Customer service Q&A with our head office service champions
At our recent 30th birthday celebrations, we presented our Head Office Service Champion Awards in recognition of those members of the team that have delivered exceptional levels of customer service. Amongst tough competition, Area Director, Robert Jason, Team Managers, Hannah Moses and Scott Derbyshire, Senior Property Manager, Angela Petts and Service Desk Team Leader, Paul Hadley, were announced as the winners.
We would also like to congratulate Amy Saunders, Satya Kanukuntla, Rebecca Tyler, Annya Dinsdale, Jajvinder Kaur, Lorraine Willmoth and Silvia Formoso for being Highly Commended.
We spoke to our Service Champion Winners, to understand the importance of customer service, how this is evolving and what are their top tips.
Robert Jason – RJ
Hannah Moses – HM
Scott Derbyshire – SD
Angela Petts – AP
Paul Hadley - PH
Why do you think delivering good customer service is important?
RJ: By providing good customer service, we are building and maintaining strong relationships with everyone around us.
AP: Outstanding customer service is the linchpin of Rendall & Rittner’s success in the property management industry and what sets us apart from our competitors. It’s important to ensure that when contact is made with us, we respond speedily and helpfully to ensure that the customer knows that they are valued. The definition of customer is lessees, tenants, contractors, and our own work colleagues, all of whom contribute towards delivering excellent customer service.
What does good customer service look like to you?
SD: For me being kept up to date is a sign of good customer service. Where an issue takes time to resolve, ensuring that the parties involved are regularly updated, and don’t feel that they are being ignored. Even if progress hasn’t been made, it is always best to show that they haven’t been forgotten, as allowing someone to feel ignored brings further frustration which can be avoided.
PH: We should always provide timely, accurate and well-thought-out responses. We should be professional, empathetic and patient and always strive to deliver excellent IT services which are adopted by the business. On the Service Desk we need to adhere to our Service Level Agreement timescales and clearly update customers along the way in a timely manner for any issues or requests they may have made.
What is your top tip for delivering customer service?
RJ: Always listen carefully and be adaptable to how we can deliver what our customers want.
HM: Communication is really important, ensuring that if there are delays in providing information the client is kept informed of the reason for the delays and when they can expect the required information. On some occasions, there are delays due to reasons which are not always within our control and the client should be kept in the loop.
How is technology changing the face of customer service?
AP: Having been working for R&R for so many years, I’ve seen huge changes in the way we do things, and technology has certainly played a big part in that. Dwellant (R&R Online) has played a huge part in improving communication with residents and contractors alike and now we just put a posting out on R&R Online which enables us to reach owners and tenants (we can even choose the audience we need to reach) compared to the “old days” where we would have to print and send a hard copy circular letter. So not only has technology allowed us to reach people quickly and efficiently, but we’re also saving trees in the process! It’s a win-win for everybody.
PH: Rendall & Rittner’s investment in IT over recent years has enabled us to have a more direct link into our customers and head office colleagues, whether this is via Microsoft Teams or collaborative working in Office 365 for example. Despite having technology at our fingertips, it is still important to have face-to-face communication. I’ve found that it can resolve a query much quicker if you arrange a virtual Teams meeting, a telephone call or a site visit rather than relying on the more traditional approach of sending emails. It is an exciting time at Rendall & Rittner for further IT advances to improve the ways in which we communicate with our customers, which I’m looking forward to helping to deliver throughout 2023.
What does customer service look like at Rendall & Rittner?
HM: At Rendall & Rittner, customer service should mean we are providing good quality information, in a timely manner, with excellent communication that includes openness and honesty at all times.
SD: I feel that customer service at R&R looks like a company that does its best to deliver a high standard to all that deal with us.
