North Star has been awarded the Customer Service Excellence Standard.

Despite the challenges housing associations face in the current economic climate, Customer Service Excellence (CSE) assessors noted that North Star continues to improve. Not only did North Star achieve Customer Service Excellence, they scored the highest achievement, Compliance Plus. North Star successfully demonstrated that their behaviours and practices exceed the requirements of the standard and are viewed as exceptional and an exemplar to others.

North Star’s customer journeys continue to improve, assisted by knowledgeable staff, a dedicated Customer Excellence Group and the introduction of a Customer Services Team. The assessor was particularly impressed with the commitment and resourcefulness of all managers and staff interviewed and observed, and they were impressed with the high standard of the homes they visited.

North Star has recently undergone a full rebranding exercise to consolidate all of its housing and value-added services under one strong, recognisable brand. Typical of North Star’s commitment to its customers, the rebranding was achieved through extensive benchmarking, consultation and engagement with its tenants, stakeholders and staff.

Carole Richardson, Assistant Director of People and Culture, said: “We’re delighted to be commended so highly for our approach to customer service. We’re driven by a strong commitment to our tenants, and the formation of our Customer Excellence Group reinforces this. We’ve undertaken a fundamental review of our customer service mechanisms and we’ve worked hard to drive forward a new vision and mission to continually improve customer insight, consultation and engagement.”