Kier invites L&H Homes along for the ride

Published by Elizabeth Pokorny for Kier Services in Communities and also in Education, Housing

Repairs and maintenance provider Kier invited board members at client L&H Homes to see for themselves how the company operates by taking part in a ‘ride-out’.

With customer satisfaction levels already at 96.3%, Kier regularly offers tenants the opportunity to shadow operatives on a ride-out to help it identify how it can improve its service. Keen to work together with its client to prioritise improvements to customer service, Kier wanted to demonstrate to L&H Homes how the repairs operation works.

Before hitting the road the board members were welcomed by the Kier team in the office on Bittern Way, given a health & safety induction and kitted out in the correct protective personal equipment (PPE) such as safety shoes and high visibility vests, and had a tour around the site. They then spent about half a day shadowing an operative visiting customers’ homes and watching repairs being carried out in a live situation.

Chairman of the board, Sidney Macfarlan, said: “The ride-out was a very interesting day and helpful in developing the way in which we can keep improving performance.”

The collaboration between Kier and L&H Homes was created in April 2012 to help improve the repairs and maintenance service provided to 9,000 tenants living in social housing accommodation around Lincolnshire, East Anglia, East Riding and Nottinghamshire.

Kier senior operations manager, Heidi Thompson, said: “Kier and L&H Homes working together putting efficiency, innovation and service improvements as our top priorities. By opening our doors and sharing the customer experience we want to identify ways to develop and shape the service we offer to our customers.”

For more information about Kier visit www.kier.co.uk/maintenance