CONTACTING US AT CONNAUGHT HALL

We can help you most efficiently and effectively at Connaught hall if you contact us using our published email addresses:

• The Hall Management team: info.connaught@london.ac.uk
• The Warden: warden@connaught-hall.org.uk
• Suggestions, compliments & complaints: suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk
• Noise complaints: noise@connaught-hall.org.uk

We aim to reply to all emails within 3 working days of receipt, but we are usually much quicker than this.

If you try to contact us using Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, iMessage, or other media, we don't always see your message right away and this can cause very significant delays to our response (in some cases, where Facebook Messenger has put messages into the "filtered messages" folder, they have only been seen months after the message was sent!).

Our "How can we help you" poster is displayed prominently around the Hall and tells you the best way to contact us for pretty much any kind of query or problem: 

• https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8aHo3-r-MQLN1EzMHZzSTQ2RXc

There's more information about how to contact the Warden - and specifically how to arrange an appointment to meet - here:

• https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8aHo3-r-MQLeUo5eWdzRzVUVVk

Finally, please may we reiterate that it's best not to contact us about official queries or problems via Facebook or other social media, as this can lead to a delay in us responding to you.

As always, get in contact if you need any help or guidance. We depend on your feedback to help us get things right for you.

Contacting us at Connaught Hall

Hall residents - You should have received this email on Thursday 3rd December 2015.
If you didn't, it might be because it's gone to your junk / spam folder ... so the message is especially relevant to you!

Or it might be that you've changed your email address and haven't told us - in which case, please let us know your new email at info.connaught@london.ac.uk.


CONTACTING US AT CONNAUGHT HALL

We can help you most efficiently and effectively at Connaught Hall if you contact us using our published email addresses. There have been some cases recently where residents have used Facebook or other messaging tools to report problems, and this has caused delays in our response.

Our "How can we help you" poster is displayed prominently around the Hall and tells you the best way to contact us for pretty much any kind of query or problem. You can view the poster online here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aHo3-r-MQLN1EzMHZzSTQ2RXc/view. 

We aim to reply to most correspondence within three working days (in practice, we can often reply within one day, but at busy times can't guarantee this).

Another difficulty we have identified is that sometimes our emails can be diverted to your junk or spam folder. To ensure this doesn't happen, please take a few moments now to add the following addresses to your email address book, contacts, safe list, or white list:

• info.halls@london.ac.uk
• info.connaught@london.ac.uk
• warden@connaught-hall.org.uk
• noise@connaught-hall.org.uk
• suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk

Adding them to your address book could also make contacting us a little easier.
There's more information about how to contact me - and specifically how to arrange an appointment to meet - here: http://warden-contact.connaught-hall.org.uk/

Finally, please may I reiterate that it's best not to contact us about official queries or problems via Facebook, as this can lead to a delay in us responding to you.

As always, get in contact if you need any help or guidance. We depend on your feedback to help us get things right for you.

suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk

The email address to give feedback about anything at Connaught Hall is suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk.

Some respondents to the residents' survey were not aware of this address (stating they didn't know how to give feedback). One respondent was unhappy upon finding out that his/her email about catering had been distributed to some members of the Residents' Club Committee. Another said s/he expected emails to the suggestion box would be anonymised.

The full distribution list for suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk is:

• the Warden;
• the Hall Manager;
• from the catering company - the regional Catering Manager and our local Chef-Manager, as well as the company's own "comments" email address, cateringcomments@london.ac.uk;
• the Facilities Committee Senior Member (and this year only, the McSF Senior Member);
• the President and Secretary of the Residents' Club Committee.

This distribution ensures that the right person receives your email straight away, helping us to provide a timely response. By not anonymising emails, we can reply to the person who writes to us and let them know what action we have taken, or ask if we need more information about the complaint or suggestion.

The existence, purpose, and distribution of the suggestions email is well advertised online and in Hall --

On our website:

On the table-top fliers in the dining hall:

And on posters:

The address is also mentioned at several places in the residents' handbook. 

