Celebrating Customer Service Week 2024: Putting our residents first

Melin serves a diverse range of communities across south-east Wales, all of which face a unique set of challenges. By fostering a culture of care, we ensure that no matter how or why a person reaches out to us, we do all we can to put ourselves in their shoes and ‘find a way’ to solve the issues they face.

The first point of contact: Our Customer Contact Team (CCT)

When residents reach out to us, whether by phone, email, WhatsApp, or social media, the first people they speak to are our dedicated Customer Contact Team. This team serves as the bridge between our residents and the many services we offer, ensuring queries are dealt with efficiently and with care.

Last year, as ever, was a busy one for our CCT, they received:

• 53,433 calls
• 40,238 emails
• 3,800 texts
• 1,644 WhatsApp messages
• 380 web live chats
• And over 400 social media messages

We are delighted to be able to resolve most of our residents’ queries at the first point of contact, but we know that sometimes we have complex enquiries, or, on occasion, residents need to follow up with us. We have endeavoured to improve our call back timelines and, for when things don’t go right, we have a new, robust complaints procedure that we have launched in close partnership with the Welsh public services ombudsman.

A whole-team effort

CCT might be at the forefront of providing excellent customer service, but we know that it is a whole-team effort. Everyone working in Melin is dedicated to our person-centred approach and we know that we all play a part in the customer service experience.

Our Tenancy Sustainability Team plays a vital role in ensuring that vulnerable residents can stay in their homes and receive the support they need. The team works closely with residents who might be experiencing financial difficulty, health concerns, or other life challenges. They are an important part of ensuring Melin communities are resilient and our residents are able to thrive.

Last year, the team:

• Assisted 214 residents, offering personalised support ranging from welfare calls and help with benefits, to arranging medical appointments
• Made 562 visits to provide on-the-ground support in residents’ homes
• Partnered with local authorities, social services, community mental health teams, and South Wales Fire and Rescue to extend support beyond housing

Another critical part of our customer service offer to residents comes in the form of the work our maintenance and repairs teams do to keep residents comfortable and safe in their homes. From emergency repairs to routine maintenance, the team is always on hand, including out of hours and on weekends.

Just some of the key achievements our skilled teams recorded last year include:

• 4,987 emergency repairs, with 95% of these resolved within our 48-hour target
• 11,887 routine repairs, with 86.7% of residents expressing satisfaction with the work completed
• 4,386 gas services we completed, with a 93.6% satisfaction rate

In addition to this, we also improved our average time to complete repairs from 28.3 days to 23.1 days, moving ever closer to our target of 20 days.

Beyond maintaining our properties, we’re committed to building thriving communities. Our Neighbourhood Housing Team works closely with residents to address day-to-day queries and manages our homes and neighbourhoods. This includes handling parking issues and helping residents move or swap homes.

Working to tackle Wales’ housing crisis is one of the biggest parts of their work. Last year, they were able to make a real difference and working in partnership with housing stakeholders they:

• Found homes for 162 families/individual, ensuring those waiting on housing lists were able to find homes.
• Assisted 42 households with home swaps, facilitating moves either within Melin or to other housing associations
• Allocated 64 properties to people experiencing homelessness

Looking ahead:

As Melin moves towards its planned merger with Newport City Homes, we want to reassure residents that excellent customer service and a people-centered approach will continue to run through the DNA of the new organisation. Our consultation with residents on the ‘Customer Promise’ for the new association demonstrates our commitment to this. We remain passionate about providing our residents with excellent services and ensuring that all of our people are supported every step of the way when dealing with us.