Camden launches repairs text message service in 100 languages
Camden Council has launched a text message (SMS) service available in over 100 languages that residents can now use to report repairs.
Residents will now be able to choose to report a repair to the Council by sending a text message to 07360 277 909.
Upon sending a text message residents will receive a reply asking them to provide their name, the address where the repair is required, and details of the repair.
A member of the Council’s repairs team will then reply in whichever language is used to contact the Council, allowing for queries to be answered, and repairs to be scheduled, in the same language used by the resident.
Residents who do not speak English as their first language are able to speak to a member of the team in over 100 different languages including Bengali, Polish, Urdu, and Somali.
The service is available on all mobile phones with SMS, and it is not exclusive to smartphones. It also costs the same as texting a friend or relative, with residents’ own carrier charges applying, and it is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
The launch of the text message service follows the introduction of Camden’s repair webchat, which has become the fastest growing way for residents to contact the Council about repairs.
Since the launch of the webchat in 2021, over 11,000 residents have used it to ask questions, book repairs, and share pictures and videos with the Council. The webchat is also available in over 100 different languages.
1 in 3 of all new repair requests are now carried out online, freeing up the telephones for those who cannot use any other methods to contact the Council to do so more easily.
We want all of our residents to live in well-maintained, safe homes and to receive the best possible service if there is ever an issue in their home. To deliver on this commitment we are continually looking at new ways to enhance our service and using feedback from residents to shape the improvements that we make.
This is why I am proud that we are now using innovative technology to make it easier and more accessible than ever for residents to report a repair and to speak to our repairs team, with a multi-language service that reflects the diverse communities we serve.
Covid-19 put immense pressure on our repairs service, and I would like to thank residents for their patience as well as our repairs team, who have been working hard to get to every non-emergency repair that was delayed by the pandemic.
Their efforts, combined with the enhancements we are continuing to make to our repairs service, means that we will be able to get to more residents, more quickly, while getting each home up to the high standard that we expect for all our residents.
To find out more about how to report repairs, including by SMS, webchat, and through your Camden Account, please visit camden.gov.uk/housing-repairs.