In light of the survey comments, I have looked at what we already have on this and cannot at this time see any way in which I can make the existence, purpose, or distribution of suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk any clearer. 

It would be possible to have emails reviewed by one person (probably me) initially, then anonymised and forwarded to the person(s) who need to see it - e.g. if it's a complaint about catering, it would be sent only to the catering team. Such a system, however, would have disadvantages over the present arrangement:

• it would slow down receipt of the email by the person who needs to act on it by up to 72 hours, if the email were sent on a Friday morning and the reviewer could not review and forward it until Friday evening, to be received by office workers on Monday morning;
• anonymised emails would not be replied to, so you would never know what action had been taken;
• it would prevent the Residents' Club Committee, facilities Senior Member, and Hall Manager from reviewing the whole spectrum of complaints, so we wouldn't see patterns of complaints that might need action higher up that at the individual service level.

Of course, if you are worried about your identity being known, or about your email being read by people not directly involved in your complaint or suggestion, you can always write to me (warden@connaught-hall.org.uk) with your ideas or complaints ans ask me to pass them on - anonymously if you prefer - to the relevant people or offices.

If you have any feedback on the publicity we produce for our suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk address, or any thoughts on a better way of providing feedback, please get in touch with me. I should be especially interested to hear your views on the distribution of emails sent to the suggestion box: are you uncomfortable with your suggestions being seen by everyone on the distribution list?

This is one of a series of posts responding to the results of the residents' survey. You can see all the posts here: http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Survey%202013. 

Incorrect contact details

I was sorry to read these comments from the residents' survey:

I have never been able to use the email address for [catering] feedback. Apparently, it does not exist.

When I tried to ring the finance office the numbers were incorrect and I could not reach them.

Most of the contact details you might need for the Hall and the University of London are at http://contacts.connaught-hall.org.uk. All suggestions, comments, and complaints (including catering ones) can be sent to suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk. 

This poster explains how to contact us for different kinds of problems:

If you find any of the contact details on our website, the poster above, or in the Residents' Handbook are incorrect, please email the suggestions address as soon as possible so we can update them.

This is one of a series of posts responding to the results of the residents' survey. You can see all the posts here: http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Survey%202013. 

Information deficit?

We do try very hard at Connaught Hall to keep everyone informed of what's going on, and to provide high quality, accessible information about our facilities and services. Some of the responses to this year's survey, however, demonstrate that we are still not quite reaching everyone with the information they need.

When I first arrived at the hall, nobody told me that there was a good lift which I could use. So I lifted my own luggage to my floor (The lift only goes to the second top floor, but I live on the top floor). No guidance of facilities or introduction to the hall was provided, maybe because I moved in the second term. Still, I think every resident would like to receive helpful guidance and information upon their arrival. Besides, there were not many welcome arrangements.

More explanation about the hall, especially for overseas students.

The events have been thoroughly organised, although I think promotion could have been done further in advance (and not just on Facebook). 

Our Residents' Handbook is the official source of information about the Hall: handbook.connaught-hall.org.uk. I wrote and designed the Handbook myself and update it every year. It does contain a large section aimed at international students. But it does not mention the goods lift: I will correct this for the start of the next academic year. We shall also put up directions to the goods lift in reception on the main arrival days next year, and provide instructions on how to use it.

There is alsway more information being published here on my blog (blog.connaught-hall.org.uk), on our Facebook page (facebook.connaught-hall.org.uk), Twitter (tweets.connaught-hall.org.uk) and more recently, Instagram, Google+, and our YouTube channel, ConnaughtTV.

It's clear, however, that information in the Handbook is often simply not read. Most of my blog posts only ever reach around 100 views, so are obviously not reaching most residents; not everyone is on Facebook (especially students from China, where Facebook is banned); and only a minority of residents follow our Twitter profile. Instagram and Google+ even more obscure. So how do we get information out? More emails are not the answer: most of us receive too many emails already.

