Customer engagement is ever evolving and ever expanding

You might think AI is going to revolutionise the way we live and work in a positive way, or be concerned that computers are coming to take your job, however what is undeniable is that AI and digital approaches to customer service are very much here to stay.

I also recognise the world we live in is evolving rapidly. Our tenants lead busy lives, many of them work, bring up children, are active in their local communities, and consequently taking time to meet housing officers and talking about tenancies isn’t always an immediate priority.

Another challenge of our modern world is tuning out the noise and bombardments of constant emails, messages and notifications. Everyone has experienced receiving information which is completely irrelevant, leaving you wondering why you were contacted in the first place.

“Trialling this approach in our repairs service has revolutionised how quickly we can respond in situations where the tenant experience has been less positive than we would like it to be”

At Link, we have been considering these challenges. One specific example we have been testing is through a digital engagement platform called CX Feedback. Initially trialled by West Highland Housing Association, a Link partner, the technology allows focused messages to be sent to specific groups of tenants ensuring communication is directly relevant.

Recent examples include sending information about an event specific to around several hundred sheltered housing tenants across multiple areas. In another case, we have been able to actively communicate to tenants who claim Universal Credit where we know that changes are coming and we can help them prevent their benefits from being affected.

A real benefit of this platform is that it allows us to contact tenants in real time so we can receive instant feedback and react to it accordingly. Trialling this approach in our repairs service has revolutionised how quickly we can respond in situations where the tenant experience has been less positive than we would like it to be. Equally, we have received feedback where tenants feel they have received great service and this allows us to feedback to our own teams in real time as well.

We are also considering digital approaches to letting tenants know if our repairs operatives are delayed, or if we need to change or cancel appointments. This is all done electronically, which not only frees up our staff but also gives tenants more time and allows them to respond at a convenient time that suits them.

“The real test, of course, is whether this improves the experience for tenants, and I have been really pleased to see increased levels of interactions on a range of issues which matter to them”

The real test, of course, is whether this improves the experience for tenants, and I have been really pleased to see increased levels of interactions on a range of issues which matter to them. We will continue to closely track the engagement levels as I have no doubt that as we do so, it will be possible not only to gauge how people like to engage, but also whether we need to sculpt our approach depending on the topics being discussed.

It was hugely gratifying to see the comments from CX Feedback’s chief executive recently, highlighting Link as a benchmark for tenant engagement in Scotland. I don’t perhaps see ourselves at that level yet as I know that there is some amazing tenant work that goes on across our sector in many organisations. What I do recognise, though, is that we are genuinely trying to change and embrace new ways of working, and the more we can share our experiences collectively as a sector the better.

One thing will never change, however, as whatever the technological landscape offers, we are a people organisation. We will look to digitise our processes and systems as far as we can to allow our teams to focus on the things that really matter: talking to and supporting our tenants.