At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead customer service strategy and enhance the customer experience across all channels.
- Company: Join Tala, a B Corp lighting company focused on quality and sustainability.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, 25 days holiday, wellness day, and generous staff discounts.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture with opportunities for career growth in a high-growth start-up.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced environment while shaping customer service excellence.
- Qualifications: 3+ years in customer service management with hands-on experience in AI integration.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 55000 £ per year.
A hands-on senior role that sets the strategy for customer service across every Tala channel, runs our AI agents, and trains the team to do better and be better.
About Tala
Tala is a British lighting company, founded in 2015 by three friends from Edinburgh University and now headquartered in London. We design premium LED bulbs, fixtures and lamps in London and make them with long-standing manufacturing partners. We're a certified B Corp. Our mission: to create lighting of enduring quality, rooted in British design excellence and made for healthier living. We're omnichannel, selling direct to consumers and B2B: direct customers buying on our websites in the UK, Europe and the US; designers and architects in Tala Pro, our trade programme; major retailers in the UK and US; and bespoke partnership clients. Growing B2B (trade, retail and partnerships) is a priority. We have around 400 products, three trading entities (UK, EU and US), and three warehouses in Milton Keynes, the Netherlands and Charlotte, North Carolina. We're a small team that builds systems before adding people. Our stack is Gorgias, Shopify, NetSuite, AfterShip and Claude, and we use AI every day.
The role
Customer service sees more of our customers than any other team. It hears every delivery problem, product question and missed promise first. We're omnichannel and pushing hard on B2B, and we want customer service to be one of the strongest commercial voices in the business. You'll own customer service end to end: the strategy and standards, the inbox, escalations, the AI and improvement projects, and the customer experience across Tala. You're also the escalation point for every customer.
Reports to: Head of Operations
You lead: our global customer service team
You work closely with: logistics, supply chain, product, sales and marketing, and you hold them to account for fixing what customers tell us
Location: UK, hybrid, ideally 2 days a week in our London office
Hours: 40 hours per week, 9am to 6pm UK time
Language: excellent written and spoken English
How you'll work
- Hands-on and strategic: You set the strategy for customer service and make the big calls, and you do the work yourself. You'll be in the inbox, the data and the systems, not managing from a distance.
- A builder: You build systems before you add people. You're at home in our systems every day and technical enough to work in code at a high level: SQL, APIs, scripts and helpdesk rules, using AI to build and fix things. The AI strategy is yours.
What you'll own
- Strategy and standards: Own the strategic direction for customer service, and set the service standards for every channel: email, phone, chat and social. Make sure no customer has to chase us, and that every promise we make gets kept. Plan staffing and cover across UK and US hours.
- Omnichannel and B2B: Run one customer service across every channel and customer, D2C and B2B: direct customers, Tala Pro trade members, retail partners and partnership clients. Drive B2B: give trade and retail customers account-level service, convert trade enquiries, and grow the revenue customer service brings in, from add-on sales to new trade accounts.
- The inbox and escalations: Own the inbox: routing, priorities, cover for absences, and a daily plan the team works to. Be the escalation point for every customer, from direct customers to trade and retail partners and warranty claims. Pick up the phone, de-escalate, and drive each issue to a real solution.
- AI strategy and agents: Own the AI strategy for customer service: decide which contacts AI agents handle, and build, run and tune them every day. Review what the agents send, fix their knowledge and rules, and grow the share of contacts they resolve well. Prove it with numbers. Run a pipeline of improvements from idea to live, each with before-and-after numbers. Fix the processes that create contacts in the first place, rather than absorbing them.
- Voice of the customer: Own customer feedback, and issues with orders, stock and products. Trace problems to their root cause with logistics, supply chain and product, and report trends every week so other teams act on them.
- Customer experience across the business: Project-manage the end-to-end customer experience: order updates, delivery, returns and claims. Work with marketing and product so what we promise matches what we deliver.
- Coaching and quality: Review the work of the team and the AI agents every day, and give clear feedback. Train the team to do better and be better, with regular coaching and training sessions built on real tickets. Hire and develop the team, and set clear weekly KPIs.
Your first 30 days: We move fast. In your first 30 days we expect you to:
- Work the inbox alongside the team and map the top reasons customers contact us.
- Set the baseline for chase rate, first reply, resolution time, CSAT, contact rate and AI resolution.
- Write the customer service strategy and an improvement roadmap covering the top five contact drivers, how each gets fixed, and the AI agent plan.
- Have your first AI improvement live, with before-and-after numbers.
- Bring the chase rate below 5%.
- Run a weekly quality review of the team and the AI agents, and start a weekly voice-of-the-customer report that other teams act on.
What you'll bring:
- 3+ years as a customer service manager or in a similar role, leading a team, ideally at an omnichannel premium brand, looking after trade and retail accounts as well as consumers.
- You've set a customer service strategy and delivered it yourself, hands-on.
- You've run AI agents in customer service (Gorgias, Zendesk, Intercom or similar): reviewed what they send, fixed their knowledge and rules, and measured them by resolution and deflection.
- You've coached a team to measurably better quality, through regular reviews and training.
- You're a builder. You've built tools, automations or workflows yourself, not just specified them, and you can show us one.
- Technical and at home in systems: a helpdesk, Shopify and an ERP such as NetSuite. Comfortable with APIs, SQL and simple scripts, and you can read and write code at a high level with AI.
- You run customer service by the numbers, and you can explain what drives each one.
- You've delivered improvement projects across teams, from spec to rollout.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
- You can de-escalate an upset customer by phone or email, then drive the issue through to a real solution.
- You've led a remote team across time zones.
Nice to have: lighting, homeware or design; trade or B2B customer service; customer operations for retail partners; a quality-checking framework you've built.
How we'll measure success:
- Customers chasing us: below 5%.
- First reply and resolution time on every channel.
- CSAT, and quality scores from your reviews of the team and the AI agents.
- Contacts per order, and the share resolved by AI or self-service.
- Revenue from customer service, including B2B and trade conversion.
- Customer issues fixed at source with other teams.
- Cost to serve per order.
Take risks. Bold ideas shape the future of lighting, safe ones don't. Innovate. Use technology for real benefit, not for novelty. Best idea wins. Decisions backed by insight, not ego, regardless of department or seniority. Love it. Led by instinct and authenticity. If we love the idea, it will resonate. Build + learn. If a challenge calls for it, learn the skill and go for it, creative or technical.
Process: A 15-minute intro call, a 1-hour formal interview including a task based on real Tala tickets, then a final 30-minute culture interview.
Salary and benefits: £40,000 to £55,000 per year, depending on experience. 25 days holiday plus one wellness day. Welcome Tala gift and generous staff discounts. Career progression within a high-growth start-up. Work within a passionate team dedicated to design and sustainability. Opportunity to represent a leading brand in the lighting industry.
Customer Service Manager in London employer: TALA
TALA is an exceptional employer that fosters a vibrