Businesses are losing £14bn a year because of badly written letters and jargon-laden communications, according to a major survey.
Businesses are losing £14bn a year because of badly written letters and jargon-laden communications, according to a major survey.
Research by the Plain English Campaign and Design Links, the Edinburgh communications agency, found most people feel the legal profession is the most challenged, with finance and local/national government in second and third places respectively.
A majority (83%) of the 1500 people who took part in the UK-wide survey felt companies deliberately use poor English to confuse customers.
Credit card companies, for example, appeared to benefit from the fact most customers would not bother to trawl through the small print before signing up - 36% of people admitted paying additional fees as a result of not understanding a company's terms and conditions.
In many cases, however, companies were facing higher customer service costs as a result of their poor English. Costs that were ultimately passed on to customers.
By contrast, where companies had improved communications - savings had been dramatic. Royal Mail saved £500,000 in nine months by redesigning its "redirection of mail" form using plain English while BT cut customer queries by 25%.
Mike Stevenson, managing director of Design Links, said: "For many companies, communication has become about them rather than customers. They need to use language that will motivate people."
"Quite simply, customers will always react more positively to direct, understandable communication that is motivating in tone and content."
A spokesman for the Law Society of Scotland said a new policy on communication was being developed for solicitors, after a training consultation.
