Engineer Sign-UpCan we reduce repairs volume by coaching customers how to carry out basic repairs?

Tom Hartland

Every year Bromford experiences a large demand for small everyday repairs. Our engineers have reported that many of these repairs are easily avoidable, however the customer doesn’t feel suitably equipped with information, skills or tools to complete them themselves.

This proposal is for an engineer to visit the customer two weeks into a new tenancy, teaching and demonstrating how to carry out basic repairs such as:

bleeding radiatorsfixing toilet overflows/handlesisolating water suppliesadjusting kitchen cupboards and doorsreplacing fuse spursmaintaining water traps on sinks.

Background

Knowledgeable on the surface but self-reported as completely uncomfortable for most repair tasks. Self-rated confidence went up by over 30% following the visit.

Completely comfortable at most tasks, Shaun rated lower confidence for jobs where he wouldn’t know what’s expected of him, assuring us there needs to be complete clarity in our communications with customers. 10% improvement.

Older couple who rated all jobs as between OK and completely uncomfortable. Visit seemed to reaffirm existing knowledge and provide encouragement. Repairs confidence rose by 45%.

RubyRich and Janice

KathleenYoung mother who uses repairs service because it’s easier than rousing her boyfriend, Kathleen rated as completely comfortable for most tasks except bleeding radiators and boilers. 10% improvement in skills, but would this translate to reduced repairs demand?

Shaun

Kelly and DaveWorking age couple with high overall confidence but limited skills with plumbing/heating. Up-skilled by 9% during visit and would use repairs service whenever special parts are needed as easier than sourcing them

ByronYounger gentleman who had very rudimentary skills. Benefitted most from knowing how to identify stop-taps and isolating water in the event of a leak. (Didn’t measure confidence)

Customer OverviewsOn 17th December we held an experience day with customers at Friars Gate community house, t help get feedback on our prototype service...

30minutes

approximately

...though we’ll still have to see whether longer visits = better knowledge retention and reduced repairs call volume

Service Feedback

100percent satisfaction

All customers expressed this as a good idea. As

long as we can make the cost/benefit work for

everyone this looks like a great addition to Bromford

services

reassuranceand expectations

… are as important as skills and tools. As long as customers believe we will conduct every repair, or

feel they don’t have permission to act

themselves, there will be excessive demand on our

repairs service

Repairs ConfidenceRadiator/Boiler tasks were ranked as the least comfortable repairs jobs for customers with an average of 1.43 out of 5 while basic plumbing maintenance contributed to all three of the least comfortable tasks for customers. These tasks were most likely to be thought of as a landlord's responsibility, and not a customer’s.

On the other hand all customers were far more comfortable using the fusebox to diagnose a faulty appliance, repairing small holes in walls and cleaning extractor fans.

Sometimes expectations around what we meant - i.e. ‘readjusting and servicing windows’ needed more explanation.

Phase Two: Demonstrate

Appetite

Phase One: Define

Opportunity

Phase Three:

Measure Value

Phase Four:Test

Deployment(Pilot)

Design Path

1. Design basic value indicators and

method of measuring

2. Identify test area and assign necessary colleagues/ resources

3. Run test with close monitoring/control

checkpoints

Demonstrate value and challenge

assumptions through raft of

initial tests

Phase 3 design

consultations scheduled for January 2016