Social Housing; a crisis in aftercare?

Upon reading the latest edition of Showhouse Magazine, I was struck by one article in particular; ‘Under Pressure, by Simon Graham’. The article details social housing and the failures to uphold adequate standards of customer care. The findings of both the Green Paper & The Hackitt Report last summer highlighted the failings of housing associations in terms of their client’s experiences.

“Great reputations are hard won and easily lost”.

The social housing sector have a mandate to build homes of high-quality and to ensure they offer a good customer experience. So why are so many failing on two seemingly straightforward concerns?

• Communication – poor communication is one of the biggest failures in the construction industry. Tenants and homeowners alike are often left chasing for updates concerning their repairs.
• Comparison – consumers are expecting the same service they receive from other sectors. It’s difficult for customers to differentiate and separate their experiences, as a result demand rises. They expect transparency, attentiveness and efficiency. If these basic requirements are not met, it is all too easy for customers to share negative experiences on social media platforms.
• Technology – whilst not limited to the social housing sector, but the construction sector in general, it is imperative social housing organisations adopt client-focused platforms in order to raise the standards of aftercare.

Transforming customer experiences isn’t something that happens overnight. Whilst it is clear change is needed, unfortunately it is up to the individual housing associations to recognise that customer satisfaction is key to their success. With many potentially holding off acting until there is a government response to last year’s Green Paper, some are getting ahead of the game and exploring client-focused solutions to the problem.

Are you going to pave the way to raising standards of aftercare?

By investing a small amount into aftercare and defect management, you will see the benefits in a matter of days!

Watch the video below to see how we transformed Gentoo’s aftercare processes and raised the satisfaction and loyalty of their customers.

Start being different today and get in touch to organise a no-obligation web demonstration.

If you have any questions or would like to see the platform in action please feel free to contact our team on 0191 500 7921 or submit a demo request via www.clixifix.com.