Complaint handling – what is the cost?
It’s a real failing in the psyche that people (especially us Brits) are terrible at complaining. Service only improves if we complain when it is poor. It is when people stop complaining we ought to be worried – that is when they have taken their custom elsewhere.
So, when a complaint comes in, do we treat it as a negative, or can we turn it into a positive?
…and what is the cost of handling complaints poorly, in terms of monetary value and reputational damage, versus handling complaints efficiently and effectively?
In the context of social housing, the negative impact on a resident’s mental wellbeing and physical health are very difficult to quantify accurately, but we know from the stories we’ve seen over the past couple of years that the cost is high. This easily translates into high monetary and reputational costs for housing providers.
The press is littered with politicians emphasising the residents right to live in a safe and secure home, and yet the mechanisms by which they can report damage, maintenance, damp and mould, or access out of hours emergency support are woefully inadequate, leading to increased failure to deliver tenant satisfaction.
Ultimately complaints then come from residents who feel that they are not being heard. They feel like, on the computer system, they are simply a number; their building, house or apartment is simply a number.
But to the resident it is their home
Effective complaint handling will:
- Increase complaints satisfaction (one of the Tenant Satisfaction Measures)
- Lower the chance of complaints being escalated
- Meet the housing ombudsman complaint handling code
- Reduce overall complaints
- Reduce cost
- Reduce reputational damage
Our cost effective, easy to use platform can help you achieve effective complaint handling and will have a very positive impact on resident engagement.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Confucius.
Simple technologies are most often the best technologies, and handling this particular challenge, of efficient resident engagement is no exception.
Confurr provides a simple platform that allows complainants to show you the problem in seconds. The platform is
- Low risk
- Low cost
- Easy to deploy
- Extremely easy to use
- Accessible and inclusive
- Resident friendly
- Easy to integrate into existing systems
But most importantly, your residents will feel their complaints have been seen and heard, and the fast action you’ll be able to take will give them confidence that you use complaints as an opportunity to get things right.
Deploying Confurr is simple – senior leaders need not be heavily involved in the process
We will work with you to define the deployment, test, train, implement and onboard your teams as well as assist with tenant engagement.
And remember – the clock is ticking away towards damp and mould season!