Improving customer communications

Effective customer communications are vital

Without clear customer communications, customers can struggle to make informed decisions.

Without informed customer decisions, firms don’t compete so hard on the things that really matter.

We want to see customers making informed decisions at every stage in every product lifecycle.

We want to see an end to customers regretting their decisions because they didn’t understand something – or weren’t made aware of it at the right time.

We want to see firms competing for customers on the basis of transparent and engaging communications.

Our track record

Firms ask our behavioural scientists, psychologists, and linguists for expert support in improving their customer communications.

We’ve been doing this for 10 years – for banks, insurers, lenders, payment providers, and investment platforms.

We’re recognised by regulators. The FCA cited our approach to readability in the Consumer Duty Finalised Guidance.

We’re trusted by trade bodies. The Association of British Insurers, the Building Societies Association and the Equity Release Council have asked us to develop practical guides on writing effective customer communications.

We’ve improved every type of digital and paper communication across retail financial services sectors. From the most technical Ts&Cs to the most urgent in-app messages; from mass-market mailers to personalised advice – we’ve done it all.

Our industry experts understand the nitty gritty of your markets and products. We don’t just write good copy. We guide you on what information is ‘must know’ for your customers to make informed decisions.

We know the FCA’s sector-specific disclosure rules inside out. We know when certain wording is required, and when it’s not.

Our approach

With objective and defined criteria, our Clear and Simple Mark has become the industry standard for good communications.

Our criteria are publicly available on our website and through our work with trade bodies. Achieving the Clear and Simple Mark is hard – and doing so demonstrates a firm is not only meeting the standards set by the Consumer Duty.

We accredit communications with best practice…

• Language – making each concept understandable to customers.

• Structure – making the communication navigable for customers.

• Design – making the communication accessible and engaging for customers.

Our approach is underpinned by our consumer testing and cutting-edge behavioural science.

Working with us

We shape our support to meet your requirements.

Providers typically ask us to support them in three ways:

• Rewrite and design their communications from scratch (i.e. we hold the pen).

• Advise their teams as they rewrite and redesign their communications (i.e. you hold the pen).

• Analyse their existing communications, providing detailed feedback.

Upskilling your team

We always begin with one of our sought-after half-day masterclass training sessions. We’ve run this training for dozens of organisations and hundreds of people.

Our experience is here to be shared, and we upskill your team throughout the project.

You’ll end the project with the technical skills required to improve your other communications.

Managing your stakeholders

We recognise we’re challenging the status quo by improving customer communications. Managing stakeholders is not always easy. We’ll help you win hearts and minds – navigating the differing perspectives of legal, marketing, compliance, and product teams.

Your team will end the project with greater alignment, momentum, and enthusiasm.

Our webinar

We hosted a webinar in January 2024 that covered how to improve customer communications.

Some of the companies we’ve worked with