Leeds Federated Customer Experience Report Year End, 2014/15
Contents SECTION 1: Our Journey... 3 SECTION 2: What are our customer telling us?... 4 Hearing the customer voice: What has improved in the customer s eyes?... 5 Customer Satisfaction: The national picture... 6 How does Leeds Federated compare against other sectors?... 7 How does Leeds Federated compare against the top two ranking organisations in each sector?... 8 SECTION 3: Insight to Action... 9 SECTION 4: What do we need to do next?... 10 Appendix 1: Data Evidence... 11
Section 1: Our Journey Leeds Federated is going from strength to strength. Our story over the last decade has been one of consistent, long-term service improvements. Underpinning this has been our understanding of what constitutes performance. This has subtlety moved away a reliance on process-led performance measures ( lens of the organisation ) to customer-orientated performance measures ( lens of the customer ), as ultimately it is customer satisfaction which can be considered to be the ultimate arbiter of organisational success. This paper outlines our most recent findings of how customers perceive our services, what we have recently implemented to support continued service improvements, and finally, what we are going to do to continue to meet our customer s requirements throughout 2015/16.
Section 2: What are our customer telling us? We measure customer experience through three metrics: the UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI), Housemark s STAR Survey (7 core questions), and the Net Promoter Score (NPS). Through these, customers are telling us that we are becoming better at meeting their service requirements and expectations. Our latest performance figures are our highest achieved during the last 10 years. UKCSI: Measured since 2012, our year-end figures for 2014/15 provided our highest recorded score. 2015 = 81.7% 2012 = 75.0% STAR: Overall satisfaction measured using the STAR metric produced our highest recorded score, and is shown below compared to our lowest score in 2008. 2015 = 87.9% 2008 = 65.7% Net Promoter Score: NPS is an index measuring the loyalty of customer relationships. Year-end, 2014/15 provided our highest recorded score since commencing this measure in 2013. 2015 = 49.7% 2013 = 36.2%
Hearing the Customer Voice: What has improved in the customer s eyes? Positive experiences cover a range of services such as repairs or interactions with staff, but speed of service and keeping promises in particular seem to be common themes. I feel the service overall has improved and they are more prompt with repairs etc. Customer services: When I phoned them the last time I had a problem, they seemed to have dealt with my issues more quickly. When you leave a message for them to pass on it does get to who it needs.
Customer Satisfaction: The National Picture Customer satisfaction, as measured by the UKCSI at the national level, is now lower than at any point since July 2010. The Institute of Customer Service suggest that organisations in the UK are not keeping up with customers increasing expectations of service. This context makes Leeds Federated s achievement with 81.7% even stronger. UKCSI, National Trends in Customer Satisfaction, 2009-2015
How Does Leeds Federated Compare Against Other Sectors? The table below shows Leeds Federated s 2014/15 year-end score in comparison to average scores in other sectors.
How Does Leeds Federated Compare Against The Top Two Ranking Organisations in Each Sector? The table below shows Leeds Federated s year-end 2014/15 score in comparison to the top two ranking organisations in each sector.
Section 3: Insight to Action Since the introduction of the UKCSI in 2012, we have made sure that our work to improve services is focussed on the priorities identified by our customers. To help us to do this, and to track our progress in achieving improvement, customer satisfaction measures now play a much greater role in our understanding of business performance. The following initiatives and service changes have been directly and extensively influenced by customer feedback: Changes to our Customer Service Team We have changed the structure of our Customer Service Team to improve communication and the quality of service received by customers, both face to face and over the phone. Investment in Mobile Technology We have invested in mobile technology to support team members working in our neighbourhoods, ensuring that they have the right information available to provide a high quality service to customers. New Approach to Staff Management and Development Based on customer feedback, we have changed our approach to managing the performance and development of our team members. This is designed to place greater emphasis on the importance of excellent communication, team working and customer focus. New Repairs & Maintenance Contract We have launched a new partnership with Keepmoat to provide repairs and maintenance services in our customers homes. The design of the new service and the way we measure performance is different, directly as a result of customer feedback.
