Tone of Voice Guide

What is tone of voice?

The tone of voice we use should be consistent with how we want to come across to our customers. It is directly linked to the words you use when you write and speak in your role. It’s not about what you say, but rather the way you say it, and the impression it makes on everyone who reads or hears you.

Who is this guide for?

If you work with our customers in any way, this guide has advice to help you communicate more effectively. For further guidance please email communications@sanctuary-housing.co.uk

What are the main ways we communicate with customers?

Directly:

By letter / newsletter
By email
By text message
By phone call
Face-to-face
Live chat
Social media responses

Indirectly:

Web content, including video
Social media posts (mainly Facebook, Twitter/X)

We mostly use the term ‘resident’ when we write to someone who lives in one of our homes. We also use ‘customer’. The word ‘tenant’ refers to someone who has a tenancy with us. A ‘leaseholder’ is someone who own a property on a lease. We should always start by seeing the person – an individual with their own needs and circumstances. As a valued team member you have a key part to play in Sanctuary getting things right.

Tone of voice statement

We aim to communicate with integrity and warmth, in line with our mission and values. Treating people in a warm manner shows a higher level of respect. We do our best to demonstrate our integrity, especially when we have to deliver a difficult message.

Our Corporate Strategy sets out our desire to put our customers first.

We want to create a strong two-way connection so residents trust us and find it easy to get things done.

We want to be – and be seen as being – warm, positive and respectful.

The words we use are powerful. The words we choose to use can:

Push us apart or bring us closer
Confuse or bring clarity
Put up barriers or bring transparency

Residents tell us how important our tone is. We continue to work with them to shape our approach to make our communications as mutually beneficial as possible.

This guide should be used with our External and Internal Brand Guidelines.

Guidance

Who is the audience?

To communicate effectively you need to answer some simple questions:

Who am I communicating with?

Do they need the information in a particular format? (to help them make sense of it)
If written, when and where are they likely to read it? Will it grab their attention?
If it’s one person, can you use their name? (to make your communication more personal and more friendly)

What information do they need to know? What information do I want to get across?

Have you included the key things the customer wants/needs to know?
Have you provided an answer to any obvious questions they might have?
If it covers a topic that’s hard to follow, are your words so simple a friend or relative would understand?
Have you included a clear way for the customer to contact us (for example, a phone number and/or email address) with other questions you haven’t answered?
Only make your communication as long as it needs to be. Our customers are busy people and you only have their attention for a short time.

When we communicate our content may be seen by people other than the intended audience.

This is much more likely to happen when we misjudge the tone we use. It can help to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and ask yourself: ‘How
would I feel if I received this, in the circumstances our customer finds themselves in?’

People who feel disrespected are much more likely to contact the media, a local elected member or share your communication on social media.

The more ‘human’ and empathetic your communication is, the greater chance it’ll be taken as intended.

Every time we communicate, the information we send should make sense. Residents might not have read or remember other bits of information we think we’ve shared with them before.

What is our message?

We need to think through what we want to say and what we want the person to do.

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes – would your wording encourage you to do what we’re asking of our customer?

Before you draft anything it’s a good idea to write a simple list of the points you want to make. By writing clearly and concisely you show respect for the person receiving your message. If a sentence doesn’t add value for the reader (and therefore doesn’t pass what is known as the ‘So What?’ test), is your communication better when you remove it?

All about people?

We should mostly write in the first and second person. This means using ‘we’ and ‘us’ for Sanctuary and ‘you’ and ‘your’ for our customers.

We avoid writing in the third person wherever possible. Please limit your use of ‘Sanctuary’ where you can, instead use ‘we’ or ‘us’. We trust you to make the correct call on this – if you’re unsure, ask a colleague. Using first and second person helps bring us closer, third person makes us seem distant.

Example

1. We will support you.

2. Sanctuary will support you.

The use of ‘we’ in option 1 is much friendlier and more engaged.

Plain English

When we write in plain and simple English it helps us pass a clear and concise message to our intended audience. In effect this means:

Using short sentences
Avoiding jargon and acronyms
Using words with as few syllables as possible (so call a ‘spade’ a ‘spade’)

If you use jargon or an acronym (DLUHC, instead of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for example) with no explanation, you immediately exclude anyone who doesn’t understand. That’s the opposite of the relationship we want to develop with our customers.

Short sentences

Short sentences are easier to read and understand. If your sentences average more than 15 words, some will likely be too long.

We also aim to create short letters or communications where possible. As we’ve already said it can help to put yourself in the shoes of the resident who may be busy, distracted or have a specific communication need. For example, could a supporting document be sent with the letter to communicate more complicated issues?

Paragraphs, subheadings and bullet points

Short paragraphs are easier to understand.

Subheadings break up the text and make it easier for someone to understand what they need to do.

If you make a subheading a question you’ll draw the reader’s eye to the answer.

Bullet points are clearer and easier to read than long lists in sentences.

