Housing Providers, Mastering the Complaint Handling Code

How Conversational AI Supports Regulatory Compliance and Customer Satisfaction for Housing

In the social housing sector maintaining regulatory compliance, particularly when it comes to handling complaints, is a critical task. The recently published Complaint Handling Code enforced by the UK Housing Ombudsman sets out clear guidelines for landlords to manage complaints effectively. The code lays out a framework for identifying, categorising and addressing complaints encouraging housing providers to adopt a positive complaint culture - where complaints are handled efficiently and outcomes viewed as constructive feedback, all with the objective of fostering strong landlord-resident relationships and improving customer satisfaction overall.

This blog explores how implementing conversational AI for customer service and complaint handling could also help housing associations enhance compliance with the Code.

What is the complaint handling code?

The Complaint Handling Code, which is effective from April 1, 2024, outlines the procedures and standards landlords and HA’s must follow to manage complaints. The Code's primary goals are to address issues promptly, support continuous service improvement, and build trust with residents. The key requirements of the code are laid out below, housing associations need to provide a self-assessment report on an annual basis to show how they are complying with the code and also how they are going about making improvements, for example providing better access to digital services and providing more ways for customers to communicate.

Key requirements of the code:

1. Definition of a Complaint: Any expression of dissatisfaction about the landlord’s service or actions (the resident doesn’t necessarily have to state that they are making a ‘complaint’ for it to be considered as such)
2. Exclusions: Issues older than twelve months or those already in legal proceedings are excluded.
3. Accessibility and Awareness: Ensures the complaint process is accessible to all, including residents with disabilities.
4. Complaint Handling Staff: Designated officers must resolve complaints promptly, with the authority to access all necessary resources.
5. The Complaint Handling Process: A two-stage approach to ensure efficient resolution of complaints.
6. Complaints Stages: Detailed timelines for acknowledgment and resolution at each stage.
7. Putting Things Right: Mandates corrective actions to resolve issues identified in complaints.
8. Scrutiny & Oversight: The code emphasises continuous learning and improvement from complaint outcomes.

How conversational AI and automation help with complaint handling compliance

Customer Service Automation incorporating Conversational AI helps by expanding the availability and accessibility of channels for residents to lodge complaints, including online chatbots, voice assistants, email and messaging automation. This ensures that the complaints process is accessible to all, including those with disabilities or limited digital access. An AI powered assistant can also help by guiding residents through the complaint submission process, making it more straightforward , and less intimidating. Inbuilt sentiment monitoring can also be useful - helping to identify dissatisfied tenants early and ensuring that any complaints are handled efficiently, with the offer of escalation to a human agent if required.

Automation with an AI Assistant can also help to triage the initial stages of complaint handling by automatically categorising complaints against criteria which the housing association identifies, in particular this can help to show areas which need particular improvement. An automated service can also help by acknowledging receipt, and providing estimated timelines for resolution. This reduces the administrative burden on staff and ensures complaints are logged and addressed promptly, aligning with the Code's requirements.

AI powered customer service can help to standardise responses, ensuring all complaints are treated consistently and fairly. Using predefined templates and decision trees, AI can ensure that all aspects of a complaint are considered and addressed, referencing relevant policies and laws as required by the Code.

Perhaps one of the most significant benefits is the amount of time saved when it comes to self-assessment and reporting .  An AI Assistant can provide continuous monitoring of compliance with the Complaint Handling Code by tracking the status of all complaints, generating real-time reports, and highlighting areas needing improvement. This enables housing associations to perform regular self-assessments and publish their findings, demonstrating transparency and accountability.

AI can support the designated complaint handling staff by providing them with insights and recommendations based on real-time data analysis. For example, by quickly mapping existing enquiry data against the compliant criteria to identify current and unresolved complaints. By supporting human customer service teams an AI Assistant can help by resolving the most common or frequent complaints more effectively and identifying recurring issues. AI-driven analytics can also help managers to identify trends and to take actions which improve service delivery.

Finally, by analysing the data collected from complaints, AI can help complaints officers and customer experience managers to identify patterns and suggest ongoing improvements to processes and services. This aligns with the Code's emphasis on learning from complaints and making necessary changes to prevent future issues.

Conclusion

Housing Associations who wish to improve overall customer engagement should strongly consider implementing conversational AI in customer service and complaint handling processes. Leveraging this technology can significantly enhance a housing association's ability to comply with the Complaint Handling Code while delivering superior customer experiences.

It improves accessibility, streamlines processes, ensures fairness, and supports continuous improvement, ultimately leading to better service delivery and stronger resident-landlord relationships. Embracing AI technology is a strategic move towards achieving compliance goals and improving resident satisfaction.

For more information on how AI can transform your complaint handling process, contact us for a free consultation. We look forward to working with you to both enhance compliance and improve customer satisfaction in the housing sector.

Useful links:

• Housing Ombudsman Service: Complaint Handling Code 2024