We thought we’d have some festive fun with the 12 letters of Consumer Duty. We hope you enjoy it!
We hope you enjoyed our 2023 LinkedIn posts! We’re looking forward to what 2024 will bring us. Thank you for following us!
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Care - At the heart of Consumer Duty is providing great customer care. We understand everyone’s needs are unique and see each communication as an opportunity to exceed expectations, making sure each individual feels valued and included at every stage. We’re people who care about the people we’re communicating with, so we keep their needs at the forefront of everything we do.
By David Dorai-Raj
By David Dorai-Raj
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Offering alternative formats. We know one format won’t suit everybody, so we make sure people know they can request other formats - including braille, large font and audio transcripts for example. That way, people know we recognise their needs and can provide communications accessible to everyone.
By Hamza Shafiq
By Hamza Shafiq
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Needs – everyone has them although everyone’s needs are different. When communicating with a diverse audience, consider their needs, abilities and vulnerabilities and write with this in mind. What are the challenges and barriers to understanding? Where might people struggle? Be inclusive. Make content simple, clear and concise. “Different strokes for different folk” to quote Muhammad Ali.
By Helen Taylor
By Helen Taylor
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Structure – we want people to be able to navigate their communications easily. Through clever design, I can help achieve this by including clear headings and sub-headings to signpost the various sections of a document. It adds structure, breaks big sections down into more manageable chunks and helps people quickly and easily access the info they need.
By James Brackett
By James Brackett
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User experience (UX) – refers to how a person navigates a particular website and how seamless their experience is while they’re there. As a designer, it’s my job to make sure there aren’t any hurdles to people accessing the information they need so they can go on to make informed choices and decisions. It all comes down to having a true understanding of what the user really needs.
By Marc Reid
By Marc Reid
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Mindful communications. It might seem obvious but keeping our audience firmly in mind while we’re creating the words they’ll read in a format they can access is our top priority. Communications must be relevant, representative and inclusive, which means leaving out the jargon, using universal language and explaining the complex stuff simply. That way, no-one gets left behind.
By Max Curtis
By Max Curtis
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Equal – giving equal prominence to all the available options, highlighting risk warnings and signposting support communicates the information in a way that’s clear, fair and not misleading. It ensures our communications don’t cause foreseeable harm which might lead to negative outcomes for the people receiving them, or their loved ones.
By Melissa Edwards
By Melissa Edwards
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Responsibility - Financial firms have great power and immense influence. With this comes great responsibility to use it ethically in the best interests of consumers, ensuring fairness and safeguarding peoples’ well-being, particularly those who are vulnerable.
By Pete McInulty
By Pete McInulty
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Define - when communicating with pension scheme members it’s really important they understand what we’re trying to tell them, although sometimes it’s hard to avoid jargon (GMP anyone?).
Enter the glossary – a quick and easy way to define complex terms by using member-friendly language so people know their GMP (Guaranteed Minimum Pension) from their GAR (Guaranteed Annuity Rate)!
By Rachel Harold
Enter the glossary – a quick and easy way to define complex terms by using member-friendly language so people know their GMP (Guaranteed Minimum Pension) from their GAR (Guaranteed Annuity Rate)!
By Rachel Harold
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Using best practice when we’re designing for web helps us create a more inclusive online environment and means anyone interacting with our websites receives the same welcoming experience. Including things like readable fonts, descriptive image alt tags and strong colour contrast meets diverse needs and enhances accessibility for everyone.
By Rodger Patterson
By Rodger Patterson
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The next steps. Much like the 11 pipers, we need to be piping loudly about our ongoing commitment to deliver good consumer outcomes. We’ve offered alternative formats, updated copy and design so they’re even more accessible and inclusive and actively gathered real-time feedback to continue making consumer-focused improvements. These might be the next steps, but they’re only the beginning.
By Sam Hailey
By Sam Hailey
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Y (Why) has it taken so long for Consumer Duty to catch on? For us - it's always been about good outcomes for the customer, the arrival of Consumer Duty rules just reaffirms how important it is to keep YOU at the heart of everything we do.
By Sarah Macdonald
By Sarah Macdonald
