In recent years, we’ve seen more organisations begin to acknowledge the benefits of combining behavioural insights and data science in a number of industries - including social housing.
You see, most of the challenges that social housing landlords face generally come down to human behaviour. From income collection to repairs and maintenance services, behavioural insights can be used to improve and de-risk situations.
With tenant satisfaction rising further up the agenda for social landlords, can behavioural science be used to more accurately measure it? What impact could this way of working have on tenancies as a whole? We explore exactly that here…
Better customer insights
Every tenant is different - from how they want to be communicated with to their individual circumstances and payment history. Understanding each and every one of them can be a very tricky business. However, behavioural science can help landlords to understand how each person ‘works’.
By analysing customer data - such as demographics, length of tenancy and payment behaviours - in addition to data concerning any arrears, you can gain a better picture of your overall customer.
This information can construct an in-depth overview of tenant and landlord behaviour, which can then be used to evaluate and predict interactions. Here, you can begin to understand customer emotions and determine how to interact with individual tenants, both now and in the future.
Improved emotional connections
Using the data above, you’ll learn more about specific groups of tenants. Perhaps there’s a correlation between those of the same age or maybe you know that someone new to social housing is likely to behave in a certain way.
If you know that a specific group of tenants responds well to one thing, you can use it to effectively engage with similar tenants down the line. This will ultimately allow you to enhance emotional connections with your tenants and improve overall customer satisfaction.
Behavioural science gives you the opportunity to draw conclusions, whether by age group, preferences, or backgrounds. Once categorised, you can begin to cater to their specific and ever-changing needs.
A clear understanding of what works
Ultimately, behavioural science data can tell you whether or not a certain message, time or communication technique works. This makes it a particularly useful tool in social housing. After all, understanding what actually works when engaging with customers and, in turn, influencing their behaviours is the key to keeping tenants satisfied.
In terms of customer satisfaction, you’ll be able to quickly get on top of a problem before it becomes serious. You’ll also be able to send relevant feedback and information to specific departments, turning dissatisfied customers into satisfied ones. This is crucial to the overall sustainability of your tenancies.
Want to discuss this idea in more detail? Perhaps you want some more information on how behavioural science could improve your social housing association? Our rigorous approach to behavioural science ensures that you make better decisions to satisfy the ever-changing demands of your tenants, so what are you waiting for?