Customer Service Assistant

We are seeking Customer service assistants to deliver excellent customer service by efficiently managing and resolving customer enquiries to the highest standards via existing channels and upcoming digital contact channels. This will be across multiple disciplines for council wide services. You will listen and engage with our customers and support them to access our services through a range of evolving channels.

Duties & Responsibilities

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Accountable for providing excellent customer service to a wide range of customers via any access channel.

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Working within the agreed customer service standards, social media protocols and council policies and performing against agreed targets and service level agreements.

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Maintaining a high level of care and accuracy when handling customer information and records within the Council's customer contact system, service specific information systems and the council's payment system.

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Take ownership of customer enquiries and providing the appropriate level of advice and guidance by using a combination of systems, experience and available sources of information to offer the customer a satisfactory outcome to their enquiry.

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Responsible for processing customer payments ensuring all financial information is input into the appropriate systems with a high degree of accuracy

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Responsible for responding to social media service enquiries and complaints in a timely manner and in line with the council's social media protocols.

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Responsible for driving awareness of social media threads with peers and line managers to warn of possible areas of concern to minimise reputational impacts and identify potential areas for improvement.

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First point of contact and all initial contact for the advice, referral and assessment service for the Children and Young People's Service. Daily contact will be from professional bodies, agencies, relatives, members of the public and children themselves who may be concerned, emotionally upset, angry or distressed.

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To record information from council officers regarding safeguarding.

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Responsible for administering the complaints across all council services including vulnerable children and adults and following statutory guidelines. These contacts need to be supported through the process and must be provided with clear and concise information.

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Contribute to the development of colleagues via support of new employees including on the job training and mentoring.

Requirements

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12 months experience of working in a customer facing and/or contact centre environment, or 12 months experience in delivering services on one of the following areas:

Environment Services / Highways Services / Corporate Complaints / Registrars Services / Children's Services Housing Services

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Knowledge of local government services.

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Experience in delivering effective telephony and online support and dealing with inbound and outbound contact is required.

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Experience of working in a high volume, pressure environment across multiple disciplines where it is required to simultaneously handle multi-media enquiries and payments within quality and handling time targets whilst recording information to a high degree of accuracy on various systems.

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Training will be required for the Councils mandatory learning in Information Governance and Safeguarding Children.

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Must be willing to undertake training in the use of the Children's Services systems and processes for first point of contact for advice, referral and assessment.

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Proficient in the use of digital channels e.g. web and social media.

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Be knowledgeable in social media trends and innovations within the social sector.

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Have a good understanding of contact centre and customer management systems.

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A highly developed knowledge of customer services techniques and working practices.

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Have an understanding of The Children's Act 1989 and The Care Act 2014