Less than a week to go guys and just wanted to share a small piece I designed around smartphones for seniors in case you're on the cusp of buying one this Christmas. Remember smartphones can bring a new life of connectivity for our seniors so please don't be reliant on button phones if they wish to explore it. Remember Granny may want a S8 and not a Nokia this year.

1. Currently only 10% of our models are touch button handsets. Please do not be reliant on these for our senior
customers who may be itching to get smart about phones. A recent Ofcom survey in the UK revealed that 40% of
seniors aged between 65 and 74 are now using smartphones daily. Therefore it’s our job to facilitate this
growing trend and adapt our customer journey to take into consideration the needs of our more senior customers.
Below are some top tips for recommending smartphones and adjusting their functions to meet our senior users
needs.
ABC - Text Size
Let’s make sure the font size is to the customers
satisfaction and increase it if needs be. On android
proceed to
Settings > Display > Font Size
or on iOS follow
Settings > Display and Brightness > Text Sizes
Or
Settings > General > Accessibility > Larger Text
Volumes
Take the time to show your customer the volume
hardware buttons universally found at all phones
sides. Tell them this is the quickest way for them to
adjust call volume. Further adjustment is found at
Settings > Sound > Volume
Also note in-call volume may need to be increased,
simply use the increase volume button during a test
call to increase or decrease levels for your customer.
Accessibility
Smart phones are for everyone,
including those with hearing or sight
difficulties through a range of
Accessibility options in settings.
One of the most commonly used is
Flash notifications; When enabled
flash notifications will make your
camera light flash when you receive
notifications or an alarm. This will
stop once the user has
acknowledged the event.
Also available on iOS
Settings > General > Accessibility
> LED flash for alerts
Declutter Apps
Bring the Home Screen down to
the necessities for your customer if
they are apprehensive of so many
apps.
The Call, SMS, Camera and Web
Browser app are the 4 key
cornerstones of all smartphones.
Once the user is comfortable with
these they can explore further
options by themselves.
Mobile Data or WiFi
Explain the difference between
using internet based apps over
WiFi or mobile data and how
mobile data may incur extra
expense towards the customers
plan.
Encourage the customer to
begin a plan which includes a
mobile data allowance for them
to get the full benefits of their
new handset.
Smart Seniors; Recommending
smart phones for senior users

2. Samsung Easy Mode
To enable easy mode on Samsung handsets go
to the following
Settings > My Device > Home Screen Mode >
Easy Mode
Or
Settings > Scroll down to the personalization
section > Easy Mode
Samsung Easy Mode includes a favorite
Contacts list on one of its home pages offering
quick direct call lines for up to 9 saved contacts.
This can be useful if customer needs an ICE (In
case of Emergency) contact within quick reach.
Huawei Simple Mode
To enable Simple Mode on Huawei handsets
follow the below steps.
Settings > Advanced Settings > Simple Mode
Or
Settings > Home Screen Style > Simple
Easy phone modes and Launchers; Unsurprisingly manufacturers such as Samsung and Huawei have
acknowledged the growing trend of smartphone use among seniors and have created special easy to use modes
within all their handsets. Below is a guide on how to enable these for your customer. Don’t fret if your customer
chooses a different brand however as a number of free to use big or Easy Mode launchers are available for
download through the Google Play store which can create similar results.
Taking just a minute or two after processing your sale and using some of the above tips can really set
these customers up to a whole new world full of possibility and connectivity. Don’t sell yourself short
being reliant on just the 10% of button phones and in doing so provide our seniors with the best retail
experience imaginable.