Head of Customer Excellence

PURPOSE:

Acting as a member of the Operations Leadership team, the role leads our Customer Excellence programme ensuring that we deliver the very best in customer experience to our 1.4m customers across all Hastings Group brands and products. The role owner would be responsible for a broad and diverse function including Change and Continuous Improvement, Quality Assurance Department, Outsourced Partners, Voice of the Customer and Social Media. They would be required to provide strong leadership and define process and strategy for all customer touch-points in retail operations (excludes claims) driving enhanced multi-channel customer experience whilst also ensuring improved operational efficiency and cost reduction.

DIMENSIONS:

• Manage a Department of 40 plus FTE across a broad spectrum of specialities
• Manage a Departmental budget of GBP4m plus including outsourced contracts
• 4 plus Management level direct reports
• Process, Guidance and Strategy for each function and a holistic approach to customer experience
• Drive an operational efficiency of12% initially in year one, then 7% year on year
• Manage the appropriateness of supporting technology and its effective use
• Through the Outsourced Partnership team, manage the relationship between HD and a number of external suppliers of support services (including print and dispatch, outsourced contact centres (in and out bound - c100 seats, Voice of the Customer programme and Telephony suppliers - AVAYA technology)
• Lead our Social Media customer contact strategy - (response to Facebook and Twitter)
• Ensure regulatory control through our QAD team and operational risk management through our Management Control System
• Manage the Voice of the Customer programme, setting the agenda for improvement on NPS, CSAT, CE (Customer Ease) and working with the broader business to ensure that action plans are in place and delivered, with clear accountability and delivery dates.
• Strong knowledge and experience of the contact centre industry particularly in the financial, sales and services industry, preferably with previous Operational Management experience
• Through understanding of managing a complex change agenda/transformation programme and has previously delivered initiatives with a high dependency on IT
• Practitioner of Lean/Six Sigma - and can apply this knowledge in a business situation as opposed to deliver theoretical models.
• Strong understanding of all regulatory & compliance environment (such as OFCOM, DPA and FCA guidelines) and keeps abreast of changes in the regulatory environment
• Knowledge of risk management and can apply this knowledge in a practical way
• Up to date statistical analysis knowledge
• A high degree of understanding of AVAYA systems and their application to drive improved customer experience

SKILLS/EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Thorough understanding and proven track record of working in contact centers within a large Financial Services organisation.
• Previous experience of managing a diverse portfolio and ability to view customer experience with a holistic approach.
• Track record of driving transformational change across boundaries & change management functions
• Expertise in cutting edge operational methodologies
• Experience of leading analysis functions
• Broad understanding of contact centre technology and abreast of future initiatives
• Passionate and strong advocate of continually enhancing the customer experience
• Able to navigate with ease through organisational structures and proven track record of change delivery across departments
• Strong commercial knowledge to support HD Vision