Housing Solutions has launched a repairs booking portal for tenant self-service following the success of an internal project for its staff, powered by Xmbrace DRS for dynamic scheduling. As well as providing a convenient way for tenants to book repairs, the expected reduction in calls to Housing Solutions’ contact centre will also lower service costs. The service was launched in August 2013.
Richard Harvey, IT manager, Housing Solutions, said, “This actually started out as an internal system but because of its success, we enhanced it and launched it for our residents. The new facility allows them to register a repair and book an appointment time, all online and without any intervention from Housing Solutions’ staff. The portal integrates in real time with our Civica Servitor repairs system and Xmbrace DRS scheduling software.
“We included a help wizard within the site so that tenants can identify the repair required before it is raised as a works order within Civica Servitor. The system links with Xmbrace DRS which uses the repair information submitted by the resident, checks the availability of operatives with the right skills, calculates travelling times, and then provides the available appointment slots to the tenant for the next week or month, so that they can book the most convenient time, all of which takes just a few seconds.”
