A day in the life of Vincent

Introducing Vincent, our Property Services Administrator. If you’ve phoned in to speak to a member of staff or talk about your repair, you may have spoken to Vincent already. We sat down with him to find out what a normal day at ccha looks like.

How long have you worked at ccha?

I have been part of the ccha team since April 2022.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

My favourite part is helping residents. When residents call through to me, they may not be very happy. I aim to turn this around and ensure they are 100% satisfied with our service and to get their repair sorted.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Within Property Services, I follow up with any outstanding queries from residents, such as informing them on timescales for planned works for new kitchens or bathrooms.

The first thing I do in the morning is check our Customer Relationship Management system to see how many residents I need to call back and what their query is regarding. We have a customer service standard to call all residents back within 2 working days so I make sure to do that in time. I then check our email inbox for any outstanding queries.

So, what happens when residents call you?

When a resident calls me, they usually want an update or need help reaching Axis. I’ll take the resident's details, log this into our system and get as much information as possible about the repair. I’ll check in with Axis or other contractors and feedback to the resident.

What’s something you wish people knew about your role?

Many people are involved in resolving residents’ repairs, not just me, so it can sometimes take time to get the answers that you need. Thank you for your patience and we aim to keep you informed throughout the whole process.

What happens when you aren’t available to take a call?

My colleagues in the Property Service Team can take calls in my absence. We record and document all residents' calls so that I can follow up when I return. For residents that need a repair, Axis is the first point of contact and the team there are always happy to assist.

Do you have a favourite summer recipe you’d like to share with our residents?

I love BBQ chicken during summer – I marinate the chicken in lemon and vinegar and add sweet pepper, onion, garlic, and thyme. The BBQ sauce finishes it off and is even better if you blend it with ginger and garlic!

What are some things you think more residents should know?

The first point of contact for all residents is to call Axis for repairs or communal repairs, and then Smith & Byford for any gas issues. Axis will be able to ask for all the information required and update the resident directly. We are then here to support if needed.

And on that note, the more information residents give us, the better! This gives us a better indication of how to resolve the repair within the appropriate timescales.

Also, some requests we receive may take longer than others, depending on the number of properties involved. For example, if pests are an issue at multiple properties, we would need to liaise with a surveyor and ensure access to both properties in order to proceed.