Imagine a world where rent arrears are minimised, and collections streamlined.
At allpay, we’ve partnered with Voicescape to make this a reality. With a shared vision of enhancing customer engagement and financial management across the social housing sector we have joined forces to combine our expertise, transform the landscape of arrears collection and are now able to offer a sustainable solution built to create unrivalled efficiencies to the challenges of rent arrears and collection efforts.
Join us as we explore the promising outcomes awaiting housing associations who embrace this new integrated solution with tenant engagement at its core.
The allpay Advantage
In the UK social housing sector, failed collections and missed rent payments are commonplace for income teams. Chasing them down proves time-consuming and resource-draining, often diverting attention away from providing vital support to tenants.
allpay, in partnership with Voicescape, tackles these challenges head-on, employing a range of communication channels – including SMS, letters, and automated phone calls – to engage tenants and collect arrears. With a tailored approach including different strategies for different demographics, this new partnership enables effective engagement regardless of age, location, and history. By prioritising engagement based on tenant behaviour – such as how tenants prefer to be contacted, and when – allpay and Voicescape have been able to turn obstacles into opportunities.
Targeted Solutions for Streamlined Collections
Forget manually chasing each name on your arrears list. allpay is now able to provide simple payment options that are seamlessly integrated with Voicescape’s automated collections technology to help you engage best with your tenants. For instance, this could take the form of a phone call with an interactive menu offering tenants various options – like receiving a payment link or speaking directly with an income officer. Or you could send a letter containing a QR code for payment instead – it’s all based on the preferences of your tenants.
Together with Voicescape, we’re prioritising inclusivity and convenience, ultimately empowering tenants to take control of their rent payments effortlessly, while working with Housing Associations and Local Authorities to maximise collections.
Our solutions can be tailored to match bespoke needs – for example, addressing former tenant arrears or focusing on driving current arrears down. The solution, powered by Voicescape, has been proven to successfully reduce income teams’ caseloads by up to 65%, automating thousands of tasks, year upon year, so you can channel your resources into helping the tenants that need it most.
allpay’s Impact on Walsall Housing Group
One client in particular, Walsall Housing Group, exemplifies the transformative power of allpay and Voicescape’s combined solution. Jaz Kaur, an income collection manager who has operated in the sector for more than four decades, shared how the partnership has revolutionised payments for their diverse tenant base of more than 21,000. With the help of allpay’s versatile pay-by-link option and Voicescape’s tailored messaging, Walsall Housing Group has successfully completed more than 4,300 transactions, collected over £900,000 (and counting), ultimately upgrading the customer experience.
Embracing digital solutions like allpay’s payment links and QR codes, delivered by Voicescape’s automated engagement Walsall Housing Group has not only reduced manual workload but also enabled tenants to self-serve, fostering a sense of responsibility over their rent payments. Even better, the introduction of these innovative features has catered to the evolving preferences of a younger demographic who are increasingly seeking digital payment methods – all the while ensuring the older population isn’t left behind by providing alternative methods of access.
Following a recent webinar which was supported by over 100 registrants, we have handpicked the below questions to help you decide whether this solution is something that will bring value to your collection team in 24/25.
Your Questions, Answered:
Can you use allpay with any housing management system?
Absolutely. allpay is extremely easy to integrate with any housing management system. Whether it’s the latest software – such as Rubixx, for instance – or more established tools, our solution seamlessly adapts. We’ll guide you through the entire process too.
Are customers required to have an active direct debit set up in allpay to use the pay-by-link solution?
You don’t need a direct debit to use a payment link. You can opt to set up your branded gateway to check references, which requires having an allpay account number. For unverified gateways, you can use any reference.
What does the process of using ‘pay by link’ look like for an income officer?
allpay and Voicescape enable income officers to track payments made by customers via the payment link. Income officers can send an SMS directly to the customer with the pay-by-link embedded, providing a convenient and immediate payment option. Voicescape also helps clean up your data by eliminating invalid telephone numbers. Our software offers valuable insights into customer engagement, such as indicating who has listened to messages or pressed certain options in the IVR menu.
What is the average timeframe for implementation, and the level of in-house participation required?
Typically, the implementation process takes around four to six weeks, with minimal IT involvement required. We simply extract data from your housing management system and then upload it using Excel, ensuring a smooth transition.
Maximum Financial Savings, Maximum Customer Satisfaction
It couldn’t be easier to get started. Our software seamlessly slots into any housing management system, with a dedicated customer success manager providing comprehensive support throughout. Following this straightforward set-up, you’ll have tenants engaging with you every month. The return on investment speaks volumes, with existing clients reporting an average collection of between 12% and 20% of former tenant arrears that has served as a newfound revenue stream for their organisations. Notably, Stonewater Housing Association’s savings reflect this, with the leading housing association boasting a reduction of £1 million in arrears in 2023.
Customer satisfaction is evident too, with 96% of tenants expressing a preference for intuitive calls and allpay’s accessible links. All in all, this collaboration marks a new era of growth in the social housing sector, leading to more sustainable tenancies and enhanced engagement.
Transform Your Collections Process Today
With such promising results, now is the time to explore how allpay and Voicescape can transform your approach to customer engagement. Reach out today to learn more.
