It’s plain and simple, using plain language in customer interactions is good business for your contact center.
When you use plain language across the customer journey, you’re offering better customer service. You’re achieving higher first-call resolution (FCR) rates. You’re lowering call volume. This all leads to cost savings in your contact center.
Federal agencies are required by law to use plain language. Many private sector businesses are required to use plain language in some form to maintain compliance.
But what exactly is plain language?
It’s defined as communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it.
This communication makes it easy for your audience to find and use the content you’re providing, because it’s:
- Clear
- Concise
- Well-organized
Language is not considered plain when it’s:
- Indirect
- Jargon-heavy
- Assumes insider knowledge
Using plain language does not remove the personal element of customer interactions. Finding the right balance between clear communication and personalization is key. Here are a few steps you can take to communicate clearly and deliver personalized service:
- Incorporate plain language in your system using a flexible scripting tool.
This will improve the self-service experience for customers. It will also promote customers’ future use of self-service options and help you keep costs down.
- Integrate CRM in your contact center platform for 360-degree customer insight.
With access to a customer’s unique account information, call history, and needs before an interaction even takes place, you can easily personalize engagement.
- Train agents to use clear, direct language in customer interactions.
Discuss messaging, context, tone, style, delivery—and how proper use may differ across channels.
Whether communicating more clearly in your IVR scripts or across digital channels, your contact center can always take steps to promote the use of plain language and personalization. To learn more about improving the customer experience, check out our webinar on Digital-First Customer Service.