You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
What can housing learn from John Lewis and Waitrose?
Our businesses might seem very different, but there is a lot to learn from each others’ approach to customers and service provision, writes Sharon Ault, executive director for people and business services at Eastlight Community Homes
Sharon Ault is executive director, People and Business Services, at Eastlight
Our businesses might seem very different, but there is a lot to learn from each others’ approach to customers and service provision, writes Sharon Ault at Eastlight Community Homes #UKhousingWhen colleagues from the John Lewis Partnership visited Eastlight Community Homes earlier this year, none of us quite knew what would come of it. What we didn’t expect was how quickly it would feel like a two-way conversation.
We’re a housing association operating across the East of England. John Lewis Partnership is the business behind John Lewis and Waitrose, two of the UK’s most recognised and respected retail brands, famous not just for their stores but also for their unique employee-owned model and long-standing commitment to customer service.
Our organisations may seem very different – but the questions we’re grappling with aren’t.
Read more
How do you manage customer demand while continuing to offer quality service? What does a consistent experience look like – across different channels, teams and locations? And how do you support staff to keep delivering, even when the pace of change feels relentless?
That first day of shared learning didn’t involve big presentations or strategies. It was rooted in conversation – with customer-facing staff, team leaders and colleagues who work behind the scenes to make things happen.
We talked about what makes good customer service – and what gets in its way. One insight that struck a chord was around the concept of ‘failure demand’. This is the kind of contact that comes in not because something’s gone wrong, but because the process isn’t clear in the first place. Calls chasing updates. Emails asking the same question twice.
“In September, enterprise agility coaches from John Lewis will join us at our head office in Essex to listen to calls, review emails and help us spot patterns we might miss because we’re too close to see them”
John Lewis calls this out for what it is: wasted effort and frustration on both sides. That focus – on making things easier and more consistent – really resonated with our team.
Since then, we’ve started working more closely. In September, enterprise agility coaches from John Lewis will join us at our head office in Essex to listen to calls, review emails and help us spot patterns we might miss because we’re too close to see them.
We’ve also linked up our analysts. Their expertise is helping us sharpen how we measure performance, ensuring our teams have access to the right data, at the right time, in a format that’s actually useful.
And we’re talking to them about people and culture. Because while systems and structures matter, the way your team feels has a huge impact on how well they serve others. We’re looking at what creates a confident, customer-focused culture – and how we can build on the many strengths we already have.
All of this supports the wider transformation already under way at Eastlight. Our upcoming customer contact strategy is focused on improving the quality of every interaction.
It supports our move to place-based working, greater use of data and insight, and continuing to be a financially resilient, resident-led organisation.
Later this year, we’ll launch a new, improved online portal, MyEastlight. We know that moving more contact online only works if people want to use the system.
We feel hugely grateful to the John Lewis Partnership team for their ongoing time, expertise and energy and for continuing to remind us that building resident trust relies on us being every bit as responsive when someone picks up the phone as when they tap a button on their smartphone.
At Eastlight, we’re continuing with our internal Think Customer campaign, which has been running for nearly a year now. It’s built around five crucial questions every Eastlight team member should ask themselves throughout their workday:
-
Have I considered the short and long-term impact of my decisions on the customer?
-
Did I take into account the customer’s individual needs while making this decision?
-
How would the customer feel about the way I’ve communicated with them?
-
Have I sought out previous insights from my team or other departments before making a tough decision related to customer service?
-
Would I personally be satisfied with the service and value for money I’m providing to the customer?
These questions help keep us grounded in what really matters – ensuring every decision benefits the people who live in Eastlight’s 14,600 homes. It’s a daily reminder that good service depends on understanding the resident’s experience from their point of view.
That focus on putting the customer first is exactly what connects us to John Lewis and Waitrose. This isn’t about housing trying to act like retail. It’s about recognising that when it comes to service, the fundamentals are the same.
People want to feel heard. They want clear answers. They want to know they can rely on you.
That’s as true for someone choosing home insurance as it is for someone trying to book a repair.
We’re learning from the way John Lewis Partnership’s teams adapt. We’re clear about the kind of organisation we want to be. And we’re grateful for the fresh perspective that working with another sector can bring.
There’s no silver bullet. But there’s a lot of value in being open – to new ways of thinking, and to the idea that good service, done well and consistently, can change how people feel about where they live and who they rent from.
That’s what we’re building at Eastlight – with support, with focus, and with a little help from a high street name that knows a thing or two about trust.
Sharon Ault, executive director for people and business services, Eastlight Community Homes
Related stories
