OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
The D&A
Service Standard
Exceptional service isn't an upgrade. It's our standard.
We've put our standards in writing because exceptional service should mean something. The D&A Service Standard sets out the principles every landlord and tenant can expect us to work by — regardless of their property or the service they choose.
PERSONAL · ATTENTIVE · ACCOUNTABLE
A standard you can hold us to.
Plenty of businesses promise exceptional service. We believe a promise means more when you're prepared to be held accountable for it.
The D&A Service Standard sets out how we expect to conduct ourselves — when things are straightforward, and more importantly, when they're not.
Property doesn't always go to plan. We won't pretend otherwise. What we can promise is how we'll respond.
Our ten commitments to you.
1. You will be known to us. Property is personal. You should never feel like a reference number in a system. We keep our service deliberately personal, with a team that takes the time to understand our clients, tenants and the properties entrusted to us. Where another member of the team needs to assist you, we will take responsibility for making the handover as seamless as possible. You shouldn't have to keep explaining who you are.
2. We will communicate with care. Good service begins with good communication. We will communicate professionally, clearly and courteously, avoiding unnecessary jargon and keeping you appropriately informed about matters concerning your property or tenancy. If we don't yet have the answer, we would rather tell you that and investigate than provide information we cannot stand behind. And if something is taking longer than expected, we believe you should hear from us before you have to chase us. Silence is not a service standard.
3. We will take ownership. Being passed from person to person when something goes wrong is frustrating. Our approach is different. When a matter falls within D&A's responsibility, we will take ownership of progressing it. That does not mean every problem can be resolved immediately. Repairs can require contractors, decisions can require landlords, and some circumstances sit outside our control. It does mean we will do what we reasonably can to move matters forward, communicate appropriately and avoid leaving you wondering what is happening. Ownership does not always mean having the immediate solution. It means taking responsibility for helping to find one.
4. We will treat every property with care. Whether a property is a studio flat or a substantial family home, somebody has entrusted it to us. We will treat the properties we manage with professionalism, attention and respect, and we expect contractors and suppliers acting on our behalf to do the same. We will never deliberately compromise the standard of care we provide simply because a property sits at a different price point. Different properties. The same respect.
5. We will be proactive where we reasonably can. Great hospitality doesn't only respond; it anticipates. Where our service allows us to identify an upcoming requirement, recurring issue or something requiring a client's attention, we aim to raise it proactively rather than waiting for it to become a problem. No property manager can foresee everything. But we can pay attention. The details matter.
6. We will be transparent. Trust requires honesty. Our fees, responsibilities and the scope of the service you have chosen will be explained as clearly as possible. Where a cost requires approval, we will seek it where required by our agreement, except where emergency action or another agreed authority permits us to act. Where something is outside the service you have purchased, we will tell you rather than allowing expectations to become unclear. And when we make a mistake, we will not hide behind jargon or pass responsibility elsewhere. We would rather have a difficult, honest conversation than an easy, misleading one.
7. We will never confuse premium service with preferential respect. Our packages provide different levels of property management. They do not purchase different levels of courtesy. Every D&A client and tenant should expect to be treated professionally, respectfully and fairly. A higher-value service may include greater scope, availability or management responsibility where expressly agreed. It does not make another customer less deserving of our care. Premium service isn't about making some people feel important. It's about making every person feel looked after.
8. We will protect what is entrusted to us. We understand the responsibility involved in handling homes, investments, personal information, keys, documents and, where applicable, client money. We will maintain appropriate processes and records, observe our legal and regulatory obligations, and handle information and property entrusted to us with appropriate care. Where specialist advice or expertise is required beyond our competence, we will not pretend otherwise. We will seek appropriate support or signpost accordingly. Trust is earned in the way we handle the things that matter.
9. We will listen when we get it wrong. Five-star service does not mean pretending mistakes never happen. If you believe we have fallen below the D&A Service Standard, we want to know. We will take concerns seriously, investigate complaints fairly and provide access to our formal complaints process. Where we identify that we have made a mistake, our priority will be to understand what happened, put matters right where reasonably possible, and learn from it. Where a complaint cannot be resolved through our internal process, customers retain access to the independent redress arrangements applicable to our business. Accountability is part of good service.
10. We will protect the standard as we grow. D&A's personal service comes from being a family-run business. Growth will never be an excuse for knowingly allowing that experience to disappear. We will regularly review our capacity, processes, suppliers and customer feedback. If growth begins to compromise the standard of service we can responsibly provide, we will address capacity rather than simply accepting poorer service. Because the D&A name should continue to mean something.
We cannot promise that nothing will ever go wrong.
We cannot promise that every repair will happen immediately, that every contractor will always be available, or that every outcome will be the one you hoped for.
What we can promise is how we will respond.
We will listen.
We will communicate.
We will take ownership of what is ours to own.
We will treat you and your property with respect.
And we will continually work to deliver the standard of service on which D&A puts its name.
Different needs. Different properties. Different packages.
One D&A standard.
Experience the D&A standard.
Whether you're letting a property for the first time, looking for a more personal approach to management, or simply want to talk through your options, we'd be delighted to hear from you.