Fairhive Homes Increases First-time Access with Customer Engagement

Fairhive Homes, formerly known as Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust, provides nearly 8,500 affordable homes across Buckinghamshire and the surrounding areas.  

Striving to provide excellent customer service, the not-for-profit landlord has invested in new technologies and systems to make it easier to get in touch or report repairs.  

Today’s customers are used to getting deliveries and tracking the progress of their order, right up to their door. Fairhive wanted to provide a similar experience for responsive repair appointments.  

“We wanted to provide the end customer with more leeway so that if they needed to, they could pop to the shops,” explains Andrew Rysdale, Assistant Director of Property at Fairhive Homes.  

"If you’re looking to improve the customer experience, there’s no reason not to use the solution. We chose the platform to improve the customer experience and saw additional benefits such as a reduction in missed appointments and increased response to feedback.” 

Andrew Rysdale, Assistant Director of Property, Fairhive Homes.  

Fairhive Homes uses the platform to provide automated notifications including “On My Way” messaging and real-time tracking. Once an appointment is complete, customers automatically receive a feedback request via SMS.  

Customers receive an SMS notification containing a 15-minute arrival window and a link to the web-based portal. The portal includes an ETA countdown and a live map tracking the operative’s arrival. Customers know what to expect and can prepare for their appointment.  

In the past, feedback was collected by telephoning a small sample of customers after their repair appointment. Since implementing the feedback solution, each customer receives a request for feedback as soon as their appointment is complete. The request is sent via SMS, with a link to a web-based feedback form.   

To ensure that insights are actionable, office-based staff can view feedback within the operational dashboard. Real-time negative feedback alerts allow staff to identify issues and prioritise service recovery.  

Implementation was straightforward, with the solution going from project kick-off to go live in six weeks. All the pieces fell into place as the platform integrated seamlessly with the organisation's existing technology. Mobile operatives can share their location via an unobtrusive background app, with no disruption to their day. In addition, the platform easily collects job data from the company’s housing management system.   

The benefits go beyond customer experience: In the first six months of using the solution, the no-access rate for repairs fell by 37% compared to the previous period.  

The response rate for feedback has increased, and customers can respond while the appointment is still top-of-mind. As a result, feedback is more representative and accurate.  

Real-time negative feedback alerts allow staff to identify issues and prioritise service recovery.  

Since introducing the feedback form, the organisation has achieved an average customer rating of 4.5+ stars out of 5.  

Fairhive Homes provides nearly 8,500 affordable homes across Buckinghamshire and the surrounding areas.