At Lunds Kommuns Fastighets AB (LKF), the keywords are customer focus, strong teams and work joy. The creation and development of the Customer Center and the service concept ‘Right&Easy service’ have been important factors in the positive development of customer satisfaction and employee engagement. Hannah Billberg, Customer Center Manager at LKF, explores these initiatives and other upcoming projects to meet customers’ increased expectations. Let’s learn more about the customer experience in public housing.

The Customer Center and ‘Right&Easy service’ have led to increased customer satisfaction and employee engagement.

Hannah Billberg, Customer Center Manager at LKF

Service and the customer experience in public housing

With a focus on the customer, LKF’s organisation was restructured in 2019. Among other things, the Customer Center department was added. There, the roles that meet tenants, housing seekers and other stakeholders in the daily customer cases were organisationally gathered within the same department. The work groups that previously worked with customer service (telephone exchange and reception), the administration of fault reports as well as housing rentals, created a Customer Center together. The purpose was to create a more efficient and attractive organisation that can meet customers’ needs. One of the assignments was to create a so-called “One entry point” at LKF for the customers.

As LKF has several different contact paths, the concept of ‘One entry point’ began to be challenged.

What did LKF really want to offer its customers? From these dialogues, together with data from the annual customer survey, the direction changed to a service concept around the customer experience and ‘Right&Easy service’ [Lätt&Rätt service] emerged. The goal was that it should be easy and accessible to be in contact with LKF and get the correct assistance.

Right&Easy service

The concept ‘Right&Easy service’ emerged during the development of LKF’s customer-focused business plan and began to be implemented in January 2021.

The focus was on making customers feel well taken care of and to a greater extent get their cases resolved in the first contact. This would minimise the feeling of being referred around the organisation or lacking response to their questions. Through various communication efforts, one phone number and one email address were marketed to contact LKF. (Previously, many different roles’ contact details were visible to customers.) Slowly but surely, the customers started to be directed to the Customer Center.

Competence-based recruitment has been a key factor in building the Customer Center team. Importance lies on the ability to meet different types of people and deliver ‘that little extra.’ Together with ongoing service inspiration, interpersonal skills training and building a knowledge bank, there is the ambition to deliver a world-class treatment. Creating a really good first impression lasts for the rest of the customer’s journey at LKF.

A couple of years after the launch of ‘Right&Easy service’, cases are largely resolved directly in the Customer Center or taken further to the right person when analysis, investigation and/or decision-making are required. Customers thus avoid having to keep track of who they should turn to in which case and the experience of being ‘sent around’ the organisation decreases.

LKF is now using AI to analyse the reasons for contacting LKF. The analysis shows processes and customer offerings that work well and which are perceived as troublesome for the customer. In a cross-departmental forum called ‘The Customer’s Voice,’ LKF is leaning entirely on the customers’ needs. LKF prioritises activities and efforts that need to be taken to further improve customer satisfaction and simplify everyday life for the tenants.

88% of all phone calls to LKF are resolved in the first contact.

Increased customer satisfaction and employee engagement

The creation and development of the Customer Center and the concept ‘Right&Easy service’ are some of the efforts at LKF that have led to increased customer satisfaction and increased employee engagement.

• The solution rate in the Customer Center is measured using AI. It shows that 88% of all phone calls to LKF are resolved in the first contact. It also frees up time in the rest of the organisation.
• The concept ‘Right&Easy service’ is quality assured through short surveys after completed contact via email or telephone. Customer satisfaction is 90% and measures ease, knowledge and treatment in contact with the Customer Center.
• Employee engagement in the Customer Center has increased from 64% to 92%. (2020-2024).
• Survey questions such as ’email management’ and ‘getting through on the phone’ have increased in recent years and are at a high level. (Annual survey via AktivBo)

Future investments for increased customer satisfaction that can be linked to ‘Right&Easy service’:

• Developing the digital customer experience for increased accessibility and opportunity for the customer to manage their cases around the clock.
• Channel control: That the right case occurs in the right channel (contact path) simplifies the process for both the customer and LKF. This leads to more efficient case management with less dependence on LKF’s opening hours.
• Continuing to explore AI’s opportunities as a support for the employee so that even more focus can be placed on personal treatment and handling of complex cases.

Key lessons learned

• Listen to the customer. Why do they get in touch, and how can we make it easier for them? To answer these questions, do not start from your own presumptions and internal processes. Start from the real insights you have about the needs and wishes of the customer.
• Collaboration with key roles from different departments is necessary in the process for the best customer benefit and anchoring internally and externally.
• Dare to test and rethink along the way.
• Response is key when it comes to customer satisfaction. Customers should not have to ask you twice in the same case. We have worked a lot with that expectation during the journey and with hindsight we would have anchored this message more clearly.
• Competence-based recruitment and take experience from different industries in building the team. LKF’s department manager has a background as a hotel director. The customer host manager has experience from building contact centers within the municipality. The rental manager has run her own brokerage firm. New employees are recruited with skills in sales and customer service.
• Change management takes time; let it take time…
• Present leadership has been key in the process.

Find out more

To find out more on this initiative on customer experience in public housing, please contact Lunds Kommuns Fastighets AB’s Coordinator through the Members Only Zone. If you are not yet a member of Eurhonet, find out about joining us.