Language matters

The Telecoms industry is notoriously plagued by jargon, acronyms and abbreviations. Even the most seasoned professional can occasionally find themselves scratching their head in bafflement. For an industry that is effectively tasked with making communications as easy as possible, it’s little wonder customers are not only becoming confused, but positively turning off when it comes to telecoms industry speak. We’ve even created our own glossary to help people navigate the minefield.

It’s nobody’s fault but our own. Whilst technology demands a level of language to match its potential complexity, there is little doubt jargon can create confusion, even if, on occasion, it might seem like a great way to generate extra revenue! Ultimately it could even devalue the whole industry and, more significantly, it risks obscuring really important messages that customers need to understand. ‘The Great British Switch Off’ is a case in point. A generational change to the way we manage communications in this country is in danger of creating a pile up in 2025 as people scramble to make a change that will feel very sudden, despite being in the pipeline for almost 6 years now. This is an inherent problem for the telecoms industry, where every change and development can be made to seem epoch making and demanding of attention.

Keep it simple

The solution of course, is to keep things simple. At Firstcom we don’t assume that every customer is a telecoms expert, particularly those small to medium size businesses, who constitute the backbone of the UK economy. We talk in terms of solving problems customers actually have, rather than trying to sell them things they don’t need. We talk their language and the language of the sectors they work in. Most of all we call something what it actually is. And, for us, there is no such thing as a silly question.

Maybe it’s because we’ve learned that this is what our customers really want. In part it might be because of our origins in the north of England (ask a northerner for a straight answer and you’ll get it). But ultimately it might be because we genuinely love what we do and the services we offer and we want people to really understand the difference it can make to their business. Why hide behind jargon when the clear and simple option is so much more interesting?

If you would like an honest, straightforward conversation about your telecom needs give us a call
0333 023 7000