At a Glance
- Tasks: Support customers and sales teams by managing enquiries, orders, and ensuring smooth communication.
- Company: Join Macfarlane Packaging, a leader in sustainable packaging solutions with a friendly culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, bonus schemes, flexible benefits, and 25+ days of annual leave.
- Other info: Office-based role in Grantham; own transport preferred.
- Why this job: Kickstart your career in a dynamic environment with opportunities for growth and development.
- Qualifications: Previous customer service or sales support experience is a plus; strong organisational skills are essential.
Location: Grantham (Alma Park Industrial Estate)
Package: Basic salary up to £32,000 (dependent on experience) plus bonus/commission & excellent PLC benefits
Hours: Monday to Friday, between 8:00am and 5:00pm
Sector: Packaging Design & Manufacturing
Protecting what matters, together. At Macfarlane Packaging, we're dedicated to protecting what matters most - our people, our customers, our communities and the environment. Our commitment to customer satisfaction, sustainability and continual improvement creates a collaborative, supportive and friendly workplace where you can build a rewarding career.
With over 75 years of history, we combine the stability of an established business with the ambition and pace of a growing organisation. Our fast-paced, results-driven environment will challenge and stretch you, whilst providing genuine opportunities for personal and professional development.
We offer competitive rewards, flexible benefits and a culture that values teamwork, adaptability, customer focus and continuous improvement. If you're organised, commercially aware and take pride in delivering great customer service, we'd love to hear from you.
The Customer Service Sales Support Role:
Working within our Grantham design and manufacturing operation, you'll play a key role in supporting our customers and external sales colleagues, ensuring enquiries, quotations and orders are managed accurately and efficiently from initial contact through to fulfilment.
This is primarily a customer service and sales administration role, with a strong emphasis on processing orders, preparing quotations, maintaining accurate records and coordinating with internal teams to ensure customer requirements are delivered correctly and on time.
You’ll act as an important link between customers and our Production, Procurement and Logistics teams, helping coordinate delivery arrangements, communicate expected delivery times, provide updates on delays or changes, and ensure customers remain informed throughout the order journey.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage day-to-day customer enquiries, primarily via email, responding accurately, promptly and professionally.
- Process customer orders accurately and efficiently, ensuring all relevant information is captured correctly.
- Prepare quotations and supporting documentation, following up as appropriate.
- Maintain accurate customer, order and sales information within Microsoft Dynamics and other internal systems.
- Coordinate closely with Production, Procurement and Logistics to ensure smooth and accurate order fulfilment.
- Help coordinate customer deliveries, including confirming delivery arrangements, providing updates and communicating any delays or changes.
- Support external Sales colleagues with customer communications, quotations, order updates and account administration.
- Monitor pending orders and customer requirements, proactively identifying and resolving potential issues.
- Manage sales administration across a portfolio of customer accounts, ensuring records and documentation remain accurate and up to date.
- Respond to telephone enquiries and communicate confidently with customers and colleagues when required.
- Resolve customer queries and issues promptly, taking ownership through to a satisfactory outcome.
- Follow up quotations and outstanding enquiries to support effective sales progression.
- Identify opportunities to increase customer spend through appropriate upselling and cross-selling as your knowledge and confidence develops.
What You Will Bring:
We’re looking for someone who is highly organised, detail-focused and customer-minded, with the ability to manage a varied workload accurately and efficiently within a busy commercial environment.
You’ll ideally bring:
- Previous experience in customer service, sales administration, sales support or a similar coordination role.
- Strong administrative and organisational skills with excellent attention to detail.
- The ability to process information accurately and manage multiple orders, enquiries and priorities simultaneously.
- A proactive and dependable approach, with the ability to take ownership of tasks and follow them through to completion.
- Good written communication skills and confidence communicating professionally with customers and colleagues.
- A professional telephone manner and the confidence to handle verbal customer interaction when required.
- Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and CRM systems.
- The ability to work collaboratively across different departments whilst also managing your own workload effectively.
- A commercially aware and customer-focused mindset, with an interest in developing your sales skills over time.
- The ability to remain calm and solutions-focused when managing delivery changes, customer queries or operational issues.
Experience within manufacturing, production, packaging or another industrial environment would be advantageous, as would previous experience using Microsoft Dynamics or similar CRM systems.
Please note that this is a wholly office-based role and, due to the location of our Grantham site, own transport is preferred.