Nominalisations

We discourage the use of ‘nominalisations’, which are words formed from verbs. Nominalisations make sentences feel dull and heavy-going and can sound self-important. Below are some examples:

Verb

To complete

To provide

To arrange

To renew

To apply

Nominalisation

Completion

Provision

Arrangement

Renewal

Application

It’s much better to say…

‘We provide social housing’

…than ‘the provision of social housing is delivered by us/Sanctuary’

Positive language

Where possible, use positive language. If we use negative phrasing we are more likely to make people feel negative. By communicating positively we’re more likely to achieve the outcome we want. A small change in our phrasing can make a big difference to how people feel and act.

To reduce your risk of being evicted, you need to pay your rent on time. By paying your rent on time, we can make sure you keep your home.

As in the example above, you can be positive when referring to negatives (such as someone potentially losing their home).

Difficult messages

For difficult messages we need to be clear and communicate as simply as possible.

The second example below gives the reason for our actions in very simple terms, making it easy to understand.

1. Sanctuary will investigate an ASB complaint about your household. The complaint covers noise at unsocial hours.

2. We are looking into a complaint about noise coming from your home

Simple words are (almost) always better

Use This

Try

Start or begin

Tell

Money you owe

Often

About

Help

Agree

Each year

When you receive

People

Empty home

Colleague

Make sure

While / Among

Payment

Moving out of your home

Temporary home

Way

Details or Information

Not That

Endeavour

Commence

Notify

Arrears

Frequently

In respect of

Facilitate

Concur

or Per year Per annum

On receipt of

Persons

Void Home Property / Unit

Staff

Ensure

Whilst / Amongst

Therefore

Remittance

To decant

Decant (noun)

Method

Particular

Active language

We use active, not passive, language. Active language makes it clear who is responsible for an action and creates a sense of energy. For example:

You are responsible for paying your rent.

Use active verbs as much as possible. It’s better to say ‘we will do it’ rather than ‘it will be done by us’.

Apologies

We say sorry for many reasons, from minor points to bigger issues. Every apology is different and there are a few rules to make your apology sound sincere.

Take ownership of the problem. Saying ‘we’re sorry for...’ is more personal and shows residents we care.
Lengthy excuses could be seen as blame shifting. Be concise – apologise first, explain later.
Don’t apologise for how someone feels (‘I’m sorry you feel that way’) as it doesn’t sound sincere. When we apologise it should be for things we have (or haven’t) done.
Phrases such as ‘we apologise for any inconvenience caused’ are generic and sometimes insensitive. If you tailor the apology to the situation it will help it come across as sincere.
If possible, offer a solution, as in the examples below:

We are sorry for missing your appointment. We would like to re-book it at a time that is convenient to you.

I am sorry for presenting you with the wrong service charges. I have set out the correct charges below.

Conjunctions

Using conjunctions (such as ‘because’, ‘and’, ‘so’, ‘but’, ‘although’) at the start of a sentence can make your writing more conversational. They can also break up a longer sentence and give it a punchy tone.

But using ‘however’ can sound dismissive, particularly at the start of a sentence

Contractions

For most communications it’s fine to use contractions. This includes we’re for ‘we are’, it’s for ‘it is’ and we’ve for ‘we have’. If you’re unsure if it’s appropriate, ask a colleague for their opinion.

Examples

A letter when someone ‘succeeds’ a property

To succeed a property is a legal term, meaning that the person who originally held the tenancy has died and that a new person is going to become the named tenant. It is usually someone who already lives at the property. Succession is a way of making sure that people are not made homeless when someone they live with dies.

Old version

Dear Mr Patel

Statutory Succession

I am writing to you regarding your request to succeed the tenancy at <>. I can confirm that we have now received a copy of <> death certificate, thank you for providing this. Please accept my sincere condolences at what must be a difficult time for you.

I would like to take this opportunity to advise, that whilst we are reviewing your claim for succession, you are responsible for the weekly charges of <>.

To make a payment, you can contact our Income Services Team on 0800 131 3348 and select Option 1. We offer a range of methods to pay including direct debit, standing order and card payment over the phone.

If you are confirmed as the successor to this tenancy, this will be effective from the date <> passed away.

If you wish to make a claim for Housing Benefit towards the charges this is now paid as part of Universal Credit and you can make an online application at https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-to-claim. We would recommend that you do this without delay as claims are not routinely backdated. For further advice, you can contact the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 9344.

If you have any queries, please call us on 0800 131 3348.

Yours sincerely

New version written in our tone of voice

Dear Mr Patel

Becoming the tenant of <address>

Thank you for your request to become the tenant of <address>.

I am sorry to hear that has passed away. Thank you for sending a copy of their death certificate.

We are considering your request and will come back to you by . While we are considering your request, you are responsible for paying the weekly charges of <>.

To make a payment, phone us on 0800 131 3348 and select Option 1. We offer a range of ways to pay including direct debit, standing order and card payment over the phone.

If you become the tenant of, your tenancy will start from the date <> passed away.

