Respect Shouldn’t Depend on the Channel: Why Older Adults Deserve Preferential Treatment in the Digital Age

In many societies across the world, we recognize that older adults deserve preferential treatment in physical spaces like public transit, air travel, banks, supermarkets, theaters, and shopping centers. In fact, more than 60 countries have formal legislation or binding national policies mandating special accommodations for the elderly and/or persons with disabilities in public spaces.

But when it comes to digital channels, that consideration and respect vanishes. Seniors are often left to navigate long waits, automated menus, and bots. It’s time to fix this imbalance. Because respect shouldn’t depend on the channel.

A recent trip to the mall with my 81-year-old mother showed me something I hadn’t seen so clearly before: how little consideration we give to older adults. The visit was draining: senior parking spots were blocked; kiosks were difficult to use; and no one offered real assistance. Later, I read an article about older adults feeling disrespected in both public and private settings. It reinforced what I had just witnessed: our experience was not an exception, but the rule.

In my country, Chile, we have regulations for preferential treatment in physical spaces, but they cover only the basics — and they don’t extend to the digital world. And this is far from just a Chilean problem. Populations everywhere are aging rapidly: by 2050, one in three Chileans will be over 60, a trend mirrored across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Yet most digital services and customer contact centers aren’t designed with this reality in mind.

That’s why, when my mother calls a customer service line, she is treated like anyone else in the queue. There are no preferential lines, no systems to recognize her age and route her to a live agent, no tailored support for those less comfortable with automated menus. At the very moment when services are becoming more digital, this gap is widening — and it’s a mistake we can fix.

The problem isn’t a lack of solutions. It’s a lack of priority. In fact, the tools to make digital and call center experiences more respectful and accessible for older adults are already here:

• Contact centers can recognize a caller’s profile — through ID, phone number, or pre-registration — and automatically route older adults to the front of the line.
• Call flows can be personalized, ensuring seniors are greeted quickly by live agents rather than forced through lengthy automated menus.
• Specialized training can prepare agents to handle conversations with empathy and patience, reducing frustration and building trust.
• Video and omnichannel options can further humanize digital interactions, giving older adults more ways to connect comfortably.

At CGS, we see how intelligent routing, personalized flows, and empathetic agent training can transform customer care — improving experiences for all customers, including older adults. The real challenge isn’t inventing new tools. It’s having the vision to use what exists to prioritize dignity in every channel.

That requires a cultural shift as much as a technological one. Just as society learned to give up a seat on the bus, we now need to learn that an older adult deserves to be welcomed, listened to, and served with respect in digital and call center environments. And this matters to all of us: sooner or later, we’ll each be in that line. The only question is whether it will acknowledge our value — or make us invisible.

If your organization is ready to adapt its customer care model to better serve aging populations — while improving satisfaction for all customers — connect with us today.