Fury as Barclays paid customers £45 each to pretend to be blind or deaf to test staff
Share:
BARCLAYS bank bosses have been slammed after they paid customers to pretend to be blind or deaf to test staff. Mystery shoppers got £45 each to visit branches with real or fake issues, such as mobility, hearing or visual impairments. They reported back on how staff reacted to 1,600 vulnerable customer visits.
![[Barclays bank have been slammed after paying customers to pretend to be blind or deaf to test staff]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/people-walk-barclays-bank-branch-722298940.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Research firm Ipsos was hired to recruit customers with Barclays accounts for the roles. A Barclays instruction sheet reveals anyone signing up must have a current account with the bank, but can “fabricate a back story” about how they became blind or deaf.
It adds: “You would ideally have a real visual impairment. “However you can fabricate this if needed. “Please note that for those using a fabricated back story you must provide your feedback from the point-of-view of a customer with a real vulnerability.”.
Disability charities blasted the bank over the “inappropriate” and “insulting” approach to disabled people. Andrew Hodgson, of the National Federation of the Blind UK, said: “This is totally inappropriate. “Barclays’ move is an insult to all blind, deafblind and partially sighted people.”.
