My role as a customer coach is to help customers who need an extra level of support. My role is focused on helping to prevent customers going through court action and customers who are struggling. If a customer is struggling to keep up payments, or maintain their tenancy agreement, I’ll work with them to find out what the barriers are in their life and help them to identify how they can over come it.
One of my proudest moments was a case I worked on recently. The customer had multiple pet dogs, which they were struggling to keep up with, I supported with the rehoming of the dogs. After the dogs were rehomed, the customer was still experiencing issues with hoarding, particularly in the garden area, this was preventing general maintenance of the property such as clearing the gutters. The customer suffered from anxiety, which would prevent them from allowing anyone to clean/tidy the area, as they were concerned about items being removed that held a sentimental value. I worked with the customer by putting items into individual piles of what to keep and what to get rid of and we were able to clear the garden area. The customer was then referred to local services including harmony garden (to manage garden), adult care, and I was even able to help them get a bus pass, which opened a lot of opportunities for the customer. An agreement was put in place long-term, and the customer is now happy they are able to manage things.
The hardest part of my role is when customers don’t engage, although I can understand there might be different reasons for this, it’s important for customers to know I’m there to help, not take action against them. I’d recommend customers debating on whether to engage with my services to give it a try and see what support is on offer. A lot of people who are referred to me are missing out on services they’re eligible for.
The most important people in my career have been the managers at B3Living. The managers here all have so much experience and have come from all different backgrounds, which is really helpful. What I’ve learnt is that not one size fits all, and I think that’s a good way of working.
If customers are struggling, please get in touch. If you don’t want to get in touch with us directly, citizen advice are a great service and they can signpost you to the right places.