Customer Service Assistant - Peterborough

1 x Part time (18.5 Hours) 1 x Full time (37 Hours)

Salary: £17,117.00 (Pro-rata for part time)

Main Purpose:

We are looking to recruit two Customer Service Assistants to provide an efficient, effective and customer focussed first point of contact for customers telephoning and emailing Customer Services. You will provide a knowledgeable and professional service covering a range of council services and manage customer contacts in an efficient, effective and caring manner to ensure that excellent customer service is delivered.

The part time position will be more focussed on Council Tax queries.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• To provide a switchboard service to customers telephoning the council.
• To deal with and resolve customer enquiries over a range of services, including responsibility for ensuring that further actions are taken or requested as appropriate.
• Ensure information is entered correctly into the appropriate information systems, including an overarching CRM System
• Refer to information provided as required to ensure consistency of responses.
• To ensure customers contacting the Council by telephone and email receive an excellent level of customer service.
• To prioritise actions and decisions according to customer needs.
• To develop and maintain your knowledge of the service areas responsible for to ensure customers receive accurate information and a ‘one stop’ service for query resolution.
• To communicate openly and effectively with customers, managers, colleagues, partner organisations and elected members as appropriate
• To ensure a ‘seamless’ service is provided across service areas through effective teamwork, attention to detail and work management.
• To take ‘ownership’ of a customer queries and ensure a satisfactory resolution is achieved for the customer and the Council.
• To comply with Data Protection requirements and maintain the security of Serco and Peterborough City Council documents and information in accordance with legislation and agreed guidelines

Skills and Experience:

• Ability to communicate effectively by telephone, in writing and face to face
• Experience of dealing with customer queries politely and helpfully within customer care
• Work constructively with others and on own initiative where required
• Be able to remain calm in a pressurised environment
• Ability to use telephony systems  and databases to extract, record, and relay information relating to customer enquiries
• Experienced in the use of IT within an office environment
• 1 year of working in a customer service environment (desirable)

On occasion we receive significantly more applicants than expected for some vacancies and under such circumstances we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the advertisement. We therefore strongly advise you to apply for the role promptly to avoid disappointment should the closing date be brought forward. Serco is committed to equal opportunities and requests any potential applicant to contact the Serco Recruitment Team as soon as possible if an applicant has any additional queries, requirements or will need additional time in submitting an application should the closing date of the advertisement be brought forward.