The Service Scrutiny Board is a group of Calico Homes customers who work with us to review our services, feedback from a customer perspective and provide recommendations on where they want us to focus our improvements.
Over the past few months, they have spent time with our Head of Repairs and our Head of Assets/Development to talk about their experiences as customers, to learn about how Calico Homes repairs service operates and to discuss how we can improve.
Here are the recommendations they came up with, and the action we have taken so far…
| Recommendation | Action update | |
| Comprehensive Feedback Collection | Collect feedback from all completed jobs, including investment works and damp works, not just day-to-day repairs. | An IT programme to update the approach to inspections and works orders, so that surveys can be automatically sent to customers after all repair jobs. Expected by summer 2025. |
| Utilise multiple channels for feedback collection including phone surveys, the upcoming customer app, and job satisfaction cards with prepaid return’s envelopes. | Launching expansion of surveys and process from 1st April 2025. Customers with no email address or mobile number will receive a survey by post with a pre-paid return’s envelope. | |
| Enhanced Communication and Coordination | Increase coordination between the Assets team, Responsive Repairs, and Ring Stones. Regular meetings should be scheduled to address communication issues, streamline operations, and build stronger inter-departmental relationships. | Director roles in Maintenance and Assets to bring in central leadership and representation at Senior Leadership Team. |
| Prioritise the digital integration of Ring Stones with Calico Homes’ systems to ensure consistent and seamless information sharing – reducing customer frustration when information is not readily available. | Work to align main contractor ‘Ring Stones’ for live repairs appointments and booking for responsive repairs. Expected by April 2025. | |
| Operational Improvements: | Ensure existing processes, such as daily site visits during major works, are followed consistently to improve customer satisfaction. | Central document hub rolled out to all colleagues with process guides, procedures and policies all stored in an easily accessible place. This includes the process for managing bodies of repairs in Ring Stones. |
| Empower operatives to make decisions on-site, particularly regarding the need for replacements versus repairs, to avoid delays and improve the customer experience. | Work is currently ongoing to support quicker decision making and approval processes. Stock condition survey is well under way which will provide up-to-date information on when we need to do major works in each property. | |
| Component Quality and Customer Involvement: | Review the quality of components used in new kitchens and bathrooms to ensure they meet customer expectations. | We are looking at our design group which has not met for some time. Customers will be invited to attend when this is set back up. |
| Consider involving customers in the selection process of new components during the tender process to enhance satisfaction with the outcomes. | We are looking at our design group which has not met for some time. Customers will be invited to attend when this is set back up. | |
| Provide clearer information to customers about what to expect during works, including limitations on choices, such as colours and options for kitchen installations. | ‘What to expect’ guide being reviewed and we will consult with customers on its development. | |
| Transparency and Communication with Customers | Share the outcomes of property MOTs with customers to keep them informed about the condition of their homes and upcoming work. | Stock condition survey is underway. Once we have all the data, we can make short- and long-term plans for home improvement programmes. We can then supply customers with information about their homes alongside any plans in the next few years for major works. Stock condition survey will be completed by October 2025. |
| Publish the five-year investment program with a clear disclaimer that it is a working document subject to change. Regular updates should be provided to manage customer expectations. | Stock condition survey is underway. Once we have all the data, we can make short- and long-term plans for home improvement programmes. We can then supply customers with information about their homes alongside any plans in the next few years for major works. Stock condition survey will be completed by October 2025. | |
| Remove any blanket bans on customer led home improvements and enable customers to request permission which will be reviewed on an individual basis. | Blanket bans removed, all requests on individual basis. |