Service with respect: it’s a two-way street
Most interactions between customers and colleagues are positive. Whether you’re reporting a repair, asking for advice or raising a concern, we want to work together to sort out a problem and find the right solution.
At Great Places, we believe respect works both ways. That’s why Service with Respect is an important part of how we work. It sets out the standards customers can expect from us, and the behaviours we ask for in return.
For customers, that means being listened to, treated fairly and kept informed. We know people often contact us when something has gone wrong, so our colleagues will always aim to listen and work with you to find the best way forward.
In return, we ask customers to treat our colleagues with the same respect. We understand that people can feel frustrated, worried or upset, but behaviour that is threatening, abusive or intimidating is never acceptable.
Our aim is always to help and resolve issues wherever we can, but when behaviour crosses the line, we will follow up and take appropriate action. If you feel we’ve fallen short of the standards we’ve set ourselves, we want to hear about that too.
As part of Service with Respect and new standards being introduced across social housing, we’ve also developed a new Code of Conduct with the help of customers.
Put simply, the Code explains how customers should expect to be treated by everyone who represents Great Places and the standards we hold ourselves to every day. Rather than deciding those standards ourselves, we asked customers what matters most to them.
Through surveys, consultations and workshops, customers told us they want colleagues who listen, communicate clearly, treat people fairly, keep customers informed, take responsibility when things go wrong and work with them to find solutions.
We’ve used that feedback to shape the Code and the training we provide to colleagues, helping make sure the standards we set reflect what customers expect from us every day.