We’re upgrading our telephone system: here’s what you can expect.
As part of our commitment to improving customer experience, we’re investing in a brand-new phone system in our contact centre. This change will improve the way we manage your calls, live chats and other queries.
The new system will be introduced on Thursday 1 October 2026.
What’s changing and why
We understand how important it is for you to reach us and get the support you need quickly and efficiently every time.
Our current system can make it harder for us to manage customer enquiries as effectively as we'd like. The new cloud-based system, with built-in artificial intelligence (AI), will give our teams better tools and information to support you.
We’re also introducing WhatsApp as a new way for you to get in touch and we’re making telephone payments more secure.
What’s changing and why
We understand how important it is for you to reach us and get the support you need quickly and efficiently every time.
Our current system can make it harder for us to manage customer enquiries as effectively as we'd like. The new cloud-based system, with built-in artificial intelligence (AI), will give our teams better tools and information to support you.
We’re also introducing WhatsApp as a new way for you to get in touch and we’re making telephone payments more secure.
AI-supported customer service
When you speak to our advisors they'll now have an AI assistant in the background to help support your query. This will help our advisors access the most up-to-date information and guidance, so we can answer your questions more efficiently and deliver a more consistent service.
Talk to us on WhatsApp
From Thursday 1 October 2026, you’ll be able to message us on WhatsApp, Monday to Friday, between 9am and 4.30pm, using 07872 604201. WhatsApp will only be available once we've completed our system switchover. When you contact us through WhatsApp, you'll first be guided through a few automated questions to help us identify your details and connect you with an advisor. WhatsApp is for messaging only. If you'd prefer to speak to us by phone, please continue to use our main number, 03000 120 120.
Improved payment security
If you make payments over the phone, you’ll no longer be asked to read your card details out loud to one of our advisors. Instead, you’ll type them directly into your phone keypad. The advisor will stay on the line while you do this, and our payment provider (Allpay) will send a notification to them confirming your payment has gone through. This helps keep your bank details safe.
If you pay in person, we're introducing a smart tablet at reception in our Portishead head office to help you make payments securely yourself. Our reception team will be on hand if you need any help.
Prepare for service interruption
While we switch over to the new system, there will be some interruption, and our phone lines will be temporarily offline.
We’ll share updates on our website and social media channels. During this time, you can still reach us by:
- Email: act@alliancehomes.org.uk
- Webform: complete our online webform here.
- Connect: send us a message through our customer porta
- Live chat: available through our website and Connect
- Social media: send us a direct message through Facebook, Instagram or X
- Visit us: our reception at our Portishead head office is open to customers.
Emergency repairs
If you need an urgent repair during service interruption, contact us using one the methods above.
We recognise that you may need to report an emergency issue by phone while our main telephone line is unavailable. If you need to call us, you can contact us on 07976 064437.
This is a temporary number and will only be available while our phone system is offline.
Once the new system is up and running, you should return to using our main number. Please do not save this temporary number to your contacts for future use.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call the emergency services on 999 right away.
Frequently asked questions
We're investing in new technology to help us improve the service we provide to customers. The new system will give our colleagues better tools to support queries and provide a more consistent service.
We expect disruption to last anywhere between 15 minutes and four hours.
Yes. You will speak to a member of our contact team whenever you contact us. The AI technology works in the background to assist the advisor with information so they can help you faster.
Our colleagues will continue to handle customer enquiries and make decisions.
We'll be using AI tools to support our contact centre colleagues and help us deal with enquiries more efficiently.
As the system develops, we'll continue to explore new ways AI can help us improve our service, always with the aim of making it easier for customers to get the help they need.
Our WhatsApp number: 07872 604201
Save our WhatsApp number to your phone contacts and send us a message Monday to Friday, from 9am – 4.30pm.
When you contact us, you’ll be guided through a few automated questions before one of our advisors will respond.
If you send us a WhatsApp message outside of our opening hours, your message will not be responded to. You'll receive a automated response letting you know that we're currently closed and advising you to get back in touch when we're open again.
Alternatively, you can contact us by completing a web form or emailing act@alliancehomes.org.uk. One of our advisors will respond when our contact centre reopens.
Our WhatsApp service is for messages only. If you’d prefer to speak to someone over the phone, call us on our landline 03000 120 120.
To help keep your personal and payment information secure, we're required to follow strict industry standards known as PCI compliance (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards).
Instead of reading your card details aloud to one of our advisors, you'll be asked to enter them using your phone keypad. This helps make sure your full card details aren’t heard, seen or stored by anyone.
Our reception team at our Portishead head office will be able to guide you through the process.
If you need to change or cancel an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible or update it through Connect, our customer portal.
If you need to make a change on the day while our phone lines are unavailable, please contact us using one of our other contact options, such as email, live chat or social media.
You can still contact us through our other channels. If you need to report an urgent or emergency repair by phone, call 07976 064437.
For more information about emergency repairs, visit: www.alliancehomes.org.uk/emergency-repairs.
Yes. Phone calls will continue to be recorded in the same way they are now. This helps us with training, quality assurance and service improvement.