Posted 08/08/2022

Interview with Axis team member, John Burroughs

John Burroughs has worked for 20 years as a skilled multi-trader/handyman keeping Swan residents’ homes safe, comfortable and in good condition. John guesstimates he has done over 24,000 repairs in total for Swan customers.

“We do a whole variety of repairs for Swan: whatever repairs need doing really! Kitchen repairs, damp mould wash, adjusting doors and windows, repairing faulty door locks, flooring, and fencing.

There is no such thing as a typical day. I could be doing five jobs, or I could be doing one job. These range from repairing a kitchen to replacing a complete door and frame. Some of the jobs can last for 10 mins, others for up to a complete day.

One thing is typical though: We do our best on every job we go to, we put our time and hard work into it. Swan’s tenants are regularly happy with our repairs.

I think the most important thing about giving a good service is being polite, honest and communicating with tenants, telling them what's happening with the repairs. I also make sure I work in a tidy manner and leave their property as I found it.

I think what makes Swan residents – and me – happy are keeping the appointment, arriving on time, letting them know how the repairs going, and achieving a first-time fix.

Sometimes they worry that the job is going to escalate to a big job so that’s why we keep them informed about the progress of the work. Having a little chat, talking to residents, can make them feel a lot more comfortable about having someone in their homes – and about the work we are doing.

Over the past 20 years, people have come and gone but Axis always treats new and old tenants the same. We make sure we respect the residents.

The main concern is trust. Residents can be worried they have a stranger coming into their home, so we try to build a relationship with them, so they feel comfortable with us completing their repair.

I have enjoyed working on the contract; that’s why I have been here for so long! I enjoy working with the other operatives, meeting different residents. The work is varied, and the tenants are friendly.”