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SMS for Excellence - Tenant Text Service Helps Wakefield to Three Stars

Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) recently became the first housing association in the North of England (and the third nationally) to achieve the Audit Commission’s three star ‘excellent’ rating.

Amongst the good practices commended by the Audit Commission, the report highlighted WDH’s successful implementation of the innovative automated tenant text messaging system, which is provided by Mobilelogic.

In particular, the Audit Commission highlighted the system’s positive impact on the levels of contact between WDH and tenants, as well as its contribution to the reduction “of missed appointments or no access situations.”

The report also praised WDH’s recognition and response to the increasing significance of text messaging as a widely used inclusive communications tool.

Since July of this year WDH tenants have received automated text messages reminding them of forthcoming maintenance and repair visits and giving them an opportunity to confirm their availability or rearrange the appointment if required.

Post visit, the system then texts tenants an interactive satisfaction survey which also provides an opportunity for feedback.

Mobilelogic, owned and installed by mobile communications provider Mobysoft, allows housing providers to link their Housing Management Systems to the phone network enabling them to easily integrate text messaging into their existing customer service processes.

WDH Maintenance Manager Eric Gilchrist explains: “We’d calculated that cancelled repair and maintenance visits were costing WDH a significant amount of time and resources.

“SMS texting just seemed to be the obvious answer.”

Eric continues: “The tenant feedback is hugely beneficial.  Not only does it allow us to respond to tenants quickly, but it also allows us to easily monitor the performance of individual repair operatives and compare the performance of our five geographical ‘teams’ through real time management data.”

Mobysoft Managing Director Derek Steele is delighted to hear about WDH’s audit success: “For an independent commission to recognise Mobilelogic as making a valuable contribution to improving both tenant experience and the performance of the housing provider is tremendous. Mobysoft sends its congratulations to Eric and everyone at WDH.”

Eric concludes: “Mobilelogic fits with our existing processes and helps us do the day-to-day things better.

”Every tenant I’ve spoken to who has used the system has praised it and I’m sure the service would be a real benefit to many other housing organisations.”

WDH is responsible for over 31,000 homes and covers the second largest geographical area of any UK housing provider.

Mobysoft works with a wide range of Housing Providers across the UK including Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Blackpool Coastal Housing, Stockport Homes, Raven Housing and Knowsley Housing Trust.

-Ends-

For further information regarding this release or Mobysoft contact David Edwards at Frontier PR on 07939 137098 or email david@frontierpr.co.uk .

Notes to editors:

Mobysoft Ltd

  1. Based in Manchester, Mobysoft is a specialist software company providing direct SMS text messaging software solutions.
  2. Established in 2003, the company enables companies and organisations to communicate directly with their members, customers etc, by linking their databases to the mobile phone network.
  3. Mobysoft has built a particularly strong presence in the Housing Association market where the company now works for some of the UK’s largest social housing providers.
  4. Client’s include: Wakefield and District Housing, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Blackpool Coastal Housing, Stockport Homes, Raven Housing and Knowsley Housing Trust.

Wakefield and District Housing

  1. Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) was established in April 2005 and became the largest single transfer housing organisation in the country when it took ownership of homes from Wakefield Council. It manages 31,000 properties occupied by 100,000 tenants and has a workforce of over 1,300 people, making it one of the largest local employers.
  2. Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) is the third housing association nationally to be awarded a three-star score. The other two were West Kent Housing Association and Tower Homes.
  3. The Audit Commission list WDH’s key strengths as follows:
    • Customer focused access arrangements, supported by an effective customer contact centre and interactive web site and telephone systems.
    • A focus on diversity which is well understood by staff and is delivering enhanced services to vulnerable customers including older and disabled people.
    • Major repairs are being delivered ahead of schedule and are transforming homes and neighbourhoods.
    • Area regeneration initiatives are delivering clear benefits for communities and neighbourhoods.
    • Responses to anti-social behaviour are well developed, responsive to community concerns and include the Association's part-funding of police officers and community support officers.
    • Rent collection performance is strong and compares with the best housing associations.
    • There is a strong focus on delivering value for money across all services; this is delivering efficiency savings across the organisation.

For more information about WDH contact 01977 724654/5.

Audit Commission
Housing Association Inspectors Report
October 2007
Appendix 2, Positive Practice
Page 55
224
“The association has recently introduced automatic text prompting in advance of responsive repairs appointments and gas servicing. This enhancement maintains contact with customers and has clear potential to reduce the number of missed appointments or no access situations. Texting recognises changes in how many people prefer to be communicated with. It is relatively low cost and is immediate”

Click here for the report.  Or visit www.audit-commission.gov.uk/housing