It’s the Norm
There’s a common misconception that “vulnerability” affects only a small segment of consumers. The reality couldn’t be more different.
Our nationally representative survey shows that nearly half of adults (49%) identify with at least one form of vulnerability—whether related to mental or physical health, bereavement, caring responsibilities, fuel poverty or digital exclusion.
Despite this vast need, three in four people (75%) remain unaware of services that can help them disclose their vulnerabilities proactively to organisations.
Simply put, vulnerability is everywhere, but support remains largely invisible.
Why This Is a Brand Problem (and also Opportunity)
When vulnerable customers disengage, everyone loses.
Our research found that among those who fell into debt due to their vulnerability, 40% reported being unable to access support services like Citizens Advice or Step Change. Failing to make these routes clear, or worse, designing customer experiences that discourage engagement, only risk compounding harm.
But this isn’t just a moral issue. There are tangible financial and business costs as well.
In recent years, companies have paid millions for failing to adequately support vulnerable customers. HSBC, for instance, invested £94 million in remediation and paid £185 million in redress after failing to properly consider customer circumstances during missed payments. Volkswagen Financial Services UK paid out £21.5 million in compensation for mishandling financially vulnerable customers.
Beyond the fines, brands face missed opportunities. When vulnerable customers disengage, brands see higher churn, increased complaints and lower trust—all of which directly impact the bottom line.
The Business Case for Doing It Right
There’s good news: brands that prioritise accessibility and understanding of vulnerability often outperform their peers in loyalty, trust and operational efficiency.
Our findings show that communication preferences are crucial. When asked how they’d prefer to receive important information, the most popular responses were email (31%), followed by letter (21%) then text (10%). Fewer of those surveyed felt comfortable with chatbot-based or digital-only options—yet many organisations continue to rely heavily on self-service channels that can potentially alienate vulnerable customers.
This is a warning for brands: communication channels must be inclusive. Offering multiple options—including traditional formats like print, simple language or human-led interactions—not only meets regulatory requirements but also builds essential consumer trust.
Redesigning for Real People
Too often, brands ask customers to adapt to their systems. The real challenge is: how can systems adapt to the customer?
There are various services available to assist vulnerable customers and one organisation that works in this space is the Vulnerability Registration Service (VRS). It gives individuals a safe way to register their vulnerability once and then share that securely with multiple providers. In a recent white paper published by the VRS, they reported that on average, individuals using the service disclosed 6.7 different types of vulnerability, proving that people are not only willing—but eager—to be understood when the environment feels safe and respectful.
When customers take the time to communicate their needs, it’s the brand’s responsibility to listen—and act.
How Can Brands Improve Their CX for Vulnerable Customers?
Supporting vulnerable customers isn’t just about meeting compliance requirements. It’s about creating experiences that are human, inclusive, and built on trust. It’s about showing up when it matters most—and doing so in a way that builds long-term loyalty.
The Harris Poll UK partners with brands to make that possible.
We help organisations design customer experiences that reflect the real lives of their customers—including those experiencing vulnerability. From journey audits and segmentation to message testing and CX benchmarking, our research programmes uncover where communication breaks down, how support can be more accessible, and what changes will genuinely improve engagement and retention.
We’re working with brands to:
• Test communication formats to meet Consumer Duty principles
• Understand and resolve pain-points across digital and non-digital CX touchpoints
• Segment audiences based on invisible vulnerabilities
• Or evaluate the impact of propositions and services
…we bring the data and insights needed to help brands move from intention to action.
When brands centre vulnerability in their customer strategies, they don’t just reduce risk—they unlock opportunity. This is the path to greater trust, deeper loyalty and stronger reputations.
Because in a world where nearly half of adults face some form of vulnerability—and many may not even recognise their own—the brands that stand out are those that intentionally prepare for this by default. Designing for vulnerability doesn’t just help those in need; it improves the experience for everyone. The leaders of tomorrow will be the ones who raise the bar on service provision and act with insight.
Want to find out how your brand can lead the way? Get in touch to explore how we can help you support vulnerable customers with real impact.
The Harris Poll UK, A Stagwell Company, is a leading market research company that provides some of the UK’s best-loved brands with game-changing insights. We utilise a combination of proprietary software and advisory services to deliver data insights via custom service models. We help our clients make informed decisions based on our in-depth industry expertise and our continual exploration of evolving consumer needs and priorities. We know that when a company’s Business Strategy and Customer Strategy are one and the same, their brand and their employees are better placed to succeed.