I had to phone a call centre the other day and was reassured by a recorded voice that one of their experts would be with me shortly. While I waited...and waited...it occurred to me that given my query wasn't exactly rocket science, talking to an assistant or an adviser would have been fine by me, but the company was so keen to ensure that I had the best possible experience as a service user that only an expert would do.
If their expert had been unable to help me, who would have been next in line? A specialist? A professor? The thing with inflated language is that if you come on too strong to begin with, it leaves you with nowhere to go. The old adage that you should never use two words when one will do is true, but here's a postscript to go with that thought. Make sure that the single word you choose is simple and clear. If you over-gild what you are trying to say, it won't provoke admiration in your reader, but a kind of mistrust or unease.
No comments:
Post a Comment