Customers at Honeycomb Group are continuing to play a vital role in shaping repairs and maintenance services, as highlighted in the latest Repairs Focus Group held in March.
The group, made up of volunteer customers, meets regularly to review performance, hear directly from staff and contractors, and ensure services are delivering for residents. For those unable to attend, the latest session offered strong reassurance that customer voices remain at the heart of decision-making.
A transparent look behind the scenes
During the meeting, Shaun from the Property Team provided a detailed and open update on current activity across repairs and investment programmes.
He shared that the planned improvement programme is nearing completion, with only a small number of jobs left to finish before the end of the financial year. These include final window replacements and follow-up works identified through recent stock condition surveys.
Customers also heard how Honeycomb Group is strengthening its approach to contractor performance. Work is underway to review contract penalties, ensuring that where standards or response times fall short, contractors are held accountable, and customers receive value for money.
Customer ideas driving improvements
A key part of the session focused on customer feedback and practical suggestions to improve services.
One idea raised was the introduction of a unique reference number for every repair logged. Customers felt this would make it easier to track progress, avoid duplication, and give residents confidence when contractors attend their homes. This is now being considered by the team.
The group also had an important discussion about how repairs are prioritised. Customers highlighted that what may be considered “non-urgent” can feel very different depending on someone’s personal circumstances, particularly for residents with disabilities. As a result, the team is exploring enhanced triage training, ensuring individual needs are better understood at the first point of contact.
Keeping homes safe and well maintained
Safety and quality remained a key focus throughout the meeting.
Shaun shared that an ongoing asbestos reinspection programme is currently visiting over 600 homes, ensuring that properties remain safe and conditions have not changed since previous checks.
On damp and mould, the group heard that over £100,000 has been invested in the past three months alone to tackle issues and keep residents safe. Work is also underway to improve how cases are categorised, so urgent problems are identified and resolved more quickly.
Customers also raised concerns around communication and contractor standards, including missed appointments and lack of visible ID. These issues are being addressed directly with contractors, alongside improvements to ensure waste from kitchen and bathroom replacements is removed promptly and responsibly.
Improving the customer experience
Encouragingly, performance improvements are already being seen. Customer Hub Manager John reported that average call waiting times in March dropped to 4 minutes 39 seconds — a 47.3% reduction compared to the previous month.
There was also a positive discussion around void (empty) properties. The team is continuing to focus on value for money by offering decoration vouchers to new tenants, giving them the freedom to personalise their homes while reducing overall costs.
Celebrating customer leadership
A special congratulations goes to Wendy Ferns, Vice Chair of the Customer Assurance Group (CAG), who chaired the meeting for the very first time.
Wendy led the session with confidence, helping to guide constructive and productive discussions that kept the customer voice front and centre throughout. This is a great example of how Honeycomb Group is supporting involved customers to build their skills, grow in confidence, and take on leadership roles.
By empowering customers like Wendy to chair meetings, the organisation is strengthening its commitment to meaningful involvement, ensuring conversations remain focused, collaborative, and driven by what matters most to residents.
Looking ahead: shaping services together
The session closed with a forward-looking discussion led by Customer Voice Specialist Jayne, who introduced the National Housing Federation’s Making Every Contact Count approach. Customers have been invited to review the guidance and bring ideas to the next meeting on how Honeycomb Group can strengthen every interaction with residents.
A strong message for all customers
While not everyone can attend the focus group, the message from March’s meeting is clear: customers are actively influencing how repairs services are delivered and improved.
From shaping how repairs are logged and prioritised, to holding contractors accountable and improving communication, customer voices are making a real difference.
Honeycomb Group remains committed to listening, learning, and working alongside residents to ensure services continue to meet their needs, now and in the future.
Want to join the discussion?
By sharing your voice, you can help shape services and improve experiences for everyone. If you’re interested in getting involved, we’d love to hear from you.
Jayne.Tilolo@honeycombgroup.org.uk
01782 744533
www.honeycombgroup.org.uk/involvement
