Sometimes, even with the best will in the world, things go wrong. Projects can get delayed; programme specifications can change; and residents can become dissatisfied.
At Breyer, we don’t shy away from difficult situations. Instead, we dig in to find solutions. Plus, we provide more opportunities for our residents to meet with us and share their concerns when things aren’t quite going to plan.
When we started working at a project in Croydon, works were already months behind the promised timeline and residents were already disgruntled. However, rather than avoid the awkward conversations and frustrated faces, we set up fortnightly coffee mornings for residents to air their grievances and find comfort in knowing that we care and that we’re on the case.
Only two months down the line, we now have happy residents who have become extended members of our Breyer team. We’ve made sure we’re working to the new agreed schedule, which has allowed us to gain the trust of our residents that was lost before we were taken on. We’ve also built friendly relationships with the residents so that they feel safe coming to us with any concerns before they escalate into anything serious.
David Scott, Site Manager at this project, comments:
“I’m a firm believer in meeting people face-to-face over a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Everything seems slightly better when you have a warm drink and a little treat in your hands. We recognise that some home improvements are temporarily disruptive to home life and that delays can be very frustrating. We knew that we were taking on a project that had already slipped in terms of schedule and that the residents were not happy. So, our first port of call when we got the contract was to invite the residents to meet with us; to explain our plans for turning things around; and to build positive relationships with the residents for the duration of our work with them. And I’m happy to report that we’ve succeeded in our intentions. Works are going well and residents are extremely satisfied.”
The Breyer team is very conscious that many residents are unable to attend meetings in the daytime due to work so recently hosted an evening event, which was well-attended.