Beyond Insight: Evolving your TSM Survey to Drive Action

Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) have brought a welcome focus on understanding tenant perceptions.

Every year, landlords are required to conduct perception surveys using a standardised question set prescribed by the Regulator of Social Housing. These questions ensure consistency and comparability across providers, forming the backbone of sector-wide benchmarking. 

But while the core TSM questions are fixed in order, wording and scale, landlords have the flexibility to ask additional questions. This presents a valuable opportunity, one that I promote with all our clients, but one that I often see underutilised or misdirected. When speaking with TSM clients, I’m often asked about what the latest trends are for the additional questions, and whilst measuring and tracking customer effort is certainly a big theme right now, I tend to answer by stressing that whatever additional questions you ask, make sure they are ‘need to know’ and not just ‘nice to know’.   

The Temptation of “Interesting” Insight 

It’s super easy to fall into the trap of asking questions that simply generate insight. Insight might reveal tenants’ preferences, attitudes, or behaviours in a general sense. They might even produce compelling statistics or quotes for board reports or annual reviews.  Fundamentally, it is interesting.  

But be under no illusions, insight alone isn’t enough. 

In a sector where resources are increasingly stretched and the stakes are high, I believe with a firm conviction that every additional question must earn its place. That means going beyond curiosity and asking: What will we do with this information? 

Actionable insight is specific, segmented, and tied to a decision or intervention. It helps you prioritise, allocate resources, and design services that better meet tenant needs. 

One of the most overlooked risks in perception survey design is what I term “questionnaire design by management.” This occurs when survey questions are shaped primarily by internal assumptions, departmental agendas, or legacy KPIs—rather than by tenant realities or strategic decision-making needs. While well-intentioned, this approach often results in questions that validate existing narratives or generate data that’s interesting but ultimately unusable. Worse still, it can create blind spots by failing to surface the issues that matter most to tenants. For housing executives, the danger is clear: surveys designed in this way may give the illusion of listening without the substance of change, undermining both accountability and trust. To avoid this, executives must ensure that every question is rooted in a clear purpose—aligned to service levers, tenant segmentation, and actionable outcomes. 

Designing Questions That Drive Change 

To move from insight to action, survey design must be intentional. Here are five principles to guide the development of additional questions in your TSM survey: 

1. Start with the decision, not the question.
   Ask: What decision are we trying to inform? Then design the question to support that. 

1. Segment wherever possible.
   Actionable insight often comes from understanding differences—by age, tenure, vulnerability, or service usage. 

1. Link to service levers.
   Focus on areas where you can actually make changes: communication methods, response times, staff behaviours, etc. 

1. Avoid duplication.
   Don’t ask questions that repeat or slightly reword the TSMs. Use the flexibility to explore adjacent areas that add depth. 

1. Test for clarity and relevance.
   Pilot your questions with a small group of tenants or colleagues to ensure they’re understood and meaningful. 

The Risk of Asking Too Much 

There’s also a risk in asking too many questions. Overloading surveys can lead to fatigue, lower response rates, and diluted data quality. With this in mind, every question should be justified by its potential to inform a tangible improvement. 

Conclusion: Insight with Impact 

The TSM framework provides a solid foundation for understanding tenant satisfaction. But the real value lies in what landlords choose to do beyond the core questions. 

By designing surveys that generate actionable insight, housing providers can move from measurement to meaningful change—improving services, strengthening trust, and delivering better outcomes for tenants.