Tenant satisfaction hits 90% at Albyn

One of the largest social housing providers in the Highlands has seen its tenant satisfaction rise by almost 10% after redesigning its customer service offering.

Albyn Housing Society, which has 3,800 homes across more than 80 different communities in the Highlands, undertook a series of improvements last year in order to better serve their tenants. The independent survey, which is carried out as a requirement by the Scottish Housing Regulator, also showed that customer satisfaction rose across all seven metrics, including value for money and repairs.

Albyn has also been delivering crucial cost of living support for tenants, securing £374,000 over the last year to provide energy vouchers, cash payments, energy reduction technology and tailored expert energy advice to their tenants. Tenants get a range of support from Albyn Housing Society with dozens of tenants receiving assistance with garden maintenance and almost 100 homes were adapted to make them more accessible over the last year. Tenants can also attend regular roadshows where they can access a range of support on offer from local organisations.

Previously Albyn’s customer service teams were split on a geographical basis and as the number of homes managed increased and the cost of living crisis became apparent, there was a real need to relook at the structure of the housing and property teams. After reviewing customer needs and other data such as call volumes and lead times, it was determined that having specialist functions with one team would serve customers better. It also meant that all services could be accessed through just one phone number.

Andrew MacRae, who lives in an Albyn property in Nairn, said: “I recently had surgery and I was struggling to look after my home during my recovery. But the team at Albyn stepped in and have been hugely supportive of me.
“Together with New Start, Albyn improved the condition of my home by helping me do things like removing old furniture.
“Because of my reduced mobility Albyn also installed a new adapted bathroom which has made life so much easier. I now feel much more confident about the future and I am so grateful for the kindness of the Albyn team and the support I have received.”

Maureen Knight, Executive Director of Operations at Albyn Housing Society said: “Our team has been going above and beyond over the last few years to give every bit of support we can to lots of people just like Andrew.
“We have completely redesigned the way we deliver our customer service and it is great to see this has been having a positive impact on our tenants – over 90% of our tenants are satisfied with the service they receive. We have made it easier to get in touch when something goes wrong and our specialist functions are much better equipped to deal with any issues more quickly and efficiently.
“It has been a really tough few years for our tenants with spiralling inflation and the energy crisis. At Albyn, we have been determined to deliver as much financial and expert support to our tenants to support them through this.
“Although these results are very positive and a great reflection on the hard work of the Albyn team, we are always keen to continue to improve. I am committed to continuously refining our services and doing what is best for our tenants.”