Who will win the race for clarity?

Who’s the clearest of them all? Which organisation best understands the need for clarity in communication?

It's the ninth year in the life of the Plain English Awards. This year again saw a great bunch of entries with 122 across 12 categories. The list of finalists  is out and the wait is nearly over — we’ll know the winners on 27 November.

Showing their dedication to clarity

The finalist organisations are united by their dedication to clarity in communication. They understand that communicating clearly and simply contributes to their success, and they walk the talk. Clear communication shows they respect and understand their audiences and readers, and it builds goodwill. These organisations also know that clear communication can increase their bottom line.

‘The Awards encourage organisations to show they care about communicating honestly and clearly,’ says Gregory Fortuin, Chair of the WriteMark Plain English Awards Trust. 

‘Making the effort to communicate in plain English can make a difference to the lives of many people.’

Categories in the Awards honour documents and websites — and the people who write them. And members of the public have joined in the push for plain English by nominating good and bad documents in the People’s Choice category.

Making a difference to the bottom line

Clear communication is an important contributor to an organisation’s success. For example, last year’s grand prize winner, the Ministry of Social Development, reduced the number of phonecalls from welfare clients needing to clarify a point from an average 25% to just 2.5%. Fewer phonecalls means money saved, and less pressure on the call centre.

The spokesman for the Environmental Protection Authority said he’d been complimented for their winning entry: ‘…getting fan mail for a government publication is something of a rarity.’

A sure way to reduce complaints

Last year, New Zealand's Insurance and Savings Ombudsman Scheme had to resolve the largest number of complaints since 1998. The annual report shows the Scheme received 3,215 complaint enquiries and investigated 300 complaints. That's a lot of complaints.

House insurance, travel insurance, and vehicle insurance were the topics of many of the complaints. These types of insurance are common and many people have one or more of these policies. As long as everything is going well and they don't need to claim against their policy, they might not look too closely at the details.

But when something happens and they turn to the policy document, they might get a surprise. Suddenly the wording doesn't seem clear. They make their claim, but the answer isn't what they expected.

If they take their case further, it might become one of the 3,000+ complaints that the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman has to deal with. Many claims stem directly or indirectly from the way the information is communicated.

A global survey finds support for clearer communication

Ernst & Young's Global Consumer Insurance Survey 2012 says it's time for insurers to rethink their relationships with their customers. The survey reports the results from interviewing 5,000 customers of insurance companies. One of the main themes of their findings? Communication is key. We're not surprised. Clear communication makes for a customer-focused business.

The report says that 'better information would boost understanding'. Customers are asking for communication that is easier to understand. They want better handling of their claims — 33% of those surveyed wanted better communication. Consistency of communication across all channels and customer touchpoints is also important.

Getting the WriteMark or other document quality mark on your documents is a proven way to achieve a consistent standard of clear communication. Your customers know you care and what they read is what they get. We think fewer complaints will follow.

Read about the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman Scheme results

See who holds the WriteMark

Visit the Insurance and Savings Ombudsman website