At a Glance
- Tasks: Deliver top-notch customer service via phone, email, and online platforms while managing admin tasks.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at Canal & River Trust, dedicated to enhancing waterways and community engagement.
- Benefits: Enjoy remote work, 25 days holiday, a generous pension scheme, and discounts on boating holidays.
- Why this job: Be part of a supportive culture that values diversity, inclusion, and community impact.
- Qualifications: Experience in customer service and administration, with strong communication and MS Office skills required.
- Other info: Work from home with occasional meetings; apply early as the position may close soon.
The predicted salary is between 21000 - 35000 ÂŁ per year.
Job Description
We’re excited to welcome a part time Customer Service Administrator at our North West location
Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.Â
Working Hours & LocationÂ
This role is a temporary part time Opportunity – 22.5 hours per week. Working days Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, 8:30am to 5pm fixed term ending December 2026. The vacancy will be offered on a remote working basis, with a requirement to attend the hub at Ellesmere Port once a week and meetings every month at Burnley and Ellesmere Port.
Role Overview
The role of Customer Service Administrator is to deliver excellence in customer service. This will involve supporting our customers both over the telephone, email and online notice boards. The role will also involve general administration and financial support to the regional team.
Key Responsibilities
- Being part of the regional customer service team, ensuring that all telephone and email enquiries are managed in a friendly, helpful, professional and conscientious way.
- Managing customer enquiries to resolution and in line with our service level agreements in a timely manner through our customer relationship management system Sugar.
- Clearly communicating navigational updates such as restrictions, closures and advice notices via online customer notice system.
- Accurately booking lock passages and pre-bookable moorings for boaters via online customer licensing system.
- Logging reports, faults and failures of boater Customer Service Facilities such as elsans, pump outs, and bins.
- Liaising with contractors to update live notices.
- Working with internal insurance team to progress and resolve insurance claims.
- Logging all incoming reports of customer accidents, incidents and/or near misses via our internal health and safety system.
- Produce accurate and timely communication for our customers via online notice boards, social media and our website.
- Coordinate the organisation of events and functions within the waterway, for both internal and external customers.
- Provide administration services for the waterway including, minute taking, organisation of occupational health visits and updating of training records.
- Produce accurate and clearly presented reports that support the needs of the business.
- Maintain accurate and well organised systems of records that are easily retrievable (e.g. Sharepoint)
- Use SAP to provide financial and administration services to the waterway, to ensure effective ordering of materials and supplies, to work with notifications and other financial processes.
- Tasks will include raising purchase orders and invoices and actioning goods receipts.
- Ensure that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life.
About you
You’re a reliable, customer‑focused team player who communicates clearly and professionally across phone, email, and digital channels. You stay calm under pressure, handle challenging situations with confidence and tact, and manage your workload with strong organisation and attention to detail. You’re comfortable using digital systems, maintaining accurate records, and supporting both customers and colleagues. Most importantly, you bring a positive, inclusive approach and enjoy delivering great service in a fast‑paced environment.
Skills & Qualifications
- Proven experience in a customer service environment, e.g. providing “front of house” services via telephone, email, notice boards, post, email, social media, etc.
- Proven experience of administration.
- Communication skills that allow you to inform, help and advise customers clearly and professionally and liaise with other professionals.
- Ability to deal with difficult and potentially confrontational situations.
- Confident in the use of the MS Office word processing and spreadsheet software.
- Confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy, when addressing customer enquiries
- Calm under pressure, with good prioritisation skills
- Ability to provide a positive interaction and experience with customers on the phone and face to face.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Contact & ApplicationÂ
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.Â
What We OfferÂ
We offer an annual salary of ÂŁ25,850. Enjoy a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here:EVP – 1. Â
Learn more:Â https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefitsÂ
IND LP
Customer Service Administrator employer: Canal and River Trust
Contact Detail:
Canal and River Trust Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Customer Service Administrator
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with our customer service ethos and the specific tools we use, like Sugar for managing enquiries. Understanding these systems will help you demonstrate your readiness to hit the ground running.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your ability to handle difficult situations by preparing examples from your past experiences. We value patience and diplomacy, so think of scenarios where you turned a challenging customer interaction into a positive outcome.
✨Tip Number 3
Since this role involves working from home, highlight your experience in remote work environments. Discuss how you stay organised and maintain communication with your team, as this is crucial for success in a home-based position.
✨Tip Number 4
Research our organisation's commitment to diversity and inclusion. Be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to these values in your role, as we prioritise creating an inclusive environment for both staff and customers.
We think you need these skills to ace Customer Service Administrator
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in customer service and administration. Use specific examples that demonstrate your ability to handle enquiries professionally and efficiently.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your communication skills and your ability to work under pressure. Mention your familiarity with tools like MS Office and any experience with customer relationship management systems.
Showcase Relevant Skills: In your application, emphasise skills such as patience, tact, and diplomacy. Provide examples of how you've successfully managed difficult situations in the past.
Highlight Remote Work Experience: Since this role involves working from home, mention any previous remote work experience you have. Discuss how you stay organised and maintain productivity in a home environment.
How to prepare for a job interview at Canal and River Trust
✨Showcase Your Customer Service Skills
Make sure to highlight your previous experience in customer service. Share specific examples of how you've handled enquiries, resolved issues, and provided excellent service, especially in challenging situations.
✨Demonstrate Your Communication Abilities
Since the role involves a lot of communication, be prepared to discuss how you effectively communicate with customers via different channels. Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and professionally, as this will be crucial during the interview.
✨Familiarise Yourself with Relevant Tools
Get to know the customer relationship management system mentioned in the job description, such as Sugar, and any other tools like SAP. Showing that you're proactive and willing to learn these systems can set you apart from other candidates.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that assess how you would handle specific customer service scenarios. Think about past experiences where you had to deal with difficult customers or resolve conflicts, and be ready to explain your approach and the outcomes.