EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - (How) Are You Being Served? A Good Practice Guide on Complaints Handling in Housing Associations

(How) Are You Being Served? A Good Practice Guide on Complaints Handling in Housing Associations

Introduction

Complaints have great business value, and handling complaints effectively can provide valuable insights into what your business does well. I am pleased to introduce this new guide for associations on good practice in handling complaints.

Description

Housing associations which are registered with the Corporation have certain statutory obligations about the way they deal with complaints. In particular, they have a duty to become members of an Ombudsman scheme approved by the Secretary of State.

In regulatory terms, we believe customer service is a key part of associations’ business. This is why all associations are subject to
inspection of the way customers receive services, including complaints management.

Our guide highlights why complaints are good for residents and good for housing associations and it offers practical advice for associations developing their complaints handling capability.

Background information

This guide aims to raise awareness of complaints as a business tool. It can seem that managing complaints is separate from service delivery, that complaints are a problem or inconenience, getting in the way of business. This misses the opportunity to learn and to discover what residents really want.

Effective complaints management will reveal where processes are not user-friendly or where better outcomes might be secured; and it is this knowledge that informs continuous improvement. Our research with the Independent Housing Ombudsman shows there is demand in the sector to learn more about making the most of residents’ complaints.

Methodology

The guide contains some good practice examples based around the main areas of:

how to complain,
speed,
fairness,
confidentiality,
the result,
training and management information.

Conclusions

Effective complaint management improves:

customer confidence and satisfaction,
credibility and image,
employee morale,
understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the service at Board and management levels.

Other benefits of effective complaints management are:

early warning of service breakdown,
prevention of repeat problems,
free consultancy – ‘difficult’ customers can be turned into very effective exposers of flaws in the organisation’s services and policies, reducing the likeli hood and cost of legal action, better targeting of resources and lower costs of service delivery, increased customer loyalty – loyal customers will spread ‘good news’ stories and may help to attract investment.

Contact info

Housing Corporation
enquiries@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk

Publication date

Project finished

02/10/2002

Researcher

Caroline Pickering Associates, Written by Lynda Hance, Training Plus Consultancy

Links

Visit the Housing Corporation website

Download the '(How) Are You Being Served?' Report (PDF, Eng, 338 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Housing > Housing management

Keywords

Tenant management