Section 4: What do we need to do next? The world is changing very quickly. The needs and aspirations of our customers are not the same as they were in the past and we need to make sure that our products and services continue to offer customers both excellent quality and value for money. We will continue to listen to our customers and involve them in our work to develop new services and improve existing ones. New Website and Customer Service Portal We have invested in the development of a new website and customer service portal. We will continue to improve the range of services available online, recognising our customers increasing preference for the use of smartphones and tablet devices. Major Investment in Customer Involvement & Engagement It is vitally important that Leeds Federated continues to listen to the views of customers and involve customers in the way we design and deliver services. We ve got exciting plans to grow and strengthen our approach to involving customers in the work of the organisation. Designing Services for a Changing World Customer expectations continue to change rapidly, in particular as a result of the impact of technology. Global research 1 suggests that 39% of customers requesting service via social media expect a response in less than an hour, and a further 22% expect a response within half a day. We need to work with our customers to ensure our services keep up with such changing needs and expectations, maximise flexibility, and continue to deliver excellent quality and value for money. 1 Genesys, Best Practices for Social Customer Service, 2015.
Appendix: Data Evidence UKCSI Index Score Social Housing Sector Comparison Graph 1 shows Leeds Federated s UKCSI index score for March 2015 (Qtr 4, 2014/15) of 81.7% - this is Leeds Federated s highest UKCSI score since commencing the measure in 2012. It is shown benchmarked against around 120 other housing providers who also participate in the UKCSI. Graph 1: Satisfaction Index Housing League Table, Qtr 4, 2014 /15 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% March 2015: 81.7% June 2014: 77.9% December 2014: 77.6% September 2014: 75.1%
UKCSI Index Score - All Sector Comparison Graph 2 below repeats Leeds Federated s UKCSI index score for March 2015, but this time it is compared against approximately 1,045 companies across all sectors. Leeds Federated s score can be seen to have increased from 3 rd to 2 nd quartile over time. Graph 2: Satisfaction Index League Table (all sectors), Qtr 4, 2014 /15 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% March 2015: 81.7% June 2014: 77.9% December 2014: 77.6% September 2014: 75.1%
Net Promoter Score (NPS) - Would Our Customers Recommend Leeds Federated To Others? Leeds Federated s Net Promoter Score (which reflects how willing our customers are to recommend Leeds Federated to others) has increased in Qtr 4 2014/15 to 49.7% - our highest individual quarterly score to date. This can be seen below in a national context compared against approximately 520 other companies. Taking a long view, when quarterly scores are averaged over the year, an annual increase of 4.2% can be still be seen when comparing 14/15 to 13/14 (our earliest data).
Customer Trust Measuring customer perceptions of organisational trust is relatively new concept. However, as trust is the foundation on which relationships are based, it is important to gain insight in this area. Since introducing this metric, Leeds Federated have consistently increased their customer trust score. The highest score recorded is in Qtr 4, 2014/15. March 2015 (Qtr 4, 2014/15) December 2014 (Qtr 3, 2014/15) September 2014 (Qtr 2, 2014/15) June 2014 (Qtr 1, 2014/15) 81.5% 80.2% 79.6% not collected
Customer Effort Score (CES) Customer Effort is also a relatively new concept founded from the view that reducing customer effort in dealing with organisations will increase satisfaction and loyalty. Three service interactions that are seen to have the most impact on customer effort (and therefore potentially leading to resentment) are: having to contact the company repeatedly (or be transferred) to get an issue resolved having to repeat information having to switch from one service channel to another (for example needing to call having tried unsuccessfully to solve a problem through the website). Leeds Federated have been measuring customer effort since April 2012/13. During this time the customer effort score has consistently improved as seen below. March 2015 (Qtr 4, 2014/15) March 2014 (Qtr 4 2013/14) March 2013 (Qtr 4 2012/13) 83.0% 82.4% 81.1%
Written by: Simon Williams, Research & Insight Manager, Leeds Federated Housing Association April 2015 For further information, please contact: simon.williams@lfha.co.uk