Customer Contact Officer

Location: Didsbury, Manchester

Salary: £26,038

Assessment Day to take place on Friday 28th of November - wherever possible, we will try to provide a minimum of 1 weeks notice of invitation to attend.

You’ll be the first point of contact for our customers and often colleagues for a wide range of queries that will be received through various contact methods. You’ll work in a fast paced and busy Customer Hub with a focus on providing excellent timely resolution for our customers and colleagues. Every day and every enquiry is different, but you will have plenty of support around you to enable you to deliver the level of service expected, including peer to peer support, specialists and managers who are all easily accessible to provide the coaching and guidance needed.

What you’ll be doing:

• Responding to a range of customer and colleague queries which will include raising repairs, rent account management, tenancy related issues, ASB queries, re-housing advice and complaints.
• Responding to these enquiries in a timely manner through a range of ways such as over the phone, by email and by webchat in line with our quality guidelines and service standards.
• Providing guidance and assistance to customers to enable them, where possible, to resolve issues themselves or where appropriate signpost to other agencies who can support them.
• Managing difficult situations and customers, but knowing when to escalate more complex queries to the Neighbourhood Colleagues, Specialists or Team Managers.
• Identifying safeguarding concerns and ensure they are dealt with promptly and in line with our guidelines.
• Ensuring that clear, comprehensive and timely records are logged into our systems for all contacts.
• Managing customer expectations about the services we offer and have a good understanding of the customer’s responsibilities when holding a tenancy.
• Part of a team rota, where you’ll be working between the hours of 8am to 6pm.
• You’ll work part of the week in the office, and part of the week from home (once fully trained).

Our client is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expects all our colleagues to share this commitment; this role is subject to a basic DBS check.

What we need from you:

• A commitment to understand the challenges and opportunities that exist in the communities in which we work. We particularly value lived experience in social housing.
• A passion to advocate on behalf of people and communities.
• Commitment to work in partnership with others for the benefit of our client.
• A commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
• Ability to work flexibly and when needed outside normal working hours to ensure service continuity.
• An ability to work in uncertainty.
• To be professional and work with integrity, inclusivity and respect for diversity.

What you’ll need:

• Experience of working in a customer focused role.
• Experience of responding to and resolving challenging customer situations.
• The ability to, and comfortable with, making decisions supported by knowledge and experience.
• The ability to build effective relationships with colleagues and other stakeholders so you are able to find the right information, and resolve problems.
• Experience of using Microsoft office or similar.
• The ability to complete tasks in an accurate and timely manner when working under pressure.
• Great written and verbal communication.
• Good organisation skills and the ability to time-manage your work load.

What we give you in return for your hard work and commitment:

• Pension: DC scheme (up to 10% contribution from both colleagues and our client).
• WPA Healthcare scheme starts at no contribution level with £1250 of savings available per year (option to increase & add family members).
• Ways of Working: We offer some hybrid and flexible working.
• Annual leave: Start at 26 days annual leave, increasing up to 30 days within 5 years + Bank Holidays.
• Reward & Recognition: You Count Rewards are individual rewards for going ‘above & beyond’.
• Professional fees: The business pays the cost of one professional role related membership fee for each colleague.
• The Market Place: high street, restaurant & supermarket discounts, gym memberships, cycle to work, smart tech loans and much more.
• Wage Stream: You can access savings opportunities and early access to wages.
• Health and Wellbeing Initiatives: Our colleagues enjoy wellbeing campaigns throughout the year, with activities designed around our four pillars of wellbeing, these include career wellbeing, mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing and financial wellbeing.

Closing date: 14th November

Shortlist date: 15th November

Interview date: TBC