At Precise, we’ve been working with a few housing associations of late. It’s a great way for us to help people who need to know that their heating or hot water systems are in great shape for the cold months ahead.
We’re acutely aware that housing associations have a fine line to tread when it comes to respecting their budgets and providing top quality service to their tenants, and that’s where we seem to be ticking their boxes. As a company with (more than) its fair share of compassion we get this – and this puts us in a great position to be able to help housing associations.
Prompt response
As we understand it, number one priority for housing associations is a prompt response to their tender requests. They look for someone to visit a property and prepare a quote within a short time frame – so their tenants’ inconvenience is minimised. On the back of this, they usually expect the work to be carried out fairly fast. This is where the team at Precise can excel.
Stuart, our Sales and Marketing Manager’s sole job is to visit properties, prepare quotations and follow up on them. Because of this, he can guarantee a prompt response to housing association requests. And being realistic, while most jobs can’t be done next day, Precise is getting known in housing association circles for doing all we can to find space to accommodate work that needs done quickly – as we’ve done several times recently.
Trust, respect, competence and compassion
The second thing we’re finding housing associations are (understandably) looking for is a trustworthy, respectful and compassionate contractor. Timeliness, respectful teams, and of course, first class workmanship are a given.
With a wealth of experience in our favour as far as our engineers go, and being accredited by the Trading Standards backed scheme ‘Buy with Confidence’, housing associations can rest easy knowing that when they choose Precise, they are dealing with professionals who not only know what they’re doing, but can be relied upon – from A to Z.
Initiative
Thirdly, the housing associations we’ve been working with like the fact that we work with our own initiative. When they’re looking for a solution, we don’t simply ask them what they want done, although we’re happy to do so. We gladly offer suggestions which can be of huge help to them.
Sometimes contractors can be guilty of idly standing by and simply doing ONLY what is requested of them, and not always dealing with what’s in front of them. When work is being carried out, should we come across potential hurdles, we will always be eager to overcome these with minimal disruption to the housing association or to the tenants – all in the aim of making everyone’s lives just a tiny bit easier.
Competitive costs
And finally – and of course this is a biggy – there’s cost. Cost is of course an issue. We are the first to admit that we’re unlikely to be the cheapest contractor on the block, but we are definitely competitive. Our focus is providing great value for money – through our people, our systems and our structure. This, of course, is paramount to housing associations.
Rather than dealing with a company where you may have only a small number of people who do everything – and where it can sometimes be difficult to contact someone; we have a team behind us, working in the background, to keep everything running smoothly. We have a dedicated sales manager who works with the housing association and with the tenant every step of the way, to make sure we all achieve the best outcome.
We also have an incredibly talented installation team who not only do a first-class job but do it with a smile on their faces. A smile begets a smile, and our customers regularly tell us that they enjoy our teams working in their properties. And we have an office team who are available Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm – always ready to take a call or email, thus giving all parties involved the backup they require, and the peace of mind knowing that they are in safe hands.
So, there we have it – our four pillars of housing association supplier success – prompt, trustworthy, initiative-based work that’s cost effective – everything a housing association (and anyone else for that matter) is looking for in a contractor.
If you’re on the lookout for a plumbing and heating contractor you can trust, reach out. We’d love to hear from you.
