“Community hubs already exist. You have community centers, you have libraries, you have religious centers, and you need to use them. And your community is already there to talk to you,” he said. Point out.
Another option could be for smaller groups to band together and hire elsewhere.
But Wilde believes the broader problem is that too many chief executives don’t really understand what’s going on within their organizations. He said front-line staff are often “embarrassed” when residents point out mistakes or problems rather than giving them a chance to improve.
By the time the chief executive hears about the performance of the service, the story is “so rosy that he or she thinks their housing association is great,” he says. This culture prevents landlords from learning from their mistakes.
It may be difficult for the industry to hear from Wilde, but as he points out, the stakes are incredibly high.
“Unfortunately, we all know this [renewed attention to tenant engagement] Kicked off by Grenfell.And since then we have died an unfortunate death [of a young child] They still bury their heads in the sand because of the humidity and mold. And that’s disgusting. They are not prepared to reach out, listen and speak appropriately to their tenants. ”
not utilizing specialized knowledge
More broadly, Wilde believes society’s landlords simply aren’t taking advantage of the people who have first-hand expertise on what’s at stake within their organizations: residents. ing.
“We are a very free resource that they can pull and gain expertise from for a cup of tea and a few biscuits. Engagement with customers and tenants mostly falls into this. .We come to meetings, have a cup of tea and a few biscuits and just talk.”
Instead, he says, landlords spend money on expensive consultant fees.
Wilde’s argument is not necessarily innovative or new. There is a quote from Bill Gates from his 1999 business book that is particularly widely quoted. “The most unhappy customers are the greatest sources of learning,” he writes.
Many tenants, like Mr. Wilde, have years of business experience themselves, which they can lend to landlords to help turn their businesses around.
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that Mr. Wilde does not mention which social landlord he is a tenant of. That’s no coincidence. Mr Wilde, who began his volunteer career working with his landlord’s tenants and at one point chaired the review committee, cannot be reached. Wilde said the association suspended him from its review committee.
Wilde doesn’t want to reveal the name of the landlord, so it’s difficult to go into details here.
One of Britain’s best-known tenant advocates may be sought after by the national committee, but his own landlords have a different view. What does this tell you about tenant engagement?