Letting Matters with Western Letting
Holding true to one’s values can be expensive and painful in the short run but brings benefits over time. At Western Lettings we promise to compensate any client who suffers financial loss due an error on our part.
We recently faced a situation where we had to do so. A client had asked us to ensure the gutters on their rental property were cleared at regular intervals to prevent a build-up of debris. After a time, we failed to ensure one of the regular clearances had been completed, resulting in a blocked downpipe. During a period of heavy rain, the downpipe backed up, the roof area flooded, and water poured into the property, causing significant damage to the ceiling.
After investigating, we unearthed the series of events which led to the incident. The tenant had persistently refused access to the contractor, who hadn’t kept us abreast of the difficulties they were having getting onto the roof. Nevertheless, we honoured our pledge to the landlord and agreed to settle the cost of the repairs.
Taking Responsibility
The point is not so much that we kept our promise. It is more that, by taking responsibility for our failure, we have been incentivized to learn from our mistake. We now have a more robust process for recognizing when critical planned maintenance events have been delayed. The chance of a similar series of events catching us out has been significantly reduced.
This is an example of how we continuously improve our operation. Our team is open and honest with each other and with our clients. Nobody tried to cover their tracks or hide what they had done. We take ownership of our responsibilities and avoid blaming others. This culture of continuous learning and improvement is firmly entrenched in the organization. It is clear to everyone we work with.
After 15 years of learning from our mistakes, they are thankfully very rare. Clients know that things are unlikely to go wrong but if something does, we’ll make it right.
Western Letting
Craighall Business Park
G4 9XA
0141 357 0436
western letting.co.uk
Return to Business Articles
