1st Touch has launched a self-service app which lets tenants submit requests online for a wide range of services, ranging from repairs and maintenance or estate management concerns through to arranging visits from housing officers or conducting rent queries. The system reduces the pressure on the housing provider’s call centre staff while significantly enhancing positive engagement with tenants. The app can be integrated in real-time with all leading housing management systems.
When a tenant is using the app to report a repair, for example, the app will raise a request and ask the tenant to choose an appointment from three or four available time slots. Once selected, the app will then auto-schedule the repair and send it to the maintenance operative’s mobile device when they are due to attend. If a tenant needs to report an issue such as graffiti, the app will raise the request with the appropriate operative or contractor and inform the tenant when the graffiti is due to be removed and also when the job has been completed. All the requests and actions generated through the app are automatically fed into the relevant housing management system.
The app, which integrates with all existing 1st Touch systems, also represents significant value for money. 1st Touch’s research estimates that on average, each call to a housing provider’s call centre costs around £5 and that each personal visit costs around £14. As many of the issues handled by these call centres can be dealt with online, the potential savings from the self-service tenant app are considerable.
Robert Dent, CEO, 1st Touch, said, “By allowing tenants to sort out issues themselves 24/7 online and at their own convenience, our self-service app provides a better customer experience while reducing the service delivery costs of their housing provider.”
