The 40 tells · Words · No. 19
Why "world-class" makes writing sound machine-made
Flagged "World-class"
"World-class" and "best-in-class" are claims nobody can check. Nobody ranked the world. Readers treat them as noise, and some treat them as a reason to doubt the rest.
Use a real comparison: a rating, an award with a name, a number a competitor can't match.
Before
World-class customer service with unparalleled attention to detail.
After
A person answers the phone, usually within three rings, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The fix
Swap it for the concrete thing. What does it do, in words a buyer can check?
Write this instead
- a checkable comparison
- a named award
- a response time
What the checker matches
Any of these, in any case:
- world-class
- best-in-class
- top-notch
- unparalleled
- unmatched
- second to none