In late 2009 an independent  STATUS satisfaction survey was undertaken of all our residents (renting, leasehold and shared owners). STATUS surveys are carried out every three years and provide a crucial measure of customer satisfaction for any organisation and allow customers to compare their landlord with other associations. 59% of all RSMHA residents completed a survey form & the headline results were as follows:

• 90% of tenants & 78% of homeowners are satisfied with our overall service
• 94% of tenants & 94% of homeowners are satisfied with the quality of their home
• 91% of tenants & 57% of homeowners are satisfied with our repairs and maintenance service
• 90% of tenants think their rent is good value for money
• 89% of tenants & 65% of homeowners find our staff helpful
• 88% of tenants & 69% of homeowners think we keep them informed
• 77% of tenants & 60% of homeowners think we take their views into account

RSMHA's 2009 results are better than those obtained by us in 2006 and exceed those achieved by most other housing associations, placing us in the top ten per cent highest STATUS results recorded by the National Housing Federation (NHF) in England and Wales. The table below provides a comparison of our tenant satisfaction results with the NHF average and our peer group associations also managing under 1000 homes.     

Although delighted that our customers appear to rate the association's services so highly, we are very conscious that the survey has highlighted some areas of service where satisfaction is slightly lower than the national average or has fallen since 2006. For example, resident satisfaction with the ease of making contact with the right member of staff has declined since 2006. Furthermore, although satisfaction rates among RSMHA homeowners are generally much higher than the national average, they’re still noticeably lower than for our tenants. Younger residents too are generally less satisfied than older residents. 

We now intend to undertake some targeted consultation with residents to explore these weaker areas of performance further so that we can make the necessary improvements. The STATUS survey results and follow-up work will also feed directly in to our proposed introduction of customer service standards in 2010.     

A copy of our 2009 STATUS results are also available on request from RSMHA.      

For more information about this survey or to offer your suggestions for how we can improve our services please get in touch

Nick Coverdale

Housing Director      ncoverdale@rsmha.org.uk