What We've Learned From Complaints - April Update
Every month, we look closely at the complaints and service requests we receive from customers. This helps us spot problems and make things better.
Here’s what we found in April:
How many complaints did we get in April?
• We had 15 Stage 1 complaints
• We had 2 Stage 2 complaints (this is when someone isn’t happy with how their Stage 1 complaint was handled)
• We also had 48 service requests (these are things we can sort out quickly without needing a formal complaint)
The number of Stage 1 complaints logged during April was lower than April last year (25), with complaints reducing by 66.6% compared to April 2025. Service requests also reduced compared to the same period last year, decreasing from 68 to 48.
The most common issues raised by customers were:
• Delays and time taken to complete repairs
• Poor workmanship and quality of repairs
• Damp, mould and water-related concerns
• Damage caused during works
• Missed appointments and communication issues
Every missed appointment is subject to a £25 compensation payment to the customer. This is then recharged to the contractor who failed to attend the scheduled appointment.
How quickly did we respond?
• On average, we replied to complaints in 3 working days in April
• The year-to-date average is also 3 working days, which is well within the Housing Ombudsman target of 10 working days
Were people happy with how we handled their complaint?
We didn’t receive any responses to our complaint handling satisfaction survey in April, so no satisfaction score is currently available for the year to date.
Compensation
• We paid £1,209.02 in compensation during April
• This included compensation linked to delays, quality of work, work not completed, missed appointments and staff behaviour
Compensation invoices are issued to contractors on a monthly basis and all contractors have been advised of this process.
Did we reject any complaints?
We refused one complaint during April. This is related to a case where legal proceedings had already taken place before the complaint was raised. Advice was sought from both the Housing Ombudsman and solicitors before the decision was made.
Learning from April
In April, the main themes across both service requests and complaints were delays in completing repairs, poor workmanship, repeat visits, and communication issues. Several complaints also highlighted the impact that delays and unresolved repairs can have on customer wellbeing, including vulnerable customers experiencing distress over prolonged issues.
The contractors most frequently linked to complaints and service requests were Ian Williams and 0800, mainly relating to delays, quality concerns and appointment management.
We’re using this feedback to:
• Prioritise improvements in completion times and reducing repeat visits
• Strengthen quality assurance and oversight of completed repairs
• Improve contractor communication and appointment management
• Escalate concerns more quickly where performance falls below expected standards
• Improve how we identify trends using enhanced data analysis and AI-supported theme identification
• Focus more closely on vulnerable customers where delays or ongoing issues may have a wider impact on wellbeing
• Continue strengthening contractor performance management and accountability
We are using this insight to drive improvements in contractor performance, quality assurance, communication and overall service delivery, with a clear focus on getting repairs completed on time and right first time.
Complaints and service requests provide valuable insight and help us improve services for all customers. If something has gone wrong, please let us know so we can put it right and learn from it.
