Damp and mould, - you said, we did.
On the online customer session in October 2023, we talked to you about:
- Our internal processes – discussing what should happen after a customer reports damp and mould, whether they received the same experience and areas we can improve on.
- Our communications materials – reviewing existing materials and proposed new materials – looking at how the information made them feel, whether it was helpful and if there was additional information we needed to add.
Here's what we learnt...
- Implied blame: It was important to customers that we consider how we speak to them when dealing with a damp and mould case. This was across all our transactions:
- Call handlers
- In the home transactions and contractors
- Communications leaflet. You said, “I feel like I’m causing the problem.”
- Customers said when homes are damp due to property conditions and they ask for help, they asked us to “receive it seriously.”
- The number of contractors we send: Customers felt like we send a lot of contractors to their home and that the tone of communication could be better. Customers asked us to be aware that we are in their home and that more respect is needed. They said, “you’re not easy to deal with.”
- Customer communication: Customers said that they are not kept up to date on their damp and mould cases and asked for more regular updates. When shown the process of damp and mould, customers said that they would have liked to have seen it up front so they could understand the process.
- Customers said communication will affect you differently (emotional response) depending on where you are in the journey. They said, “I want to be acknowledged.”
- 6 week check & stagnation (processes): A 6-week check would provide some assurance that the case was still being listened to and checked on. Regular feedback would prevent stagnation.“I want fixes and how to move forward.”
What we're doing...
- We will be reviewing our damp and mould processes, looking for a smoother customer experience. Reviewing how damp and mould cases are recorded, and how customers and then kept up to date going forward.
- We are writing and designing three different leaflets to be given to customers at key points during the damp and mould process. This is to keep the content relevant and keep the customer up to date on where they are within the process.
- We have booked in meetings with our internal IT team to look at automation. I.e. when a customer reports damp and mould, an email is sent to explain what happens next and improve transparency on the process.
- We are organising training for our colleagues on the new process and to improve communication with customers when they report damp and mould to us.
- We are reviewing the number of contractors we send to a customers' home. Building an awareness about how our customers feel about having more than one in their home at the same time. We will only send one contractor and explain to the customer why another is needed if they are required.
- We are reviewing how a 6-week check could be built into the new process and what this would look like for us. Linking into the automation and how we can follow up with customers to make sure measures have been put in place and whether things are improving.