So  today I have designed new "tweetboard" and "tweet-tips" posters:

These laminated signs will be prominently displayed in reception and frequently updated with very short updates, answers, tips, advice, and guides to our facilities. It's Twitter for people who aren't on Twitter.

During the first few weeks of term 1, the tweet-tips board will cover all the important rules and facilities in Hall - so if you see that board every day, you will barely even need to read the Handbook!

The advantages of tweet-sized bits of information are:

• more memorable and digestible than long passages of text;
• large text will be clearly visible so it's difficult to miss announcements;
• easier for us to update very frequently without designing a whole new poster each time;
• every "tweet" will be dated;
• once the initial outlay for the full-colour, laminated templates is made, the plain text signs will be very cheap to print.

I hope these new posters will help get information to those people who are currently missing out.

This is one of a series of posts responding to the results of the residents' survey. You can see all the posts here: http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Survey%202013. 

Have you missed some important emails?

Have you missed important correspondence?

Several residents have not received recent important emails from Connaught Hall and the University of London. Later this month, we will be inviting applications for re-admission next year. This process is by email and if you miss the deadline, you cannot apply for re-admission. Make sure you receive all your email and don't miss out on any opportunities:

1. Check we have the right email address for you

If you have changed your email address since you applied for accommodation, please write to info.connaught@london.ac.uk and info.halls@london.ac.uk with your current email and ask us to update your details.

2. Check your junk mail / spam folder

Please check your junk mail / spam folder now for mail from info.halls@london.ac.uk and Adrian Clark (warden@connaught-hall.org.uk).

3. Add us to your contacts

To ensure you don't miss any future correspondence, please add warden@connaught-hall.org.uk and info.halls@london.ac.uk to your email address book / contacts, or to your safe senders list /whitelist.

Make sure we have the right email address for you, check your spam settings, and add us to your contacts!

Several residents have not received recent important emails from the Hall.
If you have changed your email address since you applied for accommodation (or if you gave your parents' email address on your application form because you were away during the summer), please write to info@connaught-hall.org.uk with your current email.

Please also check your junk / spam folder for mail from info.halls@london.ac.uk & warden@connaught-hall.org.uk and make sure we are on your safe senders list.

GMAIL, HOTMAIL & YAHOO USERS are almost certainly not receiving some important emails from the Hall. Please add warden@connaught-hall.org.uk & info.halls@london.ac.uk to your contacts today.

If you don't receive email from us, you won't be able to claim rebates on your Hall fees over Christmas, will miss payment deadlines and risk debt collection action, and miss out on social events and other opportunities available to residents.

Contacting the Warden's team

The Senior Members and I are resident in Hall, so you will often see us around the building. The team member living on your floor is often a good first point of contact. You are welcome to approach us whenever you see us in Hall; if we are not immediately available, we will arrange a time to meet.

Leave a note at reception or email me (warden@connaught-hall.org.uk) if you would like an appointment to see me, or look out for posters advertising my next open office session, when you can drop in to see me in my office without an appointment.

If you don’t need to discuss things in person, you can just write to us about the problem. You can email all the team at the same time using wardens.team@connaught-hall.org.uk, or use our online contact page at http://warden.connaught-hall.org.uk/, which will guide you through all the information we need to be best able to deal with your query quickly and efficiently. Individual Senior Members can be contacted by email using the format firstname.lastname@connaught-hall.org.uk.

We also have a dedicated email address for reporting noise problems as this is probably the thing we deal with most: noise@connaught-hall.org.uk.

There is an on-call Duty Officer from the Warden’s team available whenever the Bursar’s Office is closed, to help with any emergencies that arise in Hall (e.g. fire, lost keys, intruders, medical emergencies, injuries, disciplinary problems, emergency maintenance needs, etc.). The person on duty can always be contacted via reception.