At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage customer accounts, ensuring timely payments and providing financial advice.
- Company: Join SNG, a leading housing association dedicated to community investment.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, wellbeing days, and a generous pension scheme.
- Other info: Flexible working options and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience in debt recovery and excellent communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 27184 - 33224 £ per year.
SNG (Sovereign Network Group) is one of the largest housing associations in England. We provide over 85,000 homes and invest in communities across the South, West and East of England, including London, as well as aiming to create thousands of new affordable homes every year.
We have a 9 month Fixed Term opportunity for a Customer Accounts Officer to join our team! Based from either our Ryde or Hurn office, you’ll cover our Isle of Wight and South Hampshire areas, combining home, office and onsite working. A full UK Drivers License and your own transport is essential to this role.
The Role: As a Customer Accounts Officer, you’ll manage a portfolio of customer accounts, ensuring payments are collected on time and arrears are minimised. You’ll work closely with customers to find sustainable payment solutions, provide advice on welfare benefits, and take action where debts remain unresolved.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Proactively managing customer accounts to prevent arrears and encourage prompt payments.
- Negotiating affordable repayment arrangements with customers.
- Providing advice on welfare benefits, conducting affordability assessments, and referring customers for specialist support.
- Taking appropriate recovery action, including preparing documentation and attending court hearings.
- Working collaboratively with internal teams and external agencies to support customers effectively.
- Maintaining accurate records, ensuring compliance with policies, procedures, and regulations.
- Contributing to service improvements and sharing best practices to help reduce arrears.
What We’re Looking For:
- Strong knowledge of arrears management, debt recovery, and income collection.
- Experience negotiating payment arrangements and supporting customers with financial matters.
- An understanding of welfare benefits, including Universal Credit and Housing Benefit.
- Excellent communication, organisational, and decision-making skills.
- IT proficiency and the ability to manage caseloads effectively.
- A collaborative mindset with the ability to work across teams and with external partners.
- A full UK driving licence and access to a car (required for some roles, depending on location).
We have some great benefits at SNG, including:
- 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays (with an extra day every year up to 30 days)
- Chance to buy or sell holiday as part of our flexible benefits package
- 3 additional wellbeing days and 2 paid volunteering days
- Generous matched pension scheme up to 12% and Life cover at 4x salary
- Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption pay
- Options for private medical insurance, dental insurance and critical illness cover
- Wellbeing discounts, including Gym Memberships and access to a 24/7 virtual GP service
At Sovereign Network Group, we are passionate about inclusion for all and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. We are committed to our Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and believe that you can truly be yourself at SNG. Please note a Basic DBS check will be undertaken for the successful candidate.
Customer Accounts Officer in Ryde employer: Sovereign Network Group
At Sovereign Network Group, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture where your health and safety is paramount. With competitive salaries, generous benefits including 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, and opportunities for personal growth, you will find meaningful work that truly makes a difference in the community. Join our dedicated team in Wiltshire and enjoy the unique advantage of a company van and fuel card, ensuring you can focus on delivering quality homes without financial worry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Customer Accounts Officer in Ryde
✨Get Social with Customer Support Communities
Join customer support groups on platforms like Facebook or Reddit. They often share job openings or temp opportunities. Engaging with these communities can help you learn more about the specific skills and experiences employers are looking for, plus you'll meet folks who might know about openings at companies like Sovereign Network Group.
✨Leverage Seasonal Hiring Trends
Since customer support roles can spike during busy seasons (think holidays and sales periods), keep an eye out for timelines when companies ramp up hiring. Make sure to apply early and stay active; sending a quick follow-up a week after applying can show your enthusiasm for the role.
✨Flex Your Communication Skills
In customer support, communication is key! Prepare for hypothetical scenarios that test your problem-solving and customer interaction skills. Practising answers to common role-play questions can really help you shine in interviews—trust us, it makes a difference!
✨Make the Most of Job Boards
Use industry-specific job boards like Glassdoor or Indeed to find temporary roles. Don’t forget to set up alerts for customer support positions at companies like Sovereign Network Group. The earlier you apply, the better your chances, so keep your finger on the pulse!
We think you need these skills to ace Customer Accounts Officer in Ryde
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Communication Skills:In customer support, top-notch communication is key. Make sure your CV showcases any previous experience where you’ve had to clearly convey information or resolve issues. If you’ve handled customer queries via email or chat, mention it! Let’s see those strong verbal and written skills shine through.
Showcase Problem-Solving Experience:Employers love to see how you've handled tricky situations. Include examples in your application where you’ve tackled customer concerns or had to think on your feet. It's all about proving you can keep cool under pressure and find solutions—something super important in a temporary customer support role!
Tailor Your Approach for Temporary Roles:Since this is a temporary gig, make sure your cover letter emphasises your flexibility and eagerness to dive right in. Mention that you're ready to hit the ground running and are adaptable to new tools or systems—this shows that you understand the urgency often needed in temporary positions.
Proof of Customer Satisfaction:If you’ve got any quantifiable achievements from past customer support roles, like improved customer satisfaction scores or successful project completions, make sure to include them. Numbers speak volumes! This not only shows your capability but also gives us a reason to believe you'll bring that same success to Sovereign Network Group.
How to prepare for a job interview at Sovereign Network Group
✨Master the Customer Interaction Game
In customer support, we need to showcase our people skills. Prepare for role-playing scenarios where you'll demonstrate how to handle difficult customers or resolve complaints. Think about the types of issues common in Sovereign Network Group's industry and how you can respond empathetically and effectively!
✨Know Your Products Inside Out
For a temporary role, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with the products or services Sovereign Network Group offers. Brush up on key features, common issues, and FAQs. This knowledge will enable you to respond quickly and confidently to customer queries, showing you’re ready to jump in at a moment’s notice!
✨Flexibility is Key - Emphasise Your Adaptability!
Since this is a temporary role, we're looking to convey how quickly we can adapt to new systems or processes. Be ready to share examples of how you've quickly learned new tools or adjusted to changing environments in past roles. Show them you're the go-to person when the pressure's on!
✨Prepare for Quick Conversational Q&A
You might face a rapid-fire round of questions about customer service principles or how you'd handle specific situations. To ace this, think through different customer scenarios ahead of time, and practice your responses to ensure they're concise and impactful. The aim is to demonstrate your quick thinking and problem-solving skills!
