Hastoe has made a number of important changes to improve services for customers. These changes include appointing new repairs contractors and developing our online service, MyHastoe, which has also now replaced the customer service email address. All enquiries and non-urgent repairs can be made via MyHastoe.
- Online services: We are continuing to develop MyHastoe to become more of a one-stop shop so more services can be reported and accessed online. Residents who use MyHastoe can report and follow up a repair, upload photos, check their rent account, make a payment, set up a direct debit, update their details, apply to keep a pet, report antisocial behaviour, register a complaint/compliment and request contact from a housing officer. To set up an account residents only need to have their email address, date of birth and customer reference number (found on any correspondence from us). Our Customer Service team is on hand to help with setting up an account by calling 0300 123 2250 during office hours.
- Phone service: Over the last couple of years, we have recruited and trained more Customer Service Advisors and we now have more people working on our phone lines at the busiest times of the week. When customers call our Customer Service Team, they will now hear a message that tells them where they are in the queue and give them the option to hold the line or use our call-back service.
- Follow-up repairs service: When customers report a repair via MyHastoe they will receive a text message that gives them the name and phone number of the contractor. This information is also recorded on MyHastoe together with a date when the repair is expected to be completed. This enables customers to contact the contractor directly and if, for any reason, they are unhappy with the service they are provided they can fill in a form on MyHastoe and we will follow up on their behalf. We have established a new dedicated team to help tenants if they are experiencing problems with their repairs.
- Repairs contractors: We have appointed 3 new contractors to cover the Essex, Hertfordshire and East Sussex regions. We are intending to recruit even more local contractors so we can further improve our service.
- Customer scrutiny groups: We are developing a number of groups which will enable residents to scrutinise key areas of our service such as how we manage damp and mould, and building safety. We already run a successful panel with residents who have previously lodged a complaint. These enable us to identify where improvements are needed if things have gone wrong. This is in addition to our service to manage complaints.
- Home improvement works: This year we have put aside £6 million to improve over 800 homes. Where needed, we will be replacing kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems, windows as well as making improvements to external decoration.
- Face-to-face meetings: As well as being able to meet with a Housing Officer, residents will be provided with two opportunities a year to meet face to face with Hastoe Board members and our senior managers. For convenience, these will be organised in different parts of the country and we will notify residents as and when they are organised.
- Tenant phone days: For customers who are want to talk with our Chief Executive or one of our Directors, we organise tenant phone days three times a year. Details of these are advertised on MyHastoe a few weeks in advance of each phone day.
- Community support: We are making plans to recruit more Resident Champions so they can report any issues affecting communal areas to us at an early stage.
