Learning from our Customers

Customer groups continue to play a key role in shaping services, providing challenge, and making sure decisions reflect customer experience. This quarter, there has been a strong focus on Value for Money, service charges, Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), and the real-life impact of services.

The Tenants’ Voice (TTV)

TTV focused on how customers influence decisions around Value for Money, service charges and ASB. They challenged how clearly we explain costs, how fair charges are, and how effective our ASB response is. Their work is directly linked to upcoming Board decisions.

They also reviewed progress against the Complaints Task & Finish Group and continued developing how we measure impact through the Recommendation Tracker and data training.

This has led to:

• Customer feedback shaping the June Value for Money Board paper
• Improvements planned to website content to make costs clearer and more transparent
• Escalation of local ASB concerns through governance routes
• Work underway to improve transparency around communal services like window cleaning and gardening
• Stronger focus on fairness and clarity in service charges

Performance Group

This group reviewed performance data on repairs, voids, ASB and complaints, focusing on how performance affects both customer experience and cost.

They made clear links between operational issues (like repeat repairs or void delays) and the impact on customers.

This has led to:

• Ongoing monitoring of increased repairs demand and service requests
• Support for the Repairs Task & Finish Group to reduce repeat visits
• Plans for visits to empty homes to better understand delays
• Stronger focus on ASB response times and action planning
• Improved data analysis to spot repeat issues and trends earlier

Consumer Standards Group

This group tested services against the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, focusing on fairness, accessibility and respect.

They carried out practical checks, including listening to calls and reviewing how services are delivered.

This has led to:

• Escalation of the need for clearer information on repairs, adaptations and vulnerabilities
• Review of how consistent advice is across customer service staff
• Feedback from call listening being used to improve training and contractor performance
• Continued scrutiny of ASB handling and compliance
• Consideration of deeper policy reviews where needed

Customer Communications Group

This group reviewed letters and communications, especially around home improvements and safety checks. The focus was on making information clearer, more consistent and more reassuring.

This has led to:

• Introducing both post and email for important communications
• Developing staged letters and “What to expect” guides for major works
• Making sure all communications include clear timescales and full dates
• Using plain English and a more empathetic tone
• Improving consistency in branding and formatting across all communications
• Clearer explanations of legal requirements and available support

Summary

Customer feedback this quarter is helping us to:

• improve transparency around costs and services
• strengthen how we manage repairs and reduce delays
• ensure services meet regulatory standards
• improve the consistency and clarity of communication
• better understand the real impact of our services on customers

Whether through Your Voice groups, performance reviews or service testing, customer insight continues to shape our decisions and drive improvements.