Virtual repairs a huge success
Results show that virtual repairs could cut almost 20% of in person call outs, by empowering tenants to fix issues, or making an effective diagnosis before a visit is needed.
The system has many benefits in allowing customers to explain their issue through live video or image-sharing, instead of having to wait for someone to attend their home. This leads to more first-time resolution.
During January 2023 we dealt with over 50 virtual calls, (11 on boiler faults, 27 damp and mould, two plaster and 11 on other issues). From these, five were diagnosed and fixed over the call, and three inspection visits were saved.
Traditional in person repairs often include diagnosing the issue and having to leave, gather or order parts and come back, increasing waiting time for a resolution. Diagnosing this virtually eliminates that, making it quicker and more efficient for the customer.
In some cases, customers can also be talked through a resolution themselves, eliminating the need for someone to visit their home.
One tenant who recently used this method commented: “I would recommend it to others as it speeds up the process. It helps to save a tradesperson attending to inspect.”
Evelina Paulauskaite, Research and Development Engineer at Ongo said: “The results of this project speak for themselves, it’s providing huge benefit to colleagues and customers.
“It makes sense for us to be offering this option to customers, and feels like a natural next step for us in making sure we’re providing methods of communication that customers want and expect.
“We’re delighted to see how well it’s going and are excited to roll it out further in the coming months.”
Jade Chafer, Customer Experience Advisor at Ongo said: “It really does help to diagnose the repairs at first contact and can save an engineer attending to do an initial inspection meaning a quicker turn around on the repair.
“It also helps to make sure the correct trades are attending the repairs that are required, saving on delays as well as assessing the urgency of a matter.
“I have had calls where we have been able to save the initial inspection and either raise the job with required parts and time needed or send straight to a contractor to carry out the work. The system is very easy to use and plays a big part in my day to day work now.”
Along with increasing customer satisfaction and improving their repairs service, this project is also part of our smart home technology trials, which help towards the mission of being Net Zero by 2050.
Find out more about the smart home technology projects here.