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The Hyde Group

The Hyde Group, one of the largest housing association groups in Britain, provides housing and related services to over 75,000 people. Maintaining high levels of customer service is a key challenge.

The Hyde Management Team introduced an ambitious programme – ACE (Achieving Customer Excellence) – to improve levels of tenant satisfaction and workforce motivation. A cornerstone of the ACE initiative, which specifically targeted improving the customer service levels of the repairs team, was a 12-month ‘Make a Difference’ business improvement programme from Go MAD Thinking.

Brenda Ansett, Customer Services Coordinator of Hyde Housing was a key member of the team that worked with Go MAD Thinking.

The Challenge

The Hyde Management Team decided that a sustainable and hard hitting programme was needed to make measurable improvements to service levels, team morale and to simplify operational procedures. It was crucial that a programme would enable Hyde to meet Audit Commission Rating recommendations and move the company to become housing industry leaders.

A cornerstone of the programme was a 12-month ‘Make A Difference’ business improvement programme tailored to the needs of the front-line repairs staff and the customers they serve.

The Solution

Houses
  • The ‘Make A Difference’ programme has made significant and measurable improvements to service levels, team morale, individuals’ work and home lives.
  • Daily applications are being used consistently on non-service related areas.
  • Customer feedback, team assessment and measured business improvement confirm that it has delivered tangible and exciting business benefits.
  • Everyone at Hyde was involved. For example, contractors adhere to, and are monitored on, Hyde’s standards and must give residents an apology letter and £15 for missed appointments. This has led to one contractor firm restructuring its service centre to match Hyde’s specifications to increase efficiency.

Differences made

Following implementation of the programme:

  • Customer satisfaction is up 8.3 per cent, to 97.3 per cent.
  • Customer complaints process has decreased from 18 to 15 days.
  • Invoice paying deadline targets have improved by 30 per cent.
  • Phone answering quality statistics reached record highs due to new proactive attitudes.
  • Individual offices set their programme goals. London set a goal of improving ‘Mystery shop’ score from 75 per cent to 95 per cent over a three month period.
  • Employees report that the programme continues to make them more productive and Hyde a better place to work.
  • E-mails confirm the programme’s ’10 Commandments’ have become habit and individuals have proactively embraced the wider ACE programme. All rated the team event as ‘excellent’ on post-event evaluation forms and when asked for feedback.
Bricks

Client testimonials

“I came into contact with Go MAD when researching for a Customer Service training programme whilst leading the Hyde Group Contact Centre.  My proudest moment is watching a devalued, unmotivated team win the Hyde Group Staff Excellence Award!

The 12 month programme helped individuals and the team achieve greater results, improve customer service, promote helpful thinking and made possibility thinking a way of life.  Extremely powerful to watch and be part of this success.”

Brenda Ansett, Customer Services Co-ordinator, The Hyde Group