Our new Housing Services Strategy, Customers First, is all about putting the focus back where it belongs - on our customers. It's about making sure a golden thread of customer service runs through everything we do, no matter what role we have at Abri.
Today, we're sharing some 'you said, we did' examples that brilliantly show how teams across the organisation have worked together to support our customers. A big shout out to the following colleagues who have truly lived our value, Achieving Together, to tackle these issues.
So, what was the feedback and what did we do about it?
Customers said they wanted to transform an unloved shrub bed into a community vegetable patch.
Abri assisted them to apply for and gain PPP funding. With this we were able get the initiative quite literally off the ground, with four raised planters once we’d cleared the space and mulched the surface for easy access and ongoing maintenance.
Customers told us the wooden benches all around the estate were in a terrible state and needed fixing.
Again, with the help of more PPP funding we were able to renew the wood on all the benches around the estate, enabling the residents to take the weight off their feet and enjoy their outside space again.
Customers said the leaks from one building into the gallery on the ground floor had been ongoing for over 10 years and we needed to fix them once and for all.
We worked with an external contractor who brought in a specialist leak detection team to triage the issues from the ground up. We’ve finally been able to stop the issues by fixing several issues on one balcony, as well as tracing and repairing multiple plumbing issues across the block.
Customers said they wanted to improve a shrub bed and fill it with roses instead.
We happily helped by removing the old bushes, cleared the ivy and planted a dozen rose bushes to brighten up the area. We also threw in some lavender for good measure to further help those bees!
Customers told us they were upset at the number of trees we had to take down in 2021 and wanted them replaced.
Working with an arborist, the Estate Manager selected the most appropriate replacements for the area that would minimise issues for residents in years to come. They’re flourishing nicely, and we even included some shrubs too.
Customers said they weren’t happy with some of the parking habits in one of the estate car parks.
Working with the local fire service, we assessed the car park and agreed on the improvements needed. We’ve created four additional spaces from it and a designated area to keep clear in case of an emergencies.
Customers said that the capstones all around the estate walkways were covered in moss and needed a good clean.
Work between the Estate Manager, Repairs and Maintenance and an external contractor, jet washing of the capstones took place giving the place a real lift.
Customers said they weren’t happy with the standard of communal area cleaning.
Our Repairs and Maintenance service and Estate Management reviewed the site and the issues impacting the cleaner. This resulted in a deep clean of all internal and external stairwells taking place and we’ve also recruited an additional cleaner to support the team on site to further help improve things.
Customers told us there were a number of repair issues around the estate that had been allowed to worsen.
Over the course of the last year, we’ve involved colleagues from Asset, our surveying team and Repairs and Maintenance service to work on improving the variety of issues identified. We’re not there yet, but we’re now instilling confidence once more that these things are not being left to deteriorate any further.
Customers said the number of blocked waste pipes they were getting was unacceptable, the gallery below weren’t too impressed either.
Work between the Estate Manager, Repairs and Maintenance service and a specialist drainage contractor saw a full camera survey carried out across the two affected blocks and nearby drains. This identified several repairs and some proactive descaling that was needed to keep things flowing inside the pipes.