At Saffron, we have been engaging with tenants to listen and learn from their experiences of making a complaint. In this 4th edition, ‘Tenant complaints: how they help build trust’, Tallia examines why complaints are made, how we learn from them and how we go about taking care of the root causes.
Tallia is a tenant, Board Member, and Sub-Committee Member here at Saffron Housing Trust.
Her blog is available in both audio and written formats. Click on the video directly below to listen to Tallia's blog.
Tenant Complaints: how they help build trust
By Tallia Langston – Tenant, Board Member, and Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC)
Hi everyone, welcome to the 4th edition of my quarterly blog. At Saffron, we have been interviewing tenants to listen and learn about their experiences of making a complaint. And so in this issue, we are examining why complaints are made, how we learn from them and how we go about taking care of the root causes.
Tenant complaints. They're a part of life in social housing, but are they simply about things going wrong? Dig a little deeper, and you'll find the real story is often about how those initial questions are handled, or how tenants are kept informed of the progress.
It's sometimes easy for us to forget that for tenants, their house is their home and of course you take pride in your home, which can often make a situation that requires a complaint deeply personal and emotional. Before a complaint is even lodged, most tenants will try to resolve issues and reaching out is often a last resort.
What tenants primarily want is to feel heard, and to trust that their issues are being taken seriously. We know from conversations and learning that tenants want reassurance and someone is on it, and that action will be taken.
It's also crucial to remember that many tenants face additional vulnerabilities, whether it's related to age, disability, mental health, or financial insecurity. Inconsistent, negative, or confusing communication can significantly aggravate existing problems, leading to increased anxiety and frustration, so we are working hard to communicate clearly, without jargon and with empathy, but when we don't get that right we know it's frustrating.
All too often, it can feel like there are reasons not to help, and this can turn minor issues into major grievances. A leaking tap becomes a symbol of neglect; a missed phone call, evidence of a lack of concern.
Of course, poor internal communication and disconnected systems have hidden costs. The lack of a shared approach damages trust and ultimately impacts tenant satisfaction.
While complaints processes are often good at resolving individual cases, they frequently return tenants to the same systems that caused the problem in the first place. It's like applying a bandage to a broken leg – it might temporarily cover the wound, but it doesn't fix the underlying issue.
By changing focus from simply reacting to complaints to actively addressing the underlying causes, learning from our tenants and improving the way we communicate, we are looking to build a more positive and trusting relationship with our tenants. Ultimately, we want to deliver a better service for you all, while continually striving for change. Just a little reminder, if you'd like to share your experiences do email me at MRC@SaffronHousing.co.uk. Thanks so much for reading!