You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Customer experience can’t be designed from behind a desk
Being customer-obsessed is about understanding what customers actually experience, not what we think they do, writes Sarah Evans, executive director of customer experience at Yorkshire Housing
Being customer obsessed is about understanding what customers actually experience, not what we think they do, writes Sarah Evans, executive director of customer experience at Yorkshire Housing #UKHousingAt Yorkshire Housing, being “customer obsessed” isn’t a slogan, it’s a standard we’re building into every decision, every investment and every measure of success.
Today, customers don’t just compare us to other housing providers. They compare us to the best experiences they’ve ever had – whether that’s ordering from Amazon, Apple or their favourite local coffee shop. That’s a huge shift and we’re responding to it head-on.
Over the past two years, we’ve been laying strong foundations fixing the basics, investing in technology and identifying the moments that matter most. Now, we’re turning a corner. We’re no longer playing catch-up, we’re starting to leap ahead, putting customer experience right at the centre of everything we do.
Our ambition is bold: we want to become the UK’s best housing provider. And we see that as a journey, not a destination. A journey where progress is made step by step, guided by the voices and experiences of our customers.
Read More
Social housing is built on purpose, and that will always be our strength. But purpose alone isn’t enough in a world where expectations keep rising and resources are tight.
The best organisations constantly remove friction, invest in the right things to do and ask the question: “What’s this like for the customer?” That’s exactly the path we’re on.
But it’s not enough to just respond to customers really well, so we’re building our experiences around a pre-emptive service. We’re using data and insight to prevent issues before they become problems and before it’s an inconvenience for the customer and a greater cost for us.
“It’s not enough to just respond to customers really well, so we’re building our experiences around a pre-emptive service”
Our new approach means clear service standards, better ways of working and new tools like Salesforce to help teams work seamlessly together. We’re reviewing every stage of the customer’s journey, giving colleagues more freedom to make the right calls and making interactions easier, faster and better for our customers.
We’re also using data to stop the small things turning into big frustrations, spotting missed appointments before they happen and identifying repairs that might not last. The aim is simple: less hassle for customers and more time getting things right first time. No one wants to spend their time ringing their landlord. Our job is to pre-empt issues and sort things out properly, so customers don’t have to chase, and data is helping us do that.
A full customer census and a single view of the customer through Salesforce are giving us sharper insight than ever before. That means we can predict what customers might need and step in before they have to ask. It’s about being proactive, not reactive, and that’s what great service looks like.
Crucially, we’re not guessing what customers want. We’re shaping services directly from real voices, real experiences and real pain points. That’s why we’ve redesigned customer engagement around what works for our customers, not just what works for us.
There are now more ways to have a say, and we’re even exploring gamification and incentives to get more people involved. Over the next year, you’ll see our customer experience becoming sharper, smarter and more personal. Customers expect to be involved, have a voice and enjoy being part of a community, so this isn’t just about regulation, this is the right thing to do and is expected by our customers.
Being customer-obsessed is about understanding what customers actually experience, not what we think they do. That’s why I spend time out with customer-facing colleagues every other month, listening and learning first-hand. You can’t design great service from behind a desk.
We’re embedding this mindset across the whole organisation, with a culture programme that helps every colleague see through a customer-focused lens and engage directly with the people we serve.
“We’ve built solid foundations, invested in the right tools and we have a clear view of where we’re heading”
We’re also looking beyond social housing for inspiration. Amazon has mastered ease and efficiency, building trust and removing friction. Apple focuses on how customers feel, perfecting the big and small moments that matter.
Both keep raising the bar, because their customers expect more every time. Why should social housing be any different? We must adapt in the same way, blending purpose with performance.
And this isn’t just theory; the best CEOs live and breathe customer experience. Uber’s CEO famously signed up as a driver to experience the platform first-hand. Former Starbucks boss Howard Schultz spends time in stores talking to baristas and customers. At Yorkshire Housing, our chief executive Nick Atkin leads by example, getting hands-on with everything from litter picking to planting, showing the same curiosity and involvement we expect across the organisation.
We’re proud of the progress we’ve made. We’ve built solid foundations, invested in the right tools and we have a clear view of where we’re heading. Most importantly, we’re not here to simply meet expectations, we’re here to exceed them.
By blending purpose with performance and listening closely to our customers, we’re shaping a housing service that’s personal, pre-emptive and truly customer-obsessed.
Sarah Evans, executive director of customer experience, Yorkshire Housing
Sign up for our tenancy management newsletter
Already have an account? Click here to manage your newsletters
Latest stories
