A Buderim-based husband and wife duo have created an App they believe will reduce discrimination and revolutionise customer service experiences for people living with a disability.
Victoria and Chris Kerrisk have produced the Cérge App, to enable people with a disability to send details of their likes and dislikes, prior to arriving at any pre-registered organisation which may include retail, hospitality, sporting, allied health or tourism business.
Kylie and Gavin Murray, the owners of Murray’s cafe at Maroochydore, have adopted the App and they believe it has the potential to revolutionise any industry whose clients have a disability.
“Cérge has the incredible ability to remove the fear and anxiety associated with venturing out of the house and into the unknown every time a person with a disability visits a café, grocer, beautician, library or even a swimming pool,” Kylie said.
“We have a number of customers who have a disability. Some are visible and others aren’t as obvious but Cérge takes the guesswork out of it for our staff and helps ensure that everyone is comfortable when they visit our café.”
Sunshine Coast resident Bianca Saez has lived with one of the most severe cases of tourettes ever recorded in Australia and is working to raise awareness of people living with the disease, with a Youtube channel of about 94,000 subscribers.
“I just love what Cérge can do for all people with a disability,” she said.
It will help change perception of this illness and make life much easier for everyone by removing social anxiety. It will give us a voice and collectively make us stronger.
“It’s such a simple concept but it will make a huge difference by removing discrimination and giving the disability community a voice and the ability to stick up for ourselves.
“I want to do whatever I can to help promote Cérge to a global audience.”
With 71 per cent, of all disabilities being invisible, Chris said it was important not to point the finger at customer service staff for deliberate discrimination.
“Each disability is unique to each person so it’s impossible for customer service staff to recognise and understand their customer in order to adequately serve their customers properly,” he said.
“Cérge is the perfect combination to showcase how technology can be used to enhance in-person interactions and experiences, in the real world.
“We believe Cérge will revolutionise the customer service experience and improve the lives of 4.4 million Australians and 1.8 billion people globally who are living with a disability.
Cérge will provide a unique and bespoke communications platform to inform service staff of essential customer service information, in exchange for personalised customer service from their customer.
Help keep independent and fair Sunshine Coast news coming by subscribing to our free daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email. See SUBSCRIBE at the top of this article.
“At the press of a single button from their smart phone, an individual can send their service preferences direct to the store’s point of sale either at the moment they arrive or up to 60 minutes beforehand.
“Cérge removes the guesswork and allows customer service staff the ability to provide empathetic and personalised customer service to customers with disability.”
The 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year, Dr Dinesh Palipana, is a strong advocate of the Cérge App and its ability to assist people living with a disability.
“Cérge has the potential to enhance the everyday life of an individual with disability through an increase in education, awareness and improved mental health,” Dr Palipana said.
For more information visit the Cérge website.
