Nationwide urges customers to use 'five' crucial phrases in branch

Nationwide has rolled out out ‘Speak Easy’, a custom-made set of printed cards with phrases and pictures, to support face-to-face interactions.

Nationwide is helping customers with communication difficulties to 'Speak Easy' in all branches. Nationwide has rolled out out ‘Speak Easy’, a custom-made set of printed cards with phrases and pictures, to support face-to-face interactions.

Nationwide is the first high-street banking provider to offer this type of dedicated support in branch for those with communication difficulties. ‘Speak Easy’ is a set of custom-made cards with pictures and phrases that customers can use as a communication tool to aid their interactions with colleagues in branch on a range of banking matters, including savings and payments, reporting a lost or stolen card and raising a suspected fraud or scam.

Nationwide worked closely with a range of charities on the colour-coded cards, including the Stroke Association and the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD). Example phrases on the Speak Easy cards include: “Please speak slowly", “Can I have a pen and paper?”, “Urgent: I do not recognise a payment on my account.", “Help me use the cash machine." and “I need letters in large font / audio.”

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Mandy Beech, Director of Retail Services at Nationwide, said: “We are doing all we can to make banking accessible, inclusive and fairer for everyone, which is why we continue to invest in services, such as Speak Easy. We’re delighted to be leading the way in offering dedicated support across all our branches for those with communication difficulties. Alongside providing access to British Sign Language interpretation in-branch through our SignVideo service, this offers another option for people to communicate in a way that is accessible for them. As the UK’s largest branch network, it is our aim to be as accessible as possible for every customer across the UK.”

Caitlin Longman, Accessibility Lead at the Stroke Association, said: “On average, two-thirds of people experience communication difficulties, or aphasia, soon after a stroke. One of the biggest challenges in places like shops, restaurants and banks is that many people don't know enough about aphasia and how they can help to make communication easier, but the right tools can make all the difference.

“We are thrilled to have worked in partnership with Nationwide on their important Speak Easy scheme. We hope it will provide customers with the appropriate support and guidance and give them confidence when visiting their local branch.”