The association said the team moved quickly to home working when lockdown began and has been successfully set up at home with no detriment to the service delivered to customers.

The lockdown and changes to life have been an anxious time for tenants and customers, but Hillcrest has said its phone lines have remained open and callers are greeted with a friendly welcoming voice offering reassurance about the services that are available.

The team adapted quickly to the change to services and they ensure that they are only allocating emergency repairs and are asking tenants key COVID-19 questions to maintain the health and safety of Hillcrest’s trades staff.

The team deals with such a vast range of enquiries whether it be repairs, alterations, pets, rent, and tenancy support services and never know what their next call will be about. They have dealt with a rise in callers reporting anti-social behaviour due to living closely with their neighbours and have been available to offer advice about social distancing, bins, noise and other issues.

The team helped carry out welfare calls to Hillcrest tenants, and although it was a challenging task and certainly not something they were all used to, it turned out to be a satisfying exercise knowing they were getting help to those who needed it most.

Whilst part of the team has been used to being dispersed from fellow team members, they have all had to cope with the new reality of having partners, pets and children in the mix when answering calls.

The reception team may not be there to greet staff and callers with a friendly face at Hillcrest headquarters but they have helped by providing administrative support to other Hillcrest departments as required.

Hillcrest said everyone in the team has experienced challenges moving to this new norm but thanks to Yvonne and Jill - the team leaders who have prepared rotas and kept the team motivated through daily contact - the team spirit remains high, helped along with some laughs through the team’s WhatsApp chat.

Kirsteen Beeching, manager of the customer service team, said: “I am proud of each and every one of them for their resilience and the fact that they have continued to deliver a great service to ensure a positive customer experience. Well done to you all.”

• Read all of our articles relating to COVID-19 here.