Buzz from Hive

Date: October 2025

Feedback from: 94 customers

Project overview: We’re working to improve how we respond when customers experience damp and mould in their homes. We asked customers who recently experienced damp or mould problems to tell us whether they reported it to Alliance, and what their experience was after doing so.

You said:

• 75% of customers with current damp or mould problems had reported them to Alliance. Response times varied, and some customers felt their concerns were not fully acknowledged or followed up.
• 25% chose not to report issues. Reasons included trying to manage it themselves, feeling the problem was small, or being unsure whether reporting would lead to a solution.

 You told us you want us to:

• Act faster and keep customers updated on next steps
• Follow up on reports and inspections more consistently
• Fix the root cause, not just provide temporary solutions
• Carry out more proactive checks, especially in homes most at risk
• Help customers prevent problems with clear, practical advice

We’re doing:

We have taken several priority actions. These include:

• Introducing clearer service standards and case ownership
• Using a root-cause-led inspection and repair approach
• Escalating repeat and long-standing cases
• Expanding proactive inspections in high-risk homes
• Improving customer communication
• Strengthening performance reporting.

Date: October 2025
Feedback from: 59 customers

Project overview: We asked Hive members about their experience of being part of the Hive community and what they value most. This feedback will help us strengthen what we deliver through Hive and demonstrate the benefits to other customers. 

You said:
Four themes stood out in member feedback:

1. Having a voice
   "Being able to express my views on the way Alliance deals with its residents on many different issues."
   
   
2. Making a difference
   "I feel I might be able to make some sort of a difference."
   
   
3. Staying informed
   "Being kept up to date with things to do with Alliance Homes and being able to have my say."
   
   
4. Being part of a community
   "To be part of a like minded community, it is so important to have opportunities to be involved."

We’re doing: 

• Making it easier for members to share their views, including a new Hive app coming soon
• Giving clearer updates on how Hive feedback is used
• Keeping members informed with more regular news and updates
• Promoting the benefits of the Hive community to grow membership and reflect more customer voices.

Date: December 2025

Feedback from: 61 customers

Project overview: We asked customers what qualities we should prioritise when recruiting colleagues into key customer-facing roles at Alliance. This feedback will help shape how we recruit and train our teams.

You said:

• The most important qualities are listening, empathy, respect, clear communication, being non-judgemental, and keeping promises.
• Customer contact centre: Customers want to be treated "with respect… not as a number" when they phone us. You value patience, empathy, clear communication and responsiveness.  
• Repairs operatives: You said they should be polite, technically skilled, reliable and honest - and should "show respect for the customer and the home when attending to carry out work"
• Tenancy officers: Empathy, understanding, clear communication and professionalism really matter, treating customers "with respect, without judgement."
• Understanding individual needs - and showing how colleagues would tailor their service to meet these needs - is the most important area to explore at interview. As one member said: "Understanding of a tenant's needs, practical, emotional and physical."

 We’re doing:

• Using these insights to help shape how we recruit and train new colleagues, so they reflect the standards that matter most to customers.
• Refreshing our existing interview questions to reflect this feedback.
• Meeting with a small group of customers to review the survey responses and co-create some scenario-based interview questions.

• Date: April 2025
• Feedback from: 53 customers

Project overview: We’ve developed new leaflets to explain key policies in a simple and accessible way. Hive members were invited to review the Reasonable Adjustments and Complaints leaflets and share their feedback on both the content and format. Their suggestions helped shape the final versions.

You said:

• Put information about alternative formats (e.g. Braille) at the top of the leaflet
• Use simpler language and improve the layout for easier reading
• Clarify complex legal terms
• Make contact details in the Complaints leaflet more prominent
• Ensure a consistent look and feel across both leaflets.

We did: The leaflets have been updated to reflect the recommended changes. You can now read the updated Summary of the Reasonable Adjustments Policy. The revised Summary of the Complaints Policy will be available soon, following updates to the full policy and procedure.

• Date: April 2025
• Feedback from: 52 customers

Project overview: We're refreshing our website to make it easier to use. Hive members were asked to review changes to the drop-down menu to ensure that the content is clear and easy to understand.

You said:

• Most descriptions were clear and easy to understand
• Some terms like 'shared ownership' and 'social prescribing' needed more explanation 
• Scenario testing showed some confusion between section such as repairs, maintenance and safety.

We did: We've refined the content based on your feedback, and the new navigation went live in October 2025.

• Date: August 2025
• Feedback from: 72 customers

We worked with customers on Hive to create our Customer Golden Rules – a set of principles that define how we deliver services and what customers can expect from us. We’re now rolling these out internally with a training programme and will launch them externally to customers in January 2026. 

• Date: October 2024
• Feedback from: 66 customers

Project overview: We asked hive users for feedback on our draft “Life Through Your Lens” survey, designed to help us understand our customers better.

You said: Users highlighted that certain questions were unclear, overly direct or lacked inclusivity.

We did: We’ve revised the language to make it clearer, more respectful and easier to understand.

• Date: November 2024
• Feedback from: 43 customers

Project overview: Each year, we run a short survey with Hive members to understand their satisfaction following a recent interaction with the Alliance Homes’ Contact Centre. The survey includes questions about customer experience, such as: how long it takes to get through to an adviser.

Survey outcomes: We’re pleased to report a significant improvement in satisfaction levels.

• 77% reported waiting three minutes or less to speak to an adviser.
• 88% said that they were satisfied with the time it took to get through.

• Date: November 2024
• Feedback from: 71 customers

Project overview: As part our Plan A 2.0 strategic focus to be a “Green and Ethical Business”, we asked Hive members to share their views on sustainable communities and how Alliance Homes help people reduce their environmental impact. The feedback was used to influence Alliance Homes’ Sustainability Strategy.

You said: Sustainability matters to you, but clearer language and more learning opportunities would help increase engagement.

We did: In response, we have:

• Simplified terminology and added explanations for terms like retrofit and net zero to improve accessibility
• Launched a trail project to educate customers on optimising their heating system for better efficiency.

In March 2025, we published our Sustainability Strategy, incorporating Hive member feedback. You can read the strategy document here.

• Date: December 2024
• Feedback from: 101 customers

Project overview: Alliance Homes invited customers and colleagues to help choose their Charity of the Year.

Survey outcomes:  The charity, Somewhere to Go, was chosen as the Charity of the Year after combining votes from both customers and colleagues. We officially announced the winning charity in February 2025.

• Date: February 2025
• Feedback from: 63

Project overview: We asked for feedback on the revised Debt Management Policy.

You Said: Hive members said that the policy was generally fair and written a way that treats customers with respect. However, they said:

• the language could be simplified further
• the structure of the clauses could be improvement to improve clarity and engagement.

We Did: In response we have:

• Updated the document using Plain English to make it easier to read and understand.
• Improved the structure of the policy.

The updated Debt Management Policy is now published and can be read here.

Project overview: As part of our annual Communities Together Grants award, Hive users were invited to give their feedback on grant applications over £5,000.

Project outcome: Hive users decided to award Nailsea & District Community Transport £6,760 in grant funding.

Through the Communities Together Grants, we awarded £31,702 in funding in 2025. A full list of successful grant applications can be found here.