The largely teesside focused private housing provider is seeking to address issued raised by a number of its tenants regarding a lack of engagement by the landlord...
16th Jan 2025
A major Teesside housing provider has opened a brand-new customer access point in Hartlepool’s Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, aiming to improve tenant engagement and address longstanding customer concerns.
The latest addition follows the launch of a similar branch in Middlesbrough, & is said to be part of the landlord’s broader effort to tackle mounting criticism over poor customer service performance. Despite managing 35,000 homes and achieving “adequate” customer satisfaction ratings, tenants have expressed frustration over a perceived lack of engagement by the Teesside based landlord—particularly when it comes to reporting issues such as anti-social behaviour (ASB).
Its claimed some tenants describe parts of Thirteen's managed estates as resembling "war zones," citing insufficient action on ASB issues. Over the past year, Thirteen has partnered with a number of local councils, including Hartlepool and Stockton, to issue closure orders for problematic properties and introduce initiatives aimed at reducing community disruption.
Addressing Tenant Concerns
The opening of the new customer service point in Hartlepool is part of Thirteen's attempt to repair its 'fractured' reputation among tenants, some who argue the landlord's expansion into other parts of the UK has come at the expense of addressing local concerns. High property turnover rates suggest tenants are increasingly seeking alternative housing due to dissatisfaction with unaddressed repair issues and a perceived failure to listen to their concerns.
The Hartlepool store, reported to be Thirteen’s fourth customer service location, is designed to provide tenants with better access to support and services & has reportedly created three new jobs for dedicated “touchpoint hosts.” This follows last year’s launch of the “mobile touchpoint” initiative, which aimed to enhance Thirteen’s visibility and accessibility in the communities it serves.
A Commitment to Face-to-Face Support
Adele McLaren, Head of Touchpoints, highlighted the importance of direct interaction with customers:
“As an organisation, we are always asking for feedback from our customers so we can improve the services we deliver. Our customers have told us how much they value face-to-face interaction with our teams.
“We’ve listened to this feedback, and we’ve remained committed to finding ways that our customers and the local community can easily access ways to speak to our colleagues, because we know this positively impacts their experience as a Thirteen customer.”
When to Visit
The new customer service point is located in Middleton Grange Shopping Centre and is open:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM