Feedback from our customers is very important. It helps us to put right anything that we have done wrong, and helps us learn how we can improve. We welcome all feedback but we particularly want to hear about:
- team members or services that have worked well
- how you think we could improve
- where things didn't go as well as you expected
- any complaints you have (see below for more information on this).
You can give us feedback or make a complaint by phone, email, letter, webchat, social media channels or through our customer portal My Account.
However you contact us, please make sure you include your full name, address, date of birth and a contact number or email address, along with the details of your feedback. This will help us to support you much more quickly and effectively.
How we deal with complaints
We take complaints very seriously and have a formal, two-stage process to investigate and hopefully resolve all complaints we receive.
Every complaint is handled by our complaints officer who will investigate the complaint and offer a resolution (stage 1). If, after this stage, a customer gives us evidence that we haven't resolved things successfully, one of the customer services management team will review the complaint (stage 2).
If you have been through this two-stage process and feel that we have not handled the situation properly, you can then refer the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman. You can also get advice about complaints from the Ombudsman at any time at www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/
You can view our self-assessment for the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code by clicking here.
Stage 1 formal complaints
Our current complaints policy says on page 3 that we will decide whether a complaint is valid and reasonable before registering it as a formal complaint and inform customers accordingly. We prefer to do this is in writing so our customers have a record of why their request may be being denied. Our complaints officer is also happy to explain by any other method if asked.
We follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
Click here to view our full complaints policy
Reporting on complaints
For the financial year April 2022 – March 2023 we received:
- 180 complaints that were resolved at stage 1
- 30 complaints that were resolved at stage 2
- Two complaints that were referred to the Ombudsman.
Learning from complaints and feedback
Here are some of the changes we have made in response to customer complaints and feedback over the last year.
Repairs process review
We are reviewing our repair process to ensure a seamless experience for our customers when reporting and completing repairs. This includes improving communication with customers to keep them informed about the progress of their repairs. We will also evaluate the work carried out by our contractors as part of this review.
Customer services transformation
We have started a major piece of work to fully review and transform our customer service processes. We want to enhance the experience for our customers when they reach out to us. This includes improving how we handle each interaction and ensuring clear communication about the progress of customer enquiries that require multiple steps. As part of this transformation, we are also reviewing our complaints process, identifying common themes, and taking actions to address them effectively. These insights will be integrated into our ongoing work around continuous improvement.
Customer experience evaluation
We are also reviewing all the feedback we receive from our customers, and we want to ensure that we capture all your valuable input. Our Customer Insight Committee will carefully examine the feedback we currently gather, including both formal and informal responses. Their goal is to identify any areas where we may be missing important feedback and provide informed suggestions on how we can improve our data collection process to bridge those gaps. Your feedback plays a crucial role in helping us enhance our services, so we truly appreciate your participation.
