Accessible repairs scheduling is more than a logistical challenge; it’s about creating trust and ease for residents. When residents can quickly and easily book repairs that fit their schedules and needs, everyone benefits—residents feel valued, housing providers reduce costs, and repairs teams work more efficiently.
Why accessible repairs scheduling matters
Missed appointments are a costly and widespread problem in social housing. A recent report highlights that missed appointments alone cost providers an average of £112.52 per appointment outside London and up to £150 in London.
Additionally, housing teams can spend hours each week dealing with rescheduling and follow-up. This issue has a direct impact on residents too—30% of residents miss appointments, often due to barriers in the scheduling process.
Reducing missed appointments isn’t just about cost; it’s about building a more reliable, accessible service that respects residents’ time and needs.
Contents
- Offer multiple booking channels
- Integrate with a repairs scheduler
- Provide flexible scheduling
- Increase transparency
- Ensure online tools are accessible
- Allow customisable resident preferences
- Automated reminders and notifications
- Feedback loops
- Defined emergency reporting paths
- Real-time repair information
Key strategies for accessible repairs scheduling
In today’s digital world, residents expect easy access to essential services. Drawing on strategies from healthcare, logistics, and retail, social housing can better meet these expectations by prioritising accessibility. When residents are empowered to engage with repairs on their terms, housing providers see higher satisfaction, lower costs, and better outcomes.
1. Offer multiple booking channels
A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to repairs booking leaves many residents excluded. Providing various ways to book—like online, phone, SMS, and web chat—ensures all residents have an option that suits their preferences and digital skills. This flexibility empowers residents to choose a booking method that aligns with their lifestyle and accessibility needs.
Want to reduce missed appointments and save on costs? Here are the top reasons residents miss appointments and how you can prevent them.
2. Integrate with a repairs scheduler
Synchronising resident bookings with your repairs scheduler can significantly improve the efficiency of appointment scheduling. This type of integration ensures that available time slots are aligned with operatives’ schedules, helping reduce missed appointments and unnecessary delays. This not only minimises wasted resources but also ensures residents can access timely repairs.
All our products integrate with schedulers so that you can offer tenants fixed appointment slots that work for your repairs operatives and tenants.
3. Provide flexible scheduling
Offering residents the ability to choose a suitable time slot. Similar approaches have proven successful in the NHS. Self-service appointment systems and appointment reminders have been found to reduce DNAs (Did Not Attend) to just 2%.
Struggling with high no-access rates? Learn how flexible scheduling can help reduce missed appointments and improve resident satisfaction.
4. Increase transparency with real-time updates
Without regular status updates, residents often rely on repeated calls to contact centres for information. Real-time updates—like those found in parcel delivery services—can give residents the ability to track their repair requests. This reduces contact centre workload and keeps residents informed at every stage.
We’ve seen this done well in a number of councils that use GPS tracking and Statis Updates to keep tenants in the loop. Find out more about the other strategies used by social housing providers to overcome the biggest challenges their teams are facing here.
5. Ensure online tools are accessible
For online scheduling, accessibility should be built in. WCAG 2.2 compliance ensures that residents with disabilities can easily navigate and use digital booking options. Additionally, supporting multiple languages ensures that non-English-speaking residents can access repair services as easily as anyone else.
6. Allow customisable resident preferences
Residents have different communication needs—some may prefer text reminders, while others might rely on phone calls or emails. Enabling residents to set their preferred communication methods and accessibility options personalises their experience, making them feel recognised and included.
7. Automated reminders and notifications
Missed appointments are common across sectors, but implementing SMS and email reminders significantly reduces this issue. Automated reminders help residents keep track of their appointments, much like reminders used in healthcare to reduce missed visits.
We used automated reminders and notifications in our Repairs and Inspection Scheduling products to help decrease missed appointments and give tenants the flexibility they need to manage, change and cancel their appointment.
8. Feedback loops for continuous improvement
After repairs, gathering resident feedback is essential for identifying barriers and improving the scheduling process. Capturing these insights allows housing teams to adjust and enhance accessibility, creating a stronger, more responsive service.
9. Clearly defined emergency reporting paths
Accessible and well-signposted routes for reporting urgent issues are essential. By making sure residents know exactly how to access emergency help, housing providers can prioritise critical cases, helping residents feel safe and supported.
Camden Council has done this really well. You can find out more about their approach in our Insights downloadable: 5 strategies to overcome the biggest issues in social housing repairs.
10. Empower staff with real-time repair information
Ensuring that staff have up-to-date information on each repair allows them to provide timely and accurate support to residents. With instant access to repair statuses, customer service teams can confidently address resident questions, reinforcing trust in the service.
Building a more accessible future in housing
At Made Tech, we’re here to help social housing providers create a more resident-centred service. By combining our technology with these accessible practices, housing teams can build a trusted, efficient repairs service that reflects their residents’ needs. Learn more about how we’re transforming housing repairs with our innovative tenant-approved solutions.
About the Author
Kelly Newcomb
Housing Product Specialist at Made Tech
Kelly has been working in the Tech For Good sector for over a decade because she loves working on products that improve people's lives. Currently Kelly works in our Housing products team, creating innovative tech solutions for social housing providers.
