Improving the way we work – new resident maintenance panel

Over the next year East Thames will be carrying out a number of improvement projects to make sure residents are getting excellent customer service and value for money.

One of the services we are focusing on is our repairs and maintenance service and the way East Thames manages its properties.

We are looking for a long term partner organisation who can deliver all our repairs, maintenance and asset management services on our behalf, someone who understands East Thames’ residents and who can deliver a proactive and reliable service.

To make sure the improved service meets the needs and expectations of our cutomers, we carried out a survey on the way we improve our repairs service and your home. 

We had a great response with over 500 of you completing the survey and giving us your views on what would improve the service.

The results of the survey showed that the quality of the repair, appointment times and the quality of the information you are given are the most important factors to you when we carry out a repair.

• 87.5% of you said not having to report the same repair within the next six months was important or absolutely necessary.
• 86% of you said being offered a firm appointment at the time you report the repair was important or absolutely necessary.
• 79% of you said being clear about how long the work will take and the number of visits required when you report the repair was important or absolutely necessary.

You also told us that when it comes to internal improvements made to your home, bathrooms and kitchens are the most important to you.

Now we have this information, we can make sure that the long term partner we choose can build these factors into their service.

We have also appointed ten residents to a newly created Strategic Maintenance Panel to make sure the improved service meets the needs and expectations of our cutomers. The Panel will work with East Thames to inform the design of the improved service and to help us find the right partner organisation to deliver the service.

Ayo, one of the new resident panel members said: “I live in an East Thames property and I think this is a good opportunity for me to be part of the change, rather than complaining about how things are done, and I can represent other East Thames customers.

“Apart from this being a good experience for me and giving me an insight into how East Thames works, being on the Panel means I have a role in helping to choose a supplier who can provide a better service.”

Improving the customer service you receive

And it’s not just the repairs service we want to improve. We want to make sure you’re happy with all the services you receive from East Thames. Maybe, for instance, you’d like more of our services to be available online. Whatever improvements you want to see, we’d like to know about it. We’ll be running an East Thames customer service consultation exercise over the next few months and we’d love for you to get involved. To take part, contact our residents involvement team on 020 8536 3957 or residentinvolvementteam@east-thames.co.uk.