“Customers are often excited when I offer Hostcomm”… here’s why

Faster diagnoses, more accurate repair bookings, and a significant increase in first-time resolutions are just some of the ways Hostcomm is helping to improve the customer journey.

Hostcomm, a live video and image-sharing tool, was launched by us in 2022 and has quickly proved to be a game-changer, especially for frontline workers.

Before using the technology, diagnosing property issues often required in-person visits, which could be time-consuming and costly. Now, with just a smartphone and a few clicks, tenants can show their issues live to advisors.

It has resulted in cost savings from reduced time and resources and increased productivity, with video calls averaging just 10 minutes compared to over an hour for in-person visits.

Environmental gains with fewer car journeys, lowering our carbon footprint and greater accessibility, helping to overcome language barriers and making services more inclusive have also been a great benefit.

Laura, a Customer Advisor uses Hostcomm daily to support tenants. For example, when a tenant reports a boiler issue, she can guide them through repressurising it live on video. “We’ve had a high success rate,” she says. “It means the customer gets their heating back instantly, without waiting up to 24 hours for an engineer.”

In her damp and mould cases, Laura can visually assess the problem, offer self-help advice, and book the right repair, all in one call. “It saves the need for an inspector to attend, which reduces waiting times and gets the issue resolved faster for the customer.”

She also uses Hostcomm to assess repair urgency, deciding if an issue is an emergency or can be scheduled, to support neighbourhood services by checking on tree hazards, fly tipping, or garden conditions, and to capture evidence with date-stamped images that help prioritise work and support case documentation.

Tenants have embraced the change. They appreciate the convenience of remote support, the transparency of seeing how their issues are handled, and the comfort of avoiding in- person visits when not necessary. “Customers are often excited when I offer Hostcomm,” Laura shares. “They know it can escalate their issue quickly.”

Of course, the journey hasn’t been without hurdles. Some tenants lack smartphones or have poor image quality, and occasional connection issues arise. But these are outweighed by the overall success and the positive feedback from both colleagues and customers.

Hostcomm has not only improved how we delivers services, it’s reshaped the entire customer journey. For Laura and her colleagues, it’s a tool that empowers them to do more, faster, and with greater impact. For tenants, it’s a step toward a more responsive, accessible, and modern housing service.