The 2006 survey has shown us that overall 69% of our customers are satisfied with the services we provide which is the same as three years ago when we last carried out the survey. For an organisation of our size which operates over a wide geographical area covering many local authorities we are performing well compared to the national average. Below is a summary of the key findings:
Q1 - Taking everything into account how satisfied or dissatisfied are residents with the overall service provided by Mercian?
Overall 7 in 10 residents were satisfied with the services provided by Mercian. This result is approximately the same as other similar size associations in the region who score just over 7. There has been a significant 14% increase in satisfaction from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) customers.
Q2 - Would residents recommend Mercian to family and friends?
8 out of 10 customers said they would recommend Mercian to friends and family.This is a welcome endorsement from our residents showing they have confidence in the quality of our services and homes.
Q3 - Generally, how satisfied or dissatisfied are residents with the way your landlord deals with repairs and maintenance?
Overall satisfaction with repairs shows an increase from 70% in 2003 to 71% in 2006.We also ask customers about their satisfaction with repairs over the telephone on a regular basis. 95% of tenants said they are satisfied with the work carried out.
Q4 - Taking everything into account how satisfied / dissatisfied are residents with the opportunities to take part in decision making and management?
Following feedback from our review of customer involvement in 2006, we have put in place a number of changes to improve this aspect of our service. As a result the survey has shown an increase in satisfaction levels from 48% in 2003 to 59% in 2006. We have doubled the number of Resident Forum members who take an active part in shaping Mercian’s services for the benefit of all residents. Our Board of Management has also increased tenant membership with two new residents joining in 2006.
Q5 - Taking everything into account, how satisfied or dissatisfied are residents with their homes?
82% of residents think the condition of their home is good or excellent and 78% state that they are satisfied with their home. These figures are just above the national average.
The survey has highlighted areas for us to develop our services and we will be working in a number of ways with customers and in particular with the Residents Forum to identify and implement improvements in the coming year. We will be carrying out further consultation and running focus groups with customers to talk in more detail about services such as repairs, anti-social behaviour, leaseholders and arrears.
This will be an important part of how we plan to improve the services we deliver to you. We are continually striving to be better at what we do.