Customer Service Representative in Havant

Overview

We are seeking a Customer Service Advisor to join our onsite team at Havant Borough Council. This position is perfect for individuals with a background in customer service. This is a highly diverse role where no two days are the same. By working closely with the public, you will play a pivotal role in delivering outstanding service and enhancing the community\’s interaction with their local authority. As a Customer Service Representative, you will engage directly with the public, addressing a wide range of queries about council services. Your goal will be to provide accurate information promptly, ensuring an exceptional customer experience every time.

This role makes a positive difference by providing customers with a first class, understanding service by assisting with and answering any queries via the Council\’s various access channels while also supporting various administrative functions. The role of the Customer Service Representative will act as the first point of contact for enquiries, handle requests, and perform administration tasks to support officers and teams throughout the Council thereby assisting in the delivery of services to residents of the Borough.

Responsibilities

• Provide efficient and effective customer service to all customers who are contacting Customer Services by telephone, personal visit to reception and customer access point, online, e‑mail or in writing.
• Provide clear, accurate and concise responses to all customers ensuring compliance with Council policy and procedure.
• Ensure that records and information on Council\’s computer systems covering the full range of Council services, including case‑management systems, are accurately recorded and updated where necessary.
• Manage and record customer complaints in a professional and timely manner in line with the Councils complaints procedure, escalating issues when necessary.
• Promote self‑service and channel shift in line with Council’s strategy, supporting customers with the use of self‑serve terminals and web access points located within reception areas.
• Monitor shared mailboxes and action/respond to internal and external emails as appropriate.
• Support with administrative tasks that involve working with spreadsheets and documents for activities such as gathering and compiling data, maintaining records and producing and formatting documents.
• Work with various teams to make updates and changes to the Council’s website, intranet, policies and core records to ensure the information we hold and publish is up‑to‑date, accurate and of good quality.
• Cooperate with the implementation of new services/processes into the team and help ensure that all arrangements, systems and resources are in place to enable services to be delivered in a customer‑focused and business‑like way.

Qualifications

You will have experience of working in a busy customer services environment, responding appropriately to customer requests and identifying solutions to issues, making effective use of available information technology systems.

You must be understanding and have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, be approachable and willing to assist others, and have the ability to work under pressure.

You will be required to be flexible and have an enthusiastic approach to work, with the ability to adapt to change at short notice, have good keyboard skills, including knowledge of Word and Excel.

If you have excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, strong IT skills, and a desire to develop your skills further to support the Council’s customer experience and access strategy in delivering excellent customer service, then you are the kind of person we want to hear from.

Equal Opportunities

Disability Confident. A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. In certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people.

About Havant Borough Council

Havant Borough Council serves over 125,000 residents, providing a range of critical services to residents and businesses. An award‑winning authority, it is committed to Wellbeing (the health of our communities), Pride in Place (creating a great place to live, work and enjoy) and Growth (building our future). Nestled between the Solent coastline and the South Downs, working at the council provides an excellent work/life balance. The Public Service Plaza is conveniently situated within a few minutes\’ walk of a mainline train station, the bustling town centre, and bus station. Be a part of something where you can not only make a great difference but enjoy a wider range of benefits including an excellent pension scheme, discounted gym membership and volunteer leave.

Benefits

• A competitive salary
• Generous leave allowance
• Free parking
• Support for your continuous professional development
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• A comprehensive benefits package – find out more on our website www.havant.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers