WriteMark
Plain Language Standard
Simplified general insurance policies get tick for clarity
When it comes to claim time, everyone knows exactly what’s covered and what’s not | Photo by Michael Jin on Unsplash
Insurance policies have a reputation for being hard to understand. Vero and ANZ have gone the extra mile to make the ANZ Asset Protector policy wording booklet easy to read. The booklet of five policy wordings meets the Standard for being clearly written and user-friendly.
When customers are choosing an insurance policy, they look for one they can understand. A clear policy document inspires trust in the insurance provider and supports a long-term relationship between insurance provider and customer. When it comes to claim time, everyone knows exactly what’s covered and what’s not.
Clear writing and user-testing made the difference
All five of the ANZ Asset Protector policy wordings have been awarded the WriteMark Plus. The policy wordings cover homes, contents, cars, boats, and lifestyle blocks.
To get the WriteMark, the policy wordings were written using plain language to clarify complexity. To get the ‘Plus’, they were user-tested with a sample of their target audience. Writers used the feedback from user-testers to further improve the clarity and usability of each policy wording.
The five policy wordings are bound into a booklet, which is available in print, and as a PDF on ANZ and Vero’s websites. People can choose from the range of policies, buying as few or as many policies from the booklet as they need.
Read the ANZ Asset Protector policy wording booklet at the ANZ website
Delivering a great outcome for customers
Sacha Cowlrick, Vero’s Executive Manager Consumer, explains that delivering great customer outcomes starts with ensuring customers understand their insurance. So working with their partners at ANZ to deliver plain language policies has been a priority.
‘It’s about making it easy for our customers to understand what an insurance policy does and doesn’t cover, as well the responsibilities they have. Clarity and transparency in the policy wording is the recipe for great claims experiences. We’re confident that the simplified language, layout, and navigation in our new policy wordings will deliver this clarity.’
Sacha said the feedback from user-testing showed this too, with some participants surprised by the extent of policy cover.
‘User-testing also enabled us to check the parts of the policy wording that previously caused confusion or surprise for customers when making a claim. The new plain language wording has passed the test.’
Worthy of the ‘Plus’ — tested by the target audience
Lynda Harris, Chief Eexecutive of WriteMark and Write Limited, says she’s excited to know the ANZ Asset Protector policy wordings are joining the ranks of documents worthy of WriteMark Plus.
‘Achieving the WriteMark Plus is testament to a lot of hard work and shows true dedication to improving the customer experience.’
The WriteMark Plus is only awarded to documents and websites that:
- meet the WriteMark’s rigorous standards for clear writing and reader-friendly design
- have been user-tested to confirm that both the writing, and the content as a whole, are easily usable by the intended reader.
Check out the full list of WriteMark and WriteMark Plus holders
Inez Romanos October 14th, 2021
Posted In: WriteMark Holders, WriteMark Plus
Tags: ANZ, Insurance writing, WriteMark Plus
A plain language love story
Image by Andre Furtado / Pexels licence
We’re head-over-heels for plain language, and we’re always excited when we find others who share our passion. Take Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI): we’ve just awarded the WriteMark to their new domestic travel policy.
SCTI decided the time was right to offer an insurance policy that would help New Zealanders feel safe and secure when travelling around New Zealand. The WriteMark shows that SCTI is dedicated to bringing their customers a policy that’s clear and easy to understand.
Nick Bassett, Acting Head of Sales, Product and Marketing, says they wrote the policy with their customers in mind:
We’re committed to providing our customers with excellent service, and knowing what they’re covered for when they buy their policy is incredibly important. The WriteMark stamp is an endorsement of transparency and integrity, which is why we’re so pleased to have launched our first policy document in plain language, and to have achieved this recognition.
To celebrate, we’ve created a video that showcases everything there is to love about an insurance policy with the WriteMark.
Your customers deserve a policy that understands them
Insurance should give us peace of mind because we know we have support in times of stress and uncertainty. A policy written with everyday words, short sentences, and useful headings locks in that peace of mind, because you know exactly what you’re covered for.
By writing your insurance policy in plain language, you’re showing that you care about your customers and can think from their perspective. Your transparency will help build their trust.
Learn more about writing insurance policies in plain language
Want to start your own plain language love story? Ask yourself what your reader needs from you, and make sure you deliver it in a way that’s easy to understand.
Insurance cover is complicated, and your readers will thank you for finding a way to lead them through it, without all the jargon. You’ll find lots of helpful tips in our easy-to-use checklist — the Write Plain Language Standard.
Download Write’s free Plain Language Standard
Take our Plain Language Foundations online course
Read our recent blog post on how plain language can help institutions win back trust
Find out more about getting a WriteMark assessment
Anne-Marie Chisnall September 14th, 2020
Posted In: The WriteMark, WriteMark Holders
Tags: Insurance writing, plain language, policy writing, WriteMark
Life isn’t fair — but how we act can be
The Fair Insurance Code ticks all the boxes for insurers and consumers. CC-BY-NC-ND
Fairer insurance for all New Zealanders dovetails perfectly with the WriteMark’s mission of a fairer society where everybody can get the information they need.
This week the Insurance Council of New Zealand published the Fair Insurance Code 2020. The Code helps to build trust and confidence in the insurance industry, which may lead to a fairer financial system for all of us.
The Code safeguards consumers by committing general insurers to:
- act honestly and fairly
- develop, market, and sell insurance products responsibly
- identify and address instances of poor conduct.
A fair code is a clear code
As the Code has reached a high standard for plain language, we’re pleased to say it has also earned the WriteMark. This means it has a clear purpose, structure, language, and design. Readers can understand and act on the information they need. For example, the Code tells readers at the start what to expect:
…The code describes how your relationship with your insurer should work, including what you need to tell them and how they need to respond.
The code:
- explains what the Fair Insurance Code covers and who it applies to
- describes the responsibilities you and your insurance company have
- explains what should happen when you make a claim or a complaint.
The Code uses straightforward language that talks directly to readers and is easy to understand. Sentences are short and uncomplicated. The writers have also made sure the Code is accessible for readers and speakers of other languages, and have produced a version in New Zealand Sign Language.
A financial band-aid should be fair and clear. Image by Franck V / Unsplash licence
Working together to support consumers
Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Kris Faafoi describes insurance as a critical service that needs to support consumer financial resilience, and not undermine it. When insurers comply with the Code, consumers will find it easier to access financial support when the unexpected happens.
Allowing the insurance industry to self-regulate works with the law and helps to:
- put customers at the centre
- push for culture change in the industry
- set up robust internal processes.
More than the sum of its parts
The Fair Insurance Code has ticked boxes for all 28 elements of the WriteMark plain language standard. But the Code’s impact and clarity add up to a lot more than that — and that’s fair.
Watch Hon Kris Faafoi introduce the Code
Anne-Marie Chisnall April 7th, 2020
Posted In: The WriteMark, WriteMark Holders