Consumer understanding is not only about plain words. In regulated sectors, the numbers in a letter or email often decide whether a customer can act on what they have been told.
Ben Perkins is Director of Partnerships and Services at Plain Numbers, which helps organisations communicate figures more clearly and fairly.
Ben explains why many regulated businesses still miss consumer understanding requirements, and what practical changes can improve clarity without weakening compliance.
Plain Numbers helps organisations find better ways to communicate numbers - making complex information clearer, fairer, and more effective.
Through an established framework combined with real-world support, they help organisations make numbers work for people, not against them, and strengthen customer understanding.
The approach is backed by research and field testing, not presentation theory alone.
Both have direct implications for how firms design customer communications.
In regulated sectors such as finance or utilities, companies often bury key information in tables full of figures.
That creates major barriers for customers who already find numbers intimidating, especially when messages also carry Consumer Duty expectations around understandable outcomes.
Choosing The Right Customer Channel?
Read our research on portals, logins, email, and post before deciding how customers should receive important documents.
The FCA's Consumer Duty implementation review highlights clarity, testing, and evidence as recurring themes in how firms show customers can understand what they receive.
Biggest Communication Mistakes
Many firms invest in plain language but still leave the hardest work in a table of percentages, balances, or charges.
"They'll remove jargon from the text, only to leave a chunk of complex percentages for the customer to interpret."
Ben Perkins, Director of Partnerships and Services, Plain Numbers
Another common pattern is sharing every possible figure instead of highlighting the ones that matter. That drives information overload and lowers comprehension overall.
Writing for the Customer First
Regulators require certain terms and data, but there is often more flexibility than businesses assume. A useful starting point is to ask:
What is the customer really trying to achieve in this communication?
Which numbers or messages are truly central to that aim?
By focusing on what the customer needs to know, teams can add optional detail later - perhaps in a second layer or a more detailed attachment - so the important information is easy to see and understand.
"When firms send costs, repayment figures, or account changes by email, clarity and protection need to work together. Customers should understand the numbers in front of them, and firms need controls around who can open the message and how replies are handled."
Paul Holland, Founder and CEO, Beyond Encryption (Mailock)
The Power of Layering
Layering means presenting the most crucial information first, then offering deeper detail if needed.
"If you must include an APR by law, you can still give customers a pounds-and-pence breakdown up front.
They see what they need right away.
Then, if they want to dive further, the APR is there."
Ben Perkins, Director of Partnerships and Services, Plain Numbers
That approach cuts down frustration and confusion, whether the message is about debt, interest, or loan offers.
Testing: Don't Just Ask If It's Clear
A common mistake is to rely only on asking customers whether a letter or email is clear.
More than 70% of people may say they understand a communication, while randomised tests can reveal only around 20% really do.
"Don't ask, 'Is this clear?'
Ask them a comprehension question instead, like how much they owe or how much cheaper it is to pay upfront."
Ben Perkins, Director of Partnerships and Services, Plain Numbers
Checking actual understanding helps firms pinpoint and fix issues before customers act on the wrong information.
Scaling Consistency Across Teams
For large organisations, changing hundreds of communications is daunting. Practical steps include:
Train teams on a common approach.
Review style guides to make sure the focus is on clarity.
Nominate "customer understanding" champions to oversee major communications.
Share wins, such as double-digit boosts in comprehension, to motivate wider take-up.
Long-term impact comes from shifting culture, not only tweaking a few documents.
How to Improve Consumer Understanding
Regulated firms can treat consumer understanding as a design discipline, not a wording exercise alone.
Look closely at every number in your communications - does it add real value?
Use plain numbers wherever possible instead of jargon or percentages alone.
Try layering details so customers are not bombarded with too much at once.
Test actual comprehension with targeted questions, not only opinions of clarity.
Make sure staff understand the "why" behind these changes to shift the culture from the inside.
FAQs
Why Focus So Much on Numbers?
People often find numbers more confusing than words.
Reducing complex figures or using plain terms helps customers understand costs and benefits.
Does Regulation Force Me to Use Certain Terms?
Some language is mandatory, but there is usually room to present extra details in simpler formats.
Layer the communication so customers do not feel overwhelmed.
How Do We Measure Real Understanding?
Ask comprehension questions and use randomised controlled trials where possible.
This highlights whether customers truly grasp key points.
Sam Kendall works on digital marketing at Beyond Encryption, helping build B2B marketing activity around research, first principles, and sustainable growth. He writes about marketing effectiveness, positioning, customer communications, and digital culture, with longer-form work published at ATNL.
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Sam Kendall
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