'Building trust' part of new Customer Service Strategy
11 December 2020
This year we introduced a new strategic objective – strengthening our residents’ trust in us. This objective is our commitment to build strong relationships with our residents and to ensure that everything we do benefits the communities we serve. To achieve this objective, we have to make changes and adjust our priorities across the business. As a result, we have a new customer service strategy which provides us with a detailed action plan based on feedback from residents about how we can build trust with them.
In April, we ran a survey among a representative sample of over 500 residents to find out what ‘Trust’ means to them. They identified five key areas: transparency, accessibility, engagement, accountability and consistency. We created this new strategy centred around these key areas. It will inform the service we provide to our residents and the quality of daily interaction as well as set a basis for the adoption of a more proactive approach. Below is a summary of our aims and actions. You can also read the full strategy.
Read the Customer Service Strategy
We will:
- Review all templates (letters and forms)
- Communicate information through residents’ preferred channels
- Improve the quality of information provided on our website
- Be clear about our responsibilities – Customer Service Charter
- Consult residents on Hackitt Review’s recommendations
We will:
- Develop an online platform for residents
- Incorporate the IT Strategy in our Customer Service Offer
- Develop My Network Homes self-service portal
- Streamline data collection and improve data quality
We will:
- Review Customer Engagement Strategy
- Arrange digital Pop-up events to engage with residents
- Create a database of involved residents
- Continue investing in resident panels
We will:
- Involve residents in Hackitt Review’s recommendations
- Review satisfaction measurement techniques and achieve a satisfaction score of 90%
- Develop a measure for monitoring residents’ trust
- Focus contractors on getting things right first time (e.g. repairs)
We will:
- Adopt a risk-based approach to neighbourhood management
- Review Housing Management Strategy
- Automate progress updates where possible
- Introduce text messages to confirm progress on repairs and complaints
- Ensure that all queries are responded in target time
Working together
It’s important we continue to speak with all residents about the services they receive from us and their experience of us as a landlord, so we can identify if the strategy is achieving our overall objective to strengthen residents’ trust in us. If you receive information from us asking for your feedback, please get involved so that together we can make improvements. To find out more about how you can get involved, check out our Get involved section.
