Throughout the year, we collect feedback from customers to make sure we continue to provide the best possible service. One of the methods we use is a quarterly phone survey.

Once a year, like all landlords who own more than 1000 homes, we submit the results of the phone survey to the Regulator for Social Housing. The results are known as Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs).

The TSMs capture customer views about how well we’re delivering our services, as well as management information about repairs and maintenance, complaints, anti-social behaviour and building safety. They’re intended as a tool to allow customers to scrutinise their landlord’s performance.

We’ve recently started working with a new research company to carry out these surveys. Starting in April this year, phone calls will be carried out by Acuity Research. They will collect customer feedback for the TSMs on our behalf via a quarterly telephone survey, taking over from MEL Research.

Acuity is a specialist organisation, with 27 years’ experience, focused on research and insights. Their role is to contact customers, securely receive and process data, and report on survey results. You can read more about Acuity Research by visiting their website directly.

How our quarterly telephone surveys work

Around the middle of every quarter Acuity will spend roughly four weeks contacting 150 customers to ask for their views on:

• repairs
• the condition of their home
• how we handle complaints and anti-social behaviour
• how open we are with our customers
• whether we treat customers with fairness and respect.

There are 12  preset questions in the survey, along with a few of our own. Over the course of the year, Acuity Research will speak to 600 of our customers to ask them for their views and feedback.

Meet some of the people who ask our survey questions

Acuity Research contact centre colleagues – Colin, Operations Director and some of Acuity’s Telephone Interviewers – share more about what goes on behind the scenes of the telephone surveys:

We have a team of around 100 interviewers and 5 team leaders who work different shift patterns throughout the day, from 9am and right up until 8pm. We also work from 10am until 6pm on Saturdays. It means we catch as many people as possible, at times convenient for them. If it’s a bad time for people when we first call, then we’ll ask for a more convenient date and time for them and arrange a call back, to make sure everyone has the chance to take part. We’ll always call from a Leeds 0113 number, so you know it’s us, and if ever they’re unsure, customers can call Leeds Federated to check the validity of the call.

Colin, Operations Director

Acuity supports other organisations alongside Leeds Federated, so they speak to all sorts of people every day to capture their feedback. The team could be working on up to 80 projects at one time, collecting feedback on everything from TSMs to anti-social behaviour.

I have been an interviewer with Acuity for nearly four years, taking pride in representing the company professionally and delivering accurate, high-quality results on every project. I really enjoy connecting with people and understanding what shapes their opinions and views. My role centres on attentive listening, asking the right questions, and ensuring each interview captures genuine insights that help our clients make well-informed decisions.

Lisa, telephone interviewer

The information captured by telephone interviewers helps to make sure that we continue to provide the best possible service for our customers

I started with Acuity in 2021, and I really enjoy being part of their important work in the housing sector to ensure standards remain as high as possible for residents. It feels great knowing you are providing an outlet for people that will ultimately go towards enhancing their lives.

John, telephone interviewer

The team speak to a diverse range of people throughout the day and tailors their approach to make sure everyone can provide feedback.

As a telephone interviewer for Acuity for the past two and a half years, I am proud of my ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and gather valuable insights. I am a strong communicator with a calm and patient approach. At Acuity, I appreciate the balance between communication and attention to detail, which is a key aspect of my work and my other interests, such as fashion photography. A fast-paced environment where attention to detail and communication are essential for success.

Marcello, telephone interviewer

Your views – we’ve listened and acted

The feedback we’ve collected has already allowed us to make positive changes across the organisation. Over the last year we’ve

• Improved our community connections: We’ve continued with our neighbourhood approach, focusing on local priorities and visible action. This includes launching our monthly Housing Hub for face-to-face support and introducing our ‘Communicating Together Commitment’ to make sure everyone is treated with respect.
• Focused on community safety: We’ve launched a dedicated anti-social behaviour hub, introduced a new management policy and equipped our teams with better tools, like CCTV and noise monitors.
• Offered flexible and more reliable repairs: We’ve introduced evening and weekend appointments for some repairs, so maintenance work fits around customers’ schedules. To make sure repairs are done right the first time, we’ve also increased post-repair quality checks.
• Improved our digital tools: We’ve overhauled our phone system, with new callback features to save customers time on hold, and we’re working on developing a new Housing App.

You can read more about all the work we’ve been doing over the last year in our TSM blog

Get involved and make a difference

If you’re a Leeds Federated customer and you get a call from Acuity, please do take part and give them your feedback – it makes all the difference!  The survey only takes about 10-15 minutes to complete, and you won’t be asked to complete it more than once a year. Your answers can also be completely anonymous.