Curo News

You said... we did - April 2020

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 16:49:44 Z

Thanks to every Curo customer who has given us suggestions, ideas and feedback. We do take notice of your feedback and make changes for the better. Here's the latest look at some of the things you've said, and what we've done as a result:

You said: Curo should be more transparent with our decision making related to complaints.

We did: We launched the Complaints Forum which usually meets four times a year to review anonymised complaints to check that we're being fair and right in our decision making and following the correct process.

You said: The process to apply for and get a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) isn't clear.

We did: We consulted with members of our Disability Action Group to help to streamline the process and make it easier for the people who need a DFG to apply for one.

You said: Some of our estates have requested additional CCTV in their neighbourhood to help them feel more safe.

We did: We've been working to make this happen: we've completed a survey of each of these neighbourhoods and we've been getting quotes to determine how much CCTV will cost.

You said: Customers at Rosewell Court in Bath want us to make their communal areas more secure.

We did: We've invested in anti-climb paint to reduce anti-social behaviour and we've improved door security to the bin stores. We've also worked with residents to understand how the door entry systems work to ensure they're not misused and then left in insecure.

You said: In some areas, buildings are managed through a separate 'managing agent'. This sometimes leads to delays getting issues resolved because of the systems involved.

We did: Work is underway to update and improve our systems and the data we hold about these buildings. This will make is easier to diagnose and track issues when a managing agent is also involved.

You said: I've been getting text messages to say I owe rent when I don't.

We did: These new text reminders were being sent as soon as a rent account went into arrears - even if a payment was on its way. We've changed this. Now a text message is only sent to a customer who has been in arrears for more than seven days. Also, for the same period of arrears the customer will only receive one text (not one every week).

Did you know? You can check your account balance and any recent transactions online anytime using MyCuro.

Thanks for all your feedback. Find out how you can be more involved in shaping the services you get here.

For more examples of changes we've made as a result of your feedback, check out our annual report.

You said... we did - December 2019

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 08:49:59 Z

We listen carefully to what customers tell us - you're the best people to help us make changes for the better. Here's the latest in our regular round-up of some of the things you've said, and what we've done as a result:

You said: That when reporting issues in shared areas or in your estate – things like fly tipping or cleaning - that you need to contact us again to ask when the issue will be resolved.

We did: We’re introducing progress updates using text messaging to keep you up to date at each step of the way so you know exactly when the issue will be resolved. These messages will be implemented early in 2020.

You said: That when upgrading the heating in your home the new heating controls can be difficult to use, and that means you can’t get the most out of it.

We did: We’re creating easy-to-use instructions that we’ll be giving customers whenever new heating is installed to help you know how to use your new heating.

Did you know? Our engineers have made short films showing you how to set your gas heating controls and your night storage heater controls.

You said: That once we’ve installed new heating, we should ensure any issues identified on our inspection are fixed as soon as possible.

We did: We’ve made changes to the process that will see us resolve small issues during the final inspection and we’ll book any follow-up work with you so you know when we’ll return to resolve any issues.

You said: That when upgrading boilers in your home the boiler should be boxed in.

We did: We’ve now made the boxing-in of boilers standard as part of our boiler upgrade works.

You said: That sometimes when you report a repair that can be complex to resolve, there are too many appointments required to fix the problem.

We did: We’ve implemented new processes that track your repairs if more than one appointment is required to ensure we fix the issue as efficiently as possible. We’ve also put in place a new Technical Care team who will carefully manage complex repairs and ensure they get done right first time.

Thanks for all your feedback. Find out how you can be more involved in shaping the services you get here.

For more examples of changes we've made as a result of your feedback, check out our latest annual report.

You said... we did - June 2019

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:19:26 Z

Here's the second of our regular reviews of the things we've done recently in response to customer feedback:

You said: A number of residents have asked us to look at ways we can have a stronger presence across our estates, with the idea of a community vehicle proving popular.

