Achievements

Progress Housing is working with Voicescape to be forward-thinking, efficient, engaging and customer-focused in its approach to statutory maintenance requirements so that its homes are of the highest quality.

What is innovative about and what was achieved with these projects?

Progress Housing - Voicescape combines automation technology, behavioural insights, and data science to create bespoke communication solutions that help drive substantial operational efficiencies and service improvements for social landlords. This partnership is tackling the costly and growing issue of no-access by enabling Progress to engage with its customers in a meaningful way to deliver its gas servicing programme.  

What are the measurable benefits to the client, the contractor, the resident, and the neighbourhood?

Progress Housing and Voicescape have worked collaboratively to develop an innovative solution that transforms maintenance appointments by re-engineering the way in which the organisation engages with customers during the gas servicing programme. Before it attempted to call each customer manually before their appointment, while sending one-way text messages that had little impact on engagement. Inbound enquiries went to a general advice line, resulting in lengthy call times and no guarantee of a resolution. Voicescape Compliance has created an intelligent, resident-centric engagement process, with automated appointment booking, confirming, and rescheduling technology that involves tenants in the appointment scheduling process so they feel engaged and empowered – leading to a better customer experience and outcomes. This not only ensures compliance but is a customer-centric approach, improving first-time access. Saves the time and costs of rearranging visits and engineers having to return.

What are the financial costs and measurable cashable benefits over a defined time period?

Progress Housing - Since forming the partnership, no-access rates have reduced by 23%. In one month, an additional 40 appointments carried out first-time due to improved customer engagement. Customer satisfaction for communication on gas servicing has increased to 99.5% between July and September 2024, providing an average for 2024 of 97.9%. The reduction of no-access rates, maximises the value of officers’ and engineers’ time, enhances effectiveness and job satisfaction. It reduces vehicle fleet costs by cutting out unnecessary miles. The average cost per no-access visit is between £75 and £100. It is further ahead with its gas servicing programme, compared to previous years. This will allow engineers to focus on responsive repairs and emergency call-outs in the critical winter period. The key moving forward is to use Voicescape’s real-time data to ensure the system continues to be refined and the services remain efficient, cost-effective, and customer-centric. The partnership has also reduced unnecessary costs, such as manual customer service rebooking (typically 10 minutes, costing £2.91). Reduced CO₂ emissions (av. 15.49 miles/no-access journey).

How relevant is this as an example that might be followed by other organisations?

Progress Housing - No-access is the biggest challenge for repairs and maintenance in the sector. Housemark reports that less than half of social landlords (45%) have achieved 100% gas safety compliance, with no-access widely regarded as one of the main reasons. This project has demonstrated to the sector that working smarter is key – using new systems, data, and automation where possible. Stronger engagement with residents has been crucial in order to prioritise gaining the first-time access, to maintain compliance, ensure safe homes, and drive down costs.