Glasgow Housing Association, the UK’s largest social housing provider, has installed a new voice and data network from NTL:Telewest Business to improve services for its 90,000 tenants and homeowners across the city.
Since the fibre-optic network went live in August 2009, GHA customers now have a single number to call for all queries, ranging from account questions to reporting maintenance or repair requests. All customer calls are routed to GHA’s new contact centre where GHA staff have immediate access, via the network, to the information necessary to provide front-line support.
The high-capacity converged voice and data network links GHA’s three central sites, its contact centre, a network of 57 local housing organisation offices and 113 ‘concierge’ sites in blocks of flats.
Nicola Graham, head of IT, Glasgow Housing Association, said, “Our vision is to provide consistently excellent customer service. NTL:Telewest understood our requirements and created a network that uses advanced technology to successfully improve customer service for all of our tenants and homeowners.”
A total of 173 GHA sites are now connected via the new wide area network using Ethernet VPN and IP-VPN products, while GHA’s new contact centre uses Cisco IP-telephony technology.
Lee Hull, head of business markets, NTL:Telewest Business, said, “Delivering fast, effective service to tenants and homeowners is at the heart of how housing associations need to operate. By using technology to make it simple to get in contact and giving front-line staff the information they need to do their job, Glasgow Housing Association is leading the way in this sector and improving the lives of its customers.”