If you need help paying your charges, you can claim for Universal Credit at www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-to-claim. Claims are not usually backdated, so we recommend you make your claim as soon as possible. The Universal Credit helpline is 0800 328 9344.

If you have any queries, please phone us on 0800 131 3348.

Yours sincerely

Lift out of order wording

Old version

The lift is currently out of order, apologies for any inconvenience caused.

New version written in our tone of voice

We’re sorry that the lift isn’t working. We’re trying to get it fixed as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please call us on 0800 131 3348.

A letter to agree a date for home improvements to start

Old version

Dear Mr Patel

Work to Windows, Doors, Fascias, Soffits and Gutters

Further to a recent visit from our contractor, , we have attempted to contact you to discuss a suitable date for the above works to be carried out at your property.

The contractor is expected to be on site until XXXX. We would therefore ask you to contact on 01234 567890 as soon as possible in order to agree a convenient date for the works to be carried out.

Yours sincerely

New version written in our tone of voice

Dear Mr Patel

Arranging a date to improve your home

We would like to arrange a date for our contractor to start improving your home, by fitting new windows/doors/fascias/soffits/gutters with an explanation of what it is for the less commonly known terms.

The contractor will be in your area until XXXX.

What do you need to do?

Please phone on 01803 696158 to agree a date as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

A letter to explain rent must be paid when a resident is temporarily moved out of their home

Old version

Rent payments and your decant

Sanctuary Housing will continue to charge rent for the periods that you are provided with accommodation, even if this is not your normal home, e.g. if you have temporarily been moved to alternative accommodation, while essential repairs are carried out.

If you have been offered temporary accommodation in a hotel or a self-catering property your rent will continue to be charged in line with your tenancy agreement. Additionally, if you have chosen to source your own temporary accommodation it is still your responsibility to pay rent in line with your tenancy agreement.

If you have been temporarily moved into another one of our properties, rent will be charged as follows:

• If the rent charges at the temporary accommodation are more than you are charged at your normal home, we will continue to charge you based on your original rent; or

• If the rent charges at the temporary accommodation are less than you are charged at your normal home, we will reduce your rent charges to reflect the reduction.

For those who are claiming Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs you must notify them of the reduction. We have added some useful tips at the end of this letter.

If you need help or are experiencing any problems with your Housing Benefit or Universal Credit claim, we can help. Our Income staff are available to give you advice and practical help.

Please contact our Income Team on 0800 916 1516 (from a landline) or 0300 123 3579 (from a mobile) if you need any help or advice. It is much easier to sort out a small problem than a big one.

Should you wish to discuss any other aspect of your decant please contact me on 0800 131 3348 (from a landline) or 0300 123 3511 (from a mobile)

New version written in our tone of voice

Paying your rent while you are temporarily out of your home

You recently moved out of your home while insert reason, e.g. repairs are carried out. I’m writing to let you know you still need to pay your rent on your home.

Delete as applicable:

If you have been temporarily moved into another one of our properties and the rent is more than you are charged at your home, we will continue to charge your original rent.

If you have been temporarily moved into another one of our properties and the rent is less than you are charged at your home, we will reduce your rent. If you claim Universal Credit housing costs, you must tell them of the reduction. We have added some useful tips at the end of this letter.

We can help you claim for Universal Credit. Phone us on 0800 916 1516. It is much easier to sort out a small problem than a big one.

If you would like to discuss any of this, please phone me on 0800 131 3348.

A letter to confirm a resident is declining having their kitchen upgraded

Old version

Dear Mr Patel

Replacement kitchen refusal

I recently discussed with you a kitchen upgrade for your property, but as you advised you have declined the works please can you sign the attached form and return to myself using the prepaid envelope enclosed.

Sanctuary Housing requires a signed instruction from you stating that you wish to refuse these replacement works. Once the form is returned, it will be placed on your tenancy file and our property database stating you have declined the work to your home.

Please do not hesitate to contact me on the number above should you have any questions regarding the refusal form attached or if you have now decided that you would like to have the works carried out.

Yours sincerely

New version written in our tone of voice

Dear Mr Patel

Your decision not to have your kitchen upgraded

Thank you for your time recently where we talked about the possibility of upgrading your kitchen. We are committed to continuing to invest in your home, and were keen to install a new, modern kitchen for you. However, I understand that you have chosen not to have your kitchen upgraded, and we respect your choice.

To confirm your decision, please sign the enclosed form and return it to me in the prepaid envelope.

Please phone me on the number above if you have any questions, or if you have changed your mind and would like us to install a new kitchen in your home.

Yours sincerely

Advice and support

If you need help to create a communication in our tone of voice, please email our Communications team at communications@sanctuary-housing.co.uk

Learning and development

Tone of voice learning materials are available in the Learning Zone.

Feedback

If you think we’ve fallen short or could do better, please email your feedback to communications@sanctuary-housing.co.uk to help us learn and improve.

Thank you to our residents for their input, wisdom and challenge in creating this guide.