For many UK companies Brexit will fundamentally change the way they are currently doing business. Preparations for a post-Brexit economy are already in full swing and clear communication is key.
In the UK, logistics companies are currently seeking clarification from the government in relation to the new ‘Kent Access Permit’. Kent is a county in the UK’s south-east which acts as a gateway to Europe. As the UK comes out of the EU’s single market and customs union and moves towards new customs rules, this permit will ensure lorry drivers can export goods to Europe through Kent after the Brexit transition period ends.
Removing customer pain points (including language!)
Our client operating in the logistics sector has developed a fully compliant solution which will remove friction in post-Brexit logistics for its clients. All customers have been provided with clear information about the new process, its benefits and a short list of steps to be taken. This is a great example of putting customers at the heart of a service to deliver a superior customer experience which removes pain points such as additional costs and delays.
What’s more, thanks to the project manager and translators at EVS Translations, all necessary information relating to new shipping and payment procedures has been translated from English into all official EU languages. These documents created by the logistics company help customers to explain the new process to their own end customers in Europe.
Removing potential confusion or difficulty by delivering target language information can help everyone move forwards feeling properly informed and confident in their business relationships.
Your business, the customer experience and language
There has been a lot of research of late (Nimdzi Insights; Common Research Advisory (CSA)) which highlights the pitfalls of an English-only approach from businesses in terms of the customer experience. E-commerce is often the area of focus but this project does raise an interesting point about the value of translated (and localised) information as a way to better support customers. The conclusion of this research is that international consumers prefer to make buying decisions in their own language. Although this client case study from the logistics sector presents a slightly different scenario, it highlights how removing potential confusion or difficulty by delivering target language information can help everyone move forwards feeling properly informed and confident in their business relationships.
What are the official EU languages?
The EU has 24 official languages.
These are:
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The working/ procedural languages of the European Commission are: English, French and German.
Could English be removed from the list of official EU languages, post-Brexit?
It’s highly unlikely since it’s a second language of many of the EU member countries. As Jane Setter explained in The Guardian newspaper at the end of last year:
‘[T]he continued dominance of English as a global language may depend on its political and socioeconomic fortunes. As it is so well-established and widespread, I believe it is likely to be used as a global lingua franca for some time. But situations and languages change. ’
If your company requires support with customer communication or compliance information between English and European languages as Brexit approaches, speak with our team today.
EVS Translations UK Ltd.
+44 (0)115 964 4288
EVS Translations USA Inc.
+1 404-523-5560
EVS Translations GmbH
+49 69/82 97 99-99
