Administrative Oversight: the latest euphemism for a GreenSquareAccord failure
There's been a lot happening at GreenSquareAccord lately, but unfortunately, much of it hasn't been good. As with many ongoing issues that we've been dealing with for years, through various mergers, there continues to be a failure to provide a proper apology or accept full responsibility. However, now there's a new euphemism to add to the mix: "administrative oversight.”
This phrase is so versatile that it could apply to any number of ongoing issues. In this post, let's take a closer look at some of the latest examples of administrative oversight at GreenSquareAccord.
The Complaint Process
Administrative Oversight One
One of the more recent complaints about GreenSquareAccord concerns their failure to follow their own procedures. While I've previously argued that their procedures aren't robust enough, it’s clear that they do not even bother to adhere to them.
After filing a complaint, GreenSquareAccord failed to respond in accordance with their own complaint process (which they often share):
"We received your complaint in Customer Care on 6 April 2023. I am sorry you did not receive an acknowledgement email from Customer Care within two working days due to an administrative oversight.”
Ref: Customer Care Step 2 Complaint Reference 3553 - 25 April 2023
It's clear that even GreenSquareAccord acknowledges their administrative oversight in this case. However, it's concerning that they're not following their own procedures, which can lead to frustration and inconvenience for their customers.
Administrative Oversight Two
According to GreenSquareAccord's complaint procedure:
an expert customer care specialist will call you to fully understand the issue, investigate what’s gone wrong, and personally case manage your complaint until it’s fully resolved (10 working days).
However, in this case, no expert customer care specialist contacted the complainant. Had GreenSquareAccord followed their own procedure, they could have gained valuable insights from the mistake and ensured that the specialist was fully aware of the issue, resulting in a comprehensive response. As a result of these two administrative errors, the complaint now needs to be escalated to Step 3.
It's concerning that GreenSquareAccord seems to be using the complaint process as a way to hide issues rather than learn from them. If they fail to adhere to their own procedures, it's difficult for customers to trust that their complaints will be handled effectively and efficiently.
Section 20
Administrative Oversight Three
The complaint in question pertained to GreenSquareAccord's failure to follow the Section 20 process correctly. The part of the complaint that was upheld by GreenSquareAccord concerned their failure to follow procedures or their own guidelines.
As per their complaint process, GreenSquareAccord responded with the following:
Your complaint is upheld in respect of the deletion of your comments. We accept that your comments should not have been deleted, and in that regard, I offer my apologies on behalf of GreenSquareAccord. Your comments have been reinstated, and we have updated our guidance to staff and procedures to ensure that this does not happen again in the future.
Ref: Customer Care Step 2 Complaint Reference 3553 - 25 April 2023
It's concerning that GreenSquareAccord failed to follow their own procedures and guidelines in this case, resulting in the deletion of the complainant's comments.
Service Charge
Administrative Oversights - Four, Five, and Six
GreenSquareAccord failed to correctly notify many residents of an increase in their service charge. Moreover, when asked about the issue, they failed to acknowledge it as a complaint.
In another case, a resident from Didcot was incorrectly charged a service charge. They reminded GreenSquareAccord that they were not part of the block of flats and therefore should not have to pay for the cleaning of that flats communal areas, GreenSquareAccord eventually responded, stating that this was an administrative oversight, and removed the charge.
Furthermore, despite the resident paying a service charge for the upkeep of grounds and gutters, the grounds are not kept, and the gutters remain full. This issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible to ensure that residents are getting what they are paying for.
These administrative oversights are concerning, and it's essential for GreenSquareAccord to improve their procedures and ensure that they are following them correctly. Failure to do so can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction among their residents, as seen in these examples.
General Communication
Administrative Oversight Seven and Eight:
GreenSquareAccord sent a team to investigate why the pipes in some residents' flats were blocked, but failed to follow up with the residents afterwards. This lack of communication has left residents worried about the possibility of raw sewage being pumped into their flats, and their requests for updates have been ignored. They also failed to escalate this as a complaint despite request.
Administrative Oversight Nine:
GreenSquareAccord sent a request to have a lift fixed to a contractor who was no longer employed by the company, causing delays in resolving the issue.
Administrative Oversight Ten:
A bereaved gentleman trying to reach GreenSquareAccord in reference to the death of his mother. Having waited seven days for a response GreenSquareAccord then emailed themselves rather than responding the bereaved gentleman.
-----Original Message-----
From: info@greensquareaccord.co.uk
Sent: 13 April 2023 09:22:54
To: "GreenSquareAccord Customer Services" <info@greensquareaccord.co.uk>
Subject: RE: FW: FAO *************Good Morning *****,
Thank you for your email below requesting some clarification on this process following your mothers passing. I apologise for the delay in my response back to you.
It would be another five days before this email was picked up by the customer service team and forwarded on to the correct party.
Should I continue or is ten enough?
Administrative Oversight - Eleven:
GreenSquareAccord failed to respond to the Housing Ombudsman on time, causing a delay in the process. More details on this will be provided soon.
Administrative Oversight - Twelve:
Despite involvement from the local MP and CEO Ruth Cooke, a pregnant woman with asthma was left in damp conditions due to a leak that had been present since the summer of 2022. This issue remained unresolved for over a month after the intervention from MP.
Administrative Oversight - Thirteen:
Despite struggling with angina and finding it difficult to manage stairs, a gentleman from Tipton was moved out of his flat due to a leak caused by the neighbour above. GreenSquareAccord has been unable to move him back into a ground floor flat.
Administrative Oversight - Fourteen:
An elderly gentleman in Coventry was left without a flushing toilet. Although GreenSquareAccord arranged to replace the toilet, they were unable to do so as GreenSquareAccord had not ordered one.
Administrative Oversight - Fifteen:
GreenSquareAccord breached the Data Protection Act by sharing names, flat numbers, and email addresses, and failed to raise the issue as a complaint.
Administrative Oversight to be continued...
I can't help but wonder if this kind of action is sanctioned or known by the Board. If the GreenSquareAccord’s behaviours do not change, will this latest corporate strategy fail as well?
Next week, I will be sharing what I consider to be the worst letter I have ever encountered in my thirty years of working with customers, managing complaints, and the last six years of supporting GreenSquareAccord residents. In fact, it will require two parts to fully cover the topic. The insight it providers into the mindset at GreenSquareAccord should cause concern in us all.
In part two, we will explore how GreenSquareAccord has further upset my wife with yet another letter. Honestly, i couldn’t make it up.