How St Leger Homes Used SMS as a Prompt for Rent Collection

Voicescape client, St Leger Homes, a Doncaster-based ALMO (Arm's Length Management Organisation), recently conducted a campaign making effective use of SMS reminders for tenants who hadn't paid their rent.

The criteria for contact was limited to tenants who didn't pay by Direct Debit or Universal Credit, didn't receive full Housing Benefits, their rent accounts weren't in credit, and had a valid mobile number.

Using Voicescape’s Campaign Manager solution, the housing association sent a total of 5,975 SMS messages, with 5,336 of them being delivered successfully. The results of the campaign showed that 1,939 payments were received within 5 working days of the SMS being delivered, which is a payment receipt rate of around 35%.

The payments received were broken down into different payment types, including automatic telephone payments, debit card payments, internet payments, and SO/ PayPoint/ PO payments.

The grand total of all payments received was £297,966.25. This is an average of 150 pounds per payment.

It's important to note that this campaign demonstrates a strong correlation between SMS reminders and prompt rent payments, and it can't be said that the SMS reminders were the only factor that led to the payment. However, the results of the case study are very promising indeed, showing that SMS reminders can be an effective way for housing associations to prompt tenants to pay their rent.

This St Leger Homes' campaign shows the potential for SMS reminders as a tool for housing associations to encourage prompt rent payments. With a 35% payment receipt rate within 5 working days of the SMS being delivered, this method could prove to be a valuable tool for housing organisations to improve their rent collection process. It's also worth considering the cost-effectiveness of using SMS reminders compared to other traditional methods of communication.