What You Will Get:
We provide a competitive salary alongside a range of rewarding bonus and incentive schemes. Our flexible employee benefits package can include:
- 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 days with service) plus all public/bank holidays
- Additional Holiday Purchasing Scheme
- Contributory pension scheme
- Free parking at most of our site locations
- Annual paid Volunteering Day
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Extensive training, development and progression opportunities
- Employee discount scheme across major retail and leisure brands
- Simply Health/Dental Cover option or BUPA cover for qualifying roles
- Enhanced family-friendly policies
- Long service awards
- Charitable giving options
- Financial support with eye tests and DSE glasses
- EE Mobile discount scheme
- Candidate referral scheme
Your Future With Us:
At Macfarlane Packaging, we actively support career development and internal progression. This role provides an excellent foundation from which to build broader customer service, sales and commercial experience.
As your knowledge and confidence develop, there may be opportunities to take on greater responsibility across account development, internal sales or wider commercial roles. You’ll be supported through structured training, mentoring and development opportunities to help you build your career with us.
How to Apply/Next Steps:
We are working swiftly to find the best applicants and hope to hold local interviews ASAP. Please click 'apply' to submit your up-to-date CV. All applications will be acknowledged. If you haven't heard from us within a fortnight, please assume your application was unsuccessful.
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, gender expression, religion or sexual orientation. Should you require any specific support or adjustments during the recruitment process, please email our recruitment team directly.
No recruitment agencies please.
Customer Service Sales Support employer: Macfarlane Packaging
Gottlieb Packaging Materials, part of Macfarlane Group plc, is an excellent employer located in Trafford Park, Manchester, offering a dynamic and supportive work environment. With a strong focus on employee growth, we provide comprehensive training and development opportunities, alongside competitive salaries and benefits, including 25 days of annual leave and a company pension scheme. Our collaborative culture encourages long-term career progression, making it an ideal place for individuals seeking meaningful and rewarding employment in the packaging distribution sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Customer Service Sales Support
✨Get to Know the Company Culture
Before jumping into applications, it’s super helpful to understand the vibe at Macfarlane Packaging. Check out their social media, read reviews on sites like Glassdoor, and see how they engage with customers. It'll give you clues on their values and help tailor your conversation during interviews.
✨Join Customer Support Communities
Dive into online communities like those on Reddit or LinkedIn where customer support pros hang out. Participating in discussions or asking questions can make you more visible to potential recruiters and help you learn about job openings at companies like Macfarlane Packaging before they even post them.
✨Attend Job Fairs or Networking Events
Look out for local job fairs or events specifically for customer support roles. This is your chance to meet hiring managers face-to-face, and you might even get the opportunity to interview on the spot!
✨Show Off Your Skills with Customer Interactions
In the customer support world, showcasing your communication skills is key. Consider creating a short video introducing yourself or even doing a mock call to showcase your abilities. It's a memorable way to stand out, especially if you can share this during your interview process!
We think you need these skills to ace Customer Service Sales Support
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Communication Skills:In customer support, clear communication is key. Make sure your CV highlights any experience you've had in customer-facing roles and your ability to resolve issues. Don't shy away from including specific examples of how you've gone above and beyond to help customers – this really shows your potential in the role.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to Macfarlane Packaging:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Tell us why you want to work at Macfarlane Packaging specifically. Mention any unique aspects of our company that resonate with you and how your skills can enhance our customer support. This personal touch will set your application apart from the rest!
Highlight Any Relevant Tools or Tech Skills:If you've used customer support software like Zendesk or Freshdesk or have experience with CRM systems, make sure to mention these in your application. Being familiar with industry-standard tools can be a big plus for us when we’re reviewing applications, as it shows you can hit the ground running!
Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills:Customer support roles often require a knack for problem-solving. In your application, share examples of past experiences where you've tackled tough situations or resolved conflicts effectively. This will give us a good sense of how you handle challenges—an essential skill for success at Macfarlane Packaging!
How to prepare for a job interview at Macfarlane Packaging
✨Show Off Your People Skills
In customer support, it's all about communicating effectively. Prepare to share instances from your past experiences where you handled difficult customers or resolved conflicts. We want to hear how you empathised and found the best solutions, so think of specific examples to back up your stories!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with common customer support tools like Zendesk or Freshdesk, and make sure to review how you’ve used any similar systems in the past. During the interview, being able to discuss your hands-on experience with software or ticketing systems can really set you apart from the competition, so don’t skip this prep!
✨Show Genuine Enthusiasm
As this is a full-time role, employers want someone who isn’t just looking for any job, but wants to grow within customer support. Make sure to express your enthusiasm for helping customers and your desire to develop your skills. Show them why you're passionate about this field!
✨Practice Common Scenarios
Be prepared for role-playing scenarios where you might have to reassess a solution with a frustrated customer or explain a complex process in simple terms. Practising these common scenarios can help us feel more confident and demonstrate our practical skills effectively during the interview.