We did: We're looking into a ‘Community Engagement Vehicle’ which colleagues from across the business could use to visit our estates regularly. To find out more, we asked you more about this at the Curo Labs earlier this year and on VoiceBox. The three most popular topics you wanted to discuss during visits were:

Reporting repairs,
Home improvements,
Reporting an estate issues and anti-social behaviour

We're looking into the costs and options in more detail.

You said: At our recent events, you told us you want to be more involved with managing your estate.

We did: We created the Estates Partnership Board where you can help us tackle issues affecting your neighbourhood and improve the shared spaces across our estates. 66 customers have applied for roles on the Estates Partnership Board. We shortlisted this to 10 elected members covering all areas where we have homes. The first meeting took place on 12 June 2019.

You said: You wanted to name your new online self-service portal.

We did: We listened to feedback collected at the Curo Labs 2019 and via VoiceBox. 58% of customers surveyed chose the name MyCuro, so that’s what we called it. It’s live now – try it here.

You said: You told us that the early part of the procedure Curo follows when a customer owes us rent could be improved. This feedback came from focus groups with customers who've been in rent arrears. Some customers described the process as threatening, ‘heavy-handed’, ‘constant hassling’ and lacking in empathy, provoking anxiety for tenants. On the other hand, it was felt that when tenants spoke to us we delivered a really positive and supportive experience.

We did: The key themes from the focus groups were that the early part of the arrears procedure was the main cause for dissatisfaction. So we've set up two pilots to trial changes to:

re-word the initial letters tenants get about arrears, with a simpler and softer tone and
reduce the number of letters we send when people are in arrears, phoning instead.

There are lots of ways you can help shape the services we provide. Check out our get involved section to find a way that suits you.

You said... we did - April 2019

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 10:05:28 Z

We're here for our customers and we know there's no better way to improve our services than by listening to and acting on what customers tell us. This is the first in what will become a regular look at some of the things we've done recently in response to customer feedback:

You said: A deaf customer attended the Curo Labs we held earlier this year and told us about a number of issues that were causing her a great deal of stress. Many of these related to her disability and the way that our services are not designed to support her.

We did: We are going to create a new disability action group with our customers.

You said: We're introducing a document that sets out Curo's standards and obligations to our customers. We asked VoiceBox customers what they thought of this document.

We did: As a result of this feedback we've changed the name of the document to Curo's Customer Commitment. We've also adjusted some of the language used and added some additional points to clarify what we are responsible for. This commitment goes live in April 2019. We'll report how we're performing in relation to this commitment back to customers every quarter.

You said: Our complaints policy needed a review as part of our three-year cycle. We consulted with customers through VoiceBox to find out what was important to customers when it comes to complaint management.

We did: Many of the comments we received have fed in to the final version of the policy. This includes keeping our three-stage complaints process and supporting the view that a thorough investigation is more important than a speedy one. As a direct result of a comment referring to the lack of visibility in the decision-making process, we've launched a new way to be involved with Curo by taking up a position on the new Complaints Forum. This group will review anonymised complaints to ensure Curo's policy and procedure has been followed and that the decisions made are fair and right. This group won't have the ability to alter the decision, but will provide feedback and help scrutinise Curo's process. We're currently recruiting through VoiceBox - if you're interested there's more information here.

You said: Following feedback from customers through many sources, we consulted on a new design for the system that presents customers with choices when they phone us. This is known as an Interactive Voice Response system or IVR. Feedback was that it was too difficult to get through, that the information messages played when on hold wasn't helpful, and that an open choice alternative wasn't available.

We did: Following the consultation we've revised the options and made them much simpler, making it easier to get through to the right person. We've removed the current messages played when on hold. Instead customers will hear information that they are more likely to find useful, for example about how to get involved and provide feedback. We've also added a new 'anything else' option for those calls that don't fit any other options. These changes are now in place, so next time you call you should hear the improvements we've made.

There are lots of ways you can help shape the services we provide. Check out our get involved section to find a way that suits you.