×

EVO Client Case Study in Inside Housing magazine highlighting the benefit of going digital for repairs and maintenance

The benefits of using smartphones for and a digital workflow for reporting and tracking repairs is highlighted by an Inside Housing case study of an EVO client.

Published 15 November 2022

Author Inside Housing

Craig Jackson from LRM explains how using smartphones can help with reporting and tracking repairs

Full article here: https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/sponsored/the-benefits-of-using-smartphones-for-reporting-and-tracking-repairs

Try as you might, there is no escaping the smartphone. According to Ofcom’s Online Nation report from 2021, this ubiquitous innovation is now “the most-used device for accessing the internet for all age groups, apart from those aged 65-plus”.

For those who are old enough to remember feeding coins into phone boxes in the street, the smartphone may still have the capacity to surprise. For most millennials and Gen Z-ers, however – whose default position is ‘online’ – their mobile is an everyday device, and they wouldn’t dream of shopping, ordering a takeaway or booking a taxi without it.

While Ofcom recognises that “the digital divide continues to prevent the benefits of internet connectivity being available to all”, it notes that “the smartphone appears to be the ‘base layer’ of connectivity, with more users in lower socio-economic groups relying on this device for internet access without a computer”.

So if they are running their lives via their smartphones, does it makes sense for tenants to report and track their property maintenance issues in the same way? Raising problems and requesting emergency assistance using an app is quick and convenient, and elicits instant responses, which is what millennials, and social housing’s residents of the future, expect and demand. It is also a flexible solution, making it easy for shift workers and others who work erratic hours to book appointments with tradespeople.

Craig Jackson at LRM property management, a managing agent based in London, says: “Most things now are pretty much done from your phone. People are looking for instantaneous results… No one has any patience, and no one wants to troubleshoot any problems. They just want to get someone out [to solve their issue] as quickly as possible.”

So, for the past two years, LRM has been using a digital platform supplied by technology company Evo, which connects tenants and landlords with skilled tradespeople sourced through Evo’s accredited trades network. If a resident has a leaking roof, they can use the Evo app to report it, and upload photos that might help solve the problem. They can also book a preferred day and time slot for a service visit or repair, while any emergency issues are automatically assigned to the nearest accredited tradesperson. In other words, the tenant bypasses the property manager and goes straight to the maintenance expert.

Keeping residents up to date

Plus, residents receive notifications to keep them informed about how their problem is being dealt with, which puts them at ease. Mr Jackson explains that this is a useful feature, as one of a property manager’s biggest frustrations is when a resident rings to report an issue, and then calls back 10 minutes later for a status update.

If they don’t get a sufficiently swift response, “the tone of their next call is going to be very, very different and you are on the back foot”, says Mr Jackson. “Even if it’s a small problem, a customer wants to feel like it’s a priority. Because, at the end of the day, they’re paying their rent, and paying for everything to be working – but now it isn’t… so what are we going to do about it?”

Apart from streamlining the reporting process and making it more transparent, digitally transforming property management has made Mr Jackson’s job easier because he is not dealing with maintenance calls.

“Maintenance is a major part of what we do in terms of looking after our portfolio,” he says. “So it’s freed up my time and enabled me to increase the number of properties I manage.” It’s a boon to tradespeople, too, because if they have better information about a job, they can arrive on site in good time with all the parts they need to speed the repairs process along.

Digital is the way forward in property management, Mr Jackson believes. The pandemic has increased our reliance on this type of tech, while the uptick in home-working means that residents have no escape from their outstanding maintenance issues. “If there’s any type of problem, you are literally seeing it in front of you,” he explains. “There is no breathing space.”

COVID-19 has also made repairs and maintenance teams more adaptable and more agile, with features such as video triage services and DIY FAQs assisting residents with troubleshooting, and possibly reducing or replacing the need for a tradesperson’s visit in the first place.

While Mr Jackson doesn’t have figures to show how this type of digital advance has improved LRM’s resident satisfaction, he does point to an improved tenant retention rate.

“Over the past year, we had a 30% increase in terms of retention,” he says. “So we look at that as a customer service [result], because tenants who are happy in a property are not moving as much.”

 

PHOTO BY Inside Housing

Related Articles

Landlord Mould Responsibility: A Complete Guide

This article explains how landlords can keep their tenants and properties safe through regular inspections and proactively fixing the causes of damp and mould

READ MORE

The Ultimate Buy-To-Let Strategy And Business Plan

This step-by-step guide explains how to create a property business plan.

