David Ripley, Executive Director of Customer Service at Thirteen Group

“At the heart of any housing association is people.” This is a sentiment shared by Thirteen Group’s Executive Director of Customer Service, David Ripley. In our conversation with David, we find out what it means to get services right for Thirteen’s customers.

Thirteen is a regional housing provider in the Northeast of England that manages around 36,000 homes. David joined the organisation around 5 years ago, and a lot has changed since then. We learn about David’s journey in getting to his position. We dive into the customer service piece and discover how Thirteen manages the changing needs and expectations of the customer.

David shares with us how Thirteen uses direct customer input to improve services. And we learn about Thirteen’s touchpoint pop up stores and how Thirteen has approached digitisation in a way that fits the customer’s needs.

We also speak about:

• How Thirteen uses the “Mam & Gran” concept to instil a great customer service culture throughout it’s teams
• The “stage zero” complaints process that gives Thirteen more effective data How will the rent cap impact customers?
• The 3 key factors in service changes made during Covid Which ideas has David borrowed from other sectors and brought into housing?
• Thirteen’s progressive approach to recruitment How does David make sure he’s seen and heard within the organisation? What does customer service mean to David?

David’s customer centred expertise and passion is essential listening!