Customer Services Centre Officer (Sc5)

Job Category : Admin / Clerical

Location : Laurence House – Fourth Floor, Lewisham Council

Hours Per Week :35.00

Start Date: Immediate Start   

Start Time : 09:00

End Time : 17:00

Salary: £18.51

We seek to recruit x3 agency staff who will work as Customer Service Centre Officers within the Customer Service Centre on a full time basis, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.  

The candidates will preferably have call centre and telephony based experience and would have come from a social housing/housing repairs background. However this is not mandatory as training will be provided.  

The candidates will have excellent customer service skills (soft skills) with a can do attitude, an appetite for problem solving/first time resolution and are able to work effectively as part of a team in a busy and fast paced environment.  The Customer Service Centre handles customer enquiries for the following services:  Corporate Switchboard, Envirocall, Housing Repairs, Housing Needs, Planning, Registration Services, Highways Licensing, Social Media and BSL calls.   

This will be an office based role with some home working.
Equal Opportunities

An understanding of and commitment to the Councils Equal Opportunities 

policies and their practical application in relation to this post.                                  

Main Purpose of the job:

To respond to customer contact within the Customer Service Centre, either by telephone, call-backs, face to face, online or through other channels which may be complex or of an urgent/ emergency nature including follow-up and liaison with other services as required to ensure timely and satisfactory resolution.

To effectively support customers in using a number of Council services, predominantly through the promotion of online and other self-service methods.

Provide administrative support to a number of Council services, the scope of which may vary over time dependent on service and customer needs.

Ensure a high-quality service is provided to customers in line with corporate and local policies and procedures to achieve key performance indicators (KPI’s) including Customer Satisfaction and First Contact Resolution.

To be a Customer Service champion and work across the organisation to represent the voice of the customer, ensuring the satisfactory resolution of enquiries and ongoing improvements to the customer experience.

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Summary of Responsibilities and Personal Duties:

1. Provide support through a variety of channels (including but not limited to phone, either inbound, outbound or call-backs, face to face/ floor-walking, email, online, social media, web chat and other self-service) to customers in accessing and using a number of Council services, promoting the use of and supporting customers in accessing online and other self-service methods and ensuring satisfactory resolution of enquiries and issues.

• To handle enquiries received through all channels that may be of a complex or emergency nature including follow-up and liaison with other departments as required to attain a satisfactory resolution.

• To support customers by fully understanding the issues raised including relevant error messages and on-screen information that can be provided to other departments (e.g. CRM/ IT & Digital teams and other services) to ensure ongoing improvements to systems and processes.

• Process requests, enquiries and complaints for various services. liaising with back office staff, subject matter experts and external parties as necessary for timely and satisfactory resolution.

Be responsible for taking payments in accordance with the Council’s financial procedures and regulations

Knowledge

Knowledge and understanding of Best Practice Customer Service.              

Good general awareness of the services delivered within the Customer 

Service Centre.                                                                                                            

Good general knowledge of the functions and services of a Local Authority.          

Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislations. 

Aptitude

A commitment to delivering excellent Customer Service that meets the 

needs of customers.

Ability to follow procedures and work instructions.                                                                         

Ability to learn and deliver new services incorporated in to the Customer 

Service Centre. 

Ability to train, mentor and coach staff.

An ability to work with a flexible and adaptable approach. 

Able to act confidently, decisively and in a professional manner at all times.

Able to deal firmly and diplomatically with a wide range of people and situations.                                    

Skills

Excellent Customer Service skills.

Excellent time management.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Excellent administrative and organisational skills.

Excellent interpersonal skills.

Excellent ICT skills.  

Good keyboard skills.                                                                  

Experience

Experience of working in a high pressure/ demanding front-line customer 

facing service.                                                                                                             

Experience of dealing and resolving customer enquiries and complaints

to their satisfactory conclusion.                                                                                 

Experience of using relevant IT systems (e.g. CRM/ QMatic/ ACD/ 

Other relevant systems/ databases).                                                                         

Experience of dealing with challenging customers.                                                                                                  

Experience of working within a Performance Management Culture achieving 

Performance & Quality targets.                                                                                 

Experience of dealing with emergency situations (as received via telephone/ 

Switchboard) and invoking Emergency Planning/ Business Continuity 

Processes.                                                                                                                   

Experience of effectively handling confidential and sensitive information.              

General Education

Educated to GSCE level (or equivalent) or have significant relevant work experience. 

Personal Qualities

Customer focused

Punctual / excellent time-keeping 

To be self-disciplined

Ability to work effectively on own or as part of a team

Flexible with a positive attitude towards change

Calm approach when dealing customers and emergencies situations

Circumstances

Ability to strictly adhere to a changeable daily rota

Ability to change working patterns/ shifts at short notice if required                                                                        Must follow the dress code of the Customer Service Centre and wear supplied clothing/ uniform where required.