READ MORE

How To Use The 18-Year Property Cycle To Your Advantage

This article explains how the 18-year property cycle helps property investors make better decisions.

READ MORE

Soho Housing Association and EVO pilot

Soho Housing Association launches a pilot with EVO to accelerate its digital transformation and improve tenant experience

READ MORE

The Renters Reform Bill 2023: Everything You Need to Know

The biggest change in the rental sector for over a decade....

READ MORE

What to Include in a Tenant Welcome Pack

A tenant welcome pack helps get the tenant-landlord relationship off to a great start. This article explains what they are and what to include in them.

READ MORE

Best Landlord Insurance UK: Which One is Best For You in 2023?

There are several different types of landlord insurance. This article explains the basics.

READ MORE

What Is the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund?

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund will upgrade the energy efficiency of thousands of UK homes.

READ MORE

SimplyPhi Partners with EVO Digital

SimplyPhi partners with EVO Digital to add seamless repairs and maintenance technology.

READ MORE

Traditional VS Modern Property Repairs and Maintenance

Our CEO, Steven Rae, dives into the traditional way of managing property repairs and maintenance and how it compares to a new, modern way of doing things.

READ MORE

Storm Housing Partners with EVO Digital

Social impact developer Storm Property and Registered Provider of Social Housing Storm Housing Group (“Storm”) have partnered with EVO Digital Technologies Limited (“EVO”), a unique property management company to manage its post-tenancy repairs and maintenance processes through EVO’s tenant-focused digital cloud platform and mobile applications.

READ MORE

Duty to Manage Asbestos: Everything Landlords and Tenants Need to Know

Landlords have a duty to manage asbestos in their properties. This article explains everything landlords need to know about this dangerous material.

READ MORE

What Is the Pre-Action Housing Disrepair Protocol?

What is the Pre-Action Housing Disrepair Protocol? This article explains everything landlords need to know.

READ MORE

What Is The Property Ombudsman Code of Practice?

This article explains what the Property Ombudsman is and how its code of practice works.

READ MORE

Capital Letters partners with EVO Digital as it steps up efforts to tackle the homelessness crisis

Not-for-profit company Capital Letters has made a major move in it’s work to tackle the homelessness crisis by partnering with unique property maintenance company EVO Digital Technologies (EVO) to digitalise its repairs, maintenance and compliance services through a unique tenant-driven platform.

READ MORE

EVO Joins SEC DPS for Responsive Repairs, Voids and Planned Maintenance Services

EVO has joined the SEC Dynamic Purchasing System for Responsive Repairs, Voids and Planned Maintenance Works and Services, providing access to their 49 members and 446,000 properties

READ MORE

Are Landlords Responsible for Pest Control UK?

Are landlords responsible for pest control UK: Do tenants or landlords pay for pest control in rented properties? This guide explains everything you need to know.

READ MORE

Section 8 Grounds: Everything You Need To Know

This guide explains everything landlords and tenants need to know about changes to the Section 8 grounds for eviction.

READ MORE

What is Planned Preventative Maintenance?

 

Planned preventative maintenance is a great way to keep your property in top condition, reduce your costs and keep your tenants happy.

READ MORE

Failing Landlords to Expect Ofsted-Style Inspections and Unlimited Fines

Failing Landlords to Expect Ofsted-Style Inspections and Unlimited Fines

READ MORE

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)

Electrical installations are subject to wear and tear and if they are not checked on a regular basis, they can become dangerous...

READ MORE

Gas Safe Building Compliance Regulations Certificate: What Landlords Need to Know in 2023

Building Regulations are formulated to ensure that buildings are safe to live in. All rented properties in the England and Wales must have a valid Gas Safe certificate.

READ MORE

How to choose the Right Property Management Company

For many landlords in the UK, renting out properties can be time-consuming and stressful. An experienced property management agency can do the work for you, but which one best fits your needs?

READ MORE

Extended Regulations on Domestic Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Extended Regulations on Domestic Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

READ MORE

Energy Efficiency Standards are Changing

What Landlords Need to Know

New government proposals planned for 2025 are going to increase the requirements on landlords to make their properties more energy efficient....

READ MORE

Inquiry into Private Rental Sector Publishes Findings

The House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts has published its report following an inquiry into the regulation of England’s private renting sector.

READ MORE

The Tenant Experience and Why It Matters

Tenant experience is the most important phrase most landlords don’t use. However, it is a key part of a successful rental agreement that benefits both parties...

READ MORE