The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) recently released a new regulatory framework that social housing providers have to meet from April 2010. At its heart are six standards incl. “Tenant involvement and empowerment” which contains requirements relating to customer service, choice and complaints; involvement and empowerment; and understanding and responding to diverse needs of tenants

The results of a new consumer survey have been used to categorise the six deadly customer service sins committed by businesses – with the research also revealing the cost of such poor customer experiences.

The Provision of Services Regulations, introduced in December, cover self-employed service providers who are based in the UK, or in Europe and trade here remotely. It specifies how service providers must handle complaints from recipients:

(a) respond to complaints from recipients of the service as quickly as possible, and
(b) make their best efforts to find a satisfactory solution to complaints from such recipients.

Service companies must ensure they are fulfilling their new duties under the regulations, as enforcement bodies are entitled to hit non-compliance. The information which needs to be provided by service companies, and their owners now includes a complaints procedure.