Taking Calls From People Who Stammer

Making phone calls accessible for people with speech differences is as important as installing ramps for wheelchair users. Here, we explain how it can be done, and why it will benefit everyone involved.

For most people, a phone call is an everyday task. But, if you stammer, it can be a nightmare. And weirdly, given the fact that making a call is all about using one's voice, right across all businesses, there's a yawning chasm in understanding, let alone actual adjustments, in taking these calls — resulting in potentially millions of lost and unproductive calls every year.

At the tail end of 2025, STAMMA produced a report on the experiences of hundreds of people who stammer during their most recent call to an organisation. Topping the list of organisations people called were financial and insurance institutions, followed by healthcare, government agencies and travel. What we discovered was that an astonishing 96% said they found making calls hard. Less surprising then, was that 65% of the last call they made was mishandled, because of their stammer: 

• 14% were hung up on.
• 24% got stuck in voice recognition systems which didn't give enough time to respond or failed to recognise what they said.
• 32% had call agents guessing what they were trying to say.
• 5% were laughed at.

The size of the problem? At least 1% of adults stammer. This translates to at least 43 million calls a year, assuming that most people who stammer will try and find other means of making contact. But whether you stammer or not, there are times when you need to speak to a real human. Or you have to. 

This isn't just an issue for those who stammer. Millions of people live with speech or communication difficulties, including dysarthria, aphasia, dyspraxia, ataxia, voice conditions, or speech changes linked to illness, injury, fatigue or aging. Many of the same barriers apply across these groups. 

Make a Transformative Difference

The good news is that it needn't be expensive or difficult to adapt. Once you understand the problems faced by callers, it is easier to navigate practical solutions and maximise productive calls for the agent and the customer.  

The start of the call

Many people who stammer need extra time to get their speech going at the beginning of a call. In STAMMA's survey, respondents frequently described being hung up on at this stage or having their stammer mistaken for silence or a bad line. Standard procedures for handling silence can unintentionally increase the challenge. If you are met by silence or suspect a bad line, rather than filling the space with repeated "hellos" or questions, try saying:

"Take the time you need. I'm listening."

If you really can't hear anything after a further minute, it is reasonable to move towards ending the call. How you do this matters. Try:

"I'm not sure if you're there and want to talk to us or not. I can't hear you and I'm not sure you can hear me, so I'm going to finish the call now. You're welcome to call us back. If the phone is difficult, you can contact us in other ways, such as [alternative options]. Thank you for calling and we hope to speak to you next time."

Approaches like this are already working well in organisations such as the debt support agency Money Wellness.

ID procedures & Stammering Variations

Many people who stammer find saying specific words on demand particularly difficult. In our survey, 94% of respondents said they struggle with saying keywords such as their date of birth, postcode and town, and this was especially true about saying their name.

Stammering on keywords like this is totally, utterly, frustratingly normal for people who stammer. They may have spoken fluently up to that point and then find this moment particularly challenging. 

Allow the caller time and avoid rushing or interrupting. Allow them space.

Variations in stammering are normal. Which, if you think about it, is particularly cruel, as you see fluent speakers casting judgement on why someone is or isn't stammering at any given point. They just stammer. Resist the urge to assume they are unsure, nervous, or trying to impersonate someone else. 

See STAMMA's short video for an insight into how stammering can vary, from person to person and moment to moment.

Technology 

Technology can create barriers and offer solutions. Automated menus can include an early option to allow callers to flag that speaking isn't straightforward for them. The contact centre at Cardiff's Principality Stadium uses this approach, offering callers the following choice:

"If you're happy to proceed with the call, press 1.
If talking isn't always easy for you and you'd like your call handler to know that, press 2."

Callers who select option 2 receive the same service, but both caller and call handler are primed to allow more time and space. This simple adjustment is effective and call handlers report feeling more comfortable when greeted with what feels like silence at the beginning of the call, but may actually be somebody trying to talk.

For organisations using more complex Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, this flag allows those callers to be transferred into a parallel route with longer response times, reduced reliance on speech recognition, or can allow callers to bypass the IVR entirely if the system struggles to understand their speech.

Conclusion

When calls go wrong, people who stammer often report frustration, shame, anger and a loss of confidence. Some abandon calls altogether, delay essential tasks, or rely on others to speak on their behalf — reducing their independence and privacy.

But what we've also seen from our research, is that when a call goes well it can be a powerful, loyalty-binding, positive experience. Even regardless of whether the caller got what they needed. The emotional impact of a well-handled call can be transformative. One respondent said "Triumphant", when asked how they felt after a good call. 

Ending these phone call nightmares is possible, and we suggest, imperative. It's akin to installing a ramp alongside the stairs — it's about basic accessibility. With thought, awareness and simple adjustments, contact centres — and staff taking or making calls in any organisation — can ensure that those who speak differently can go about their daily life, and make calls without even thinking about it.

For more information, download STAMMA's full report  and watch our 30-second film Don't Hang Up, Hang On.