Writing Etiquette Tips While certain types of written communications to our customers may be less formal than others (for example, email, web chat), misspelled words, poor grammar, and punctuation errors only muddle the conversation and can be perceived as unprofessional. A few simple writing tips can help you create clearer, more effective communications and ensure a positive experience for our customers.
Voice and tone When responding to customer queries, voice equals attitude. Always express yourself with a knowledgeable and professional voice in your written responses. Tone, which describes your mood or feelings, should always be informative, helpful and upbeat.
Use correct spelling The importance of proper spelling can’t be emphasized enough. Sentences aren’t required to be long and formal, but accurate spelling is important to help maintain credibility with our customers. See page two for a list of commonly misspelled/misused terms and their meanings.
Use correct punctuation and capitalization Likewise, punctuation and capitalization errors never improve communication and impact the time it takes to solve a customer’s issues. See page two for a list of punctuation basics.
Terminology Written communications should be clear and concise and use the terminology your customers use. Don’t confuse beneficiaries with complicated or unfamiliar terms. If you’re chatting with doctors, use the word “patient” instead of “customer.” You may also use a more formal tone with doctors compared to beneficiaries.
Keep it to the point Limit the number of words per sentence to reduce confusion. Always put the most important content at the beginning of responses. Short, to-the-point communications are most effective when dealing with busy employees and clients.
Maintain corporate identity Remember that you are representing Health Net Federal Services, LLC. Do not refer to HNFS in writing as “it” or “they.” Our company name can be written as “Health Net Federal Services” or “HNFS,” but never as just “Health Net.”
Reread After you have completed your draft response, read it again before sending it to check for any technical or grammatical mistakes. Make use of an online dictionary if you have spelling questions.
Commonly Misspelled/Misused Terms acceptable – Sometimes misspelled as “acceptible,” it’s “-able” with an “a.” affect, effect – “Affect,” usually a verb, means to impact or change; “effect” is the result of a change. beneficiary, beneficiary’s, beneficiaries, beneficiaries’ – Singular, singular possessive, plural, plural possessive equipment – This word is misspelled "equiptment" over 22,000 times on the web right now. everyday, every day – In the first instance, ordinary or typical; the second term means “each day.” follow up, follow-up – Verb versus noun or adjective: Let’s follow up tomorrow. A follow-up appointment. foreign – Violates the i-before-e rule. health care – We use the two-word version. Do not change with established titles (for example, UnitedHealthcare). it’s, its - The apostrophe marks a contraction of "it is." Something that belongs to “it” is "its." login, log in – Login is the noun, log in is the verb. “Use your login to log in to the website.” (Note: It’s “log in to …,” not “log into”) member – Always lowercase except at the beginning of a sentence. online – One word. provider – Always use lowercase except at the beginning of a sentence. receive, receipt – “I” before “e” except after “c.” There are exceptions (see “foreign” above). seasons – winter, spring, summer, and fall; not Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Capitalize when used to create a proper noun (Summer Solstice, Winter Olympics). their, they're, there - Possessive is "their" and the contraction of "they are" is "they're." Everywhere else, it is "there" as in “not here.” unforeseen: Many people miss that first “e” at the end of “fore.” username – One word. website – One word. you’re, your – The apostrophe marks a contraction of “you are.” Possessive is “your.” (for example, “You’re welcome.”; “Your copayment is …”)
Punctuation Basics for Web Chat • Capitalize the first word of a sentence, proper nouns and the first word of a salutation/closing. • Use a period at the end of a complete sentence and a question mark after a direct question. Single space only after end punctuation. • Avoid using acronyms in your written responses to avoid misunderstanding (for example, MTF, LOD, ROFR, and POS). Instead of MTF, use military hospital or military clinic; If you do use an acronym, spell it out on first reference, followed by the acronym in parentheses. (for example, “Your primary care manager (PCM) is Dr. Smith. If you need to change your PCM, here are the steps”). • Avoid slang, clichés and other references that are specific to a region. Also, avoid internet speak (such as “LOL” or “BTW”). • Use exclamation points sparingly and never with a question mark to imply emphasis. (Not this!! Or this!?!) • Do not use caps lock when typing. IT’S THE EQUIVALENT OF SHOUTING. • Use apostrophes to indicate possession (TRICARE’s requirements; beneficiary’s questions). • Capitalize proper nouns (i.e., Communications Department, Defense Health Agency) and titles when preceding a name (Governor Brown, Chairman and CEO Michael Neidorff), but not after (Jerry Brown, governor of California). • Use commas to enhance readability and to separate four or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series (red, white, green, and blue). • Spell out numbers one through nine. Use Arabic numerals for 10 and beyond. • When writing large numbers, use a comma for the thousandths place (17,500; 1,600). • Use the dollar symbol when indicating a dollar amount ($75, $1.50). Do not follow with the word “dollars.” HF0618x005 (6/18)