Sharing and responding to feedback
Minutes:
RD explained her role and gave an overview of how the service analyses and interprets customer insight data to improve customer. Customer insight can come from many sources including calls to the contact centre and housing offices along with the reasons for calling; website visits; complaints; and surveys, among many other sources. By analysing the contact made, new issues can be identified and activity put in place to address them. Examples of changes made in response to this insight include improved website content, extra staff training, social media posts responding to an emerging issue, or changes to processes for a better customer experience.
Since customer feedback is so useful it is important that it is gathered frequently and from a variety of sources. Regular surveys of customers are undertaken across different services such as when repairs are undertaken, as well as ad-hoc surveys to identify new issues. Surveys are a useful tool as they provide immediate feedback in a standard format that can be compared with others in the same time period as well as to track changes over time.
To improve the gathering of customer insight the service has recently started using a new system known as ‘CATS’. The system enables staff to log any customer contact and assign actions where necessary. The system can identify trends in call volume and the type of issues raised, allowing for better performance reporting and improved service responses to complaints. RD offered to arrange a demonstration of the CATS system for panel members if they wish to see it in operation.
JG questioned how the information is reported to individual teams. RD replied that the system can be accessed by any managers and teams as necessary so they are able to see their data first-hand, and all teams work closely with the Customer Insight team to assess data and develop responses.
RI asked how complaints are handled with the CATS system, RD responded that there is still a separate and defined system for formal complaints handling where each complaint is assigned an investigating officer. Issues that are not necessarily formal complaints can still be monitored using CATS and can be followed up as appropriate.
RD explained that further to the Council’s own complaints system there has recently been a new Housing Ombudsman complaint handling code published. As a result, the Customer Insight team has developed a number of actions in response – a summary of which is available to tenants on the council’s website.
RD summarised next steps are to continue the development of the CATS system, to work with Customer Access to identify areas of improvement, to implement any necessary improvement to services, and to continue to review and develop the complaints handling code.
JG noted he had received contact about joining the Housing Ombudsman’s tenant complaints panel and expressed interest in joining. IM agreed it would be good for Leeds to have representation on the panel and offered to send information out to the panel members.
JW asked if the CATS system would monitor incomplete repairs, RD responded it would not monitor the issue specifically, however it would flag repeated contact made by a tenant which could then be further investigated. IM added that there is consistent work to identify issues raised from the contact centre regarding repairs and their completion, and responses have included adding extra staff to cover peak times and automated messages to explain delays where necessary.
JG asked if Mears data is fed into the reporting system since tenants are encourage to contact Mears directly for repairs. RD responded that council teams work closely with Mears and share data to improve both services. Mears themselves work hard to inform their customers of any potential delays to repairs caused by illnesses or other factors outside of their control.
JG thanked RD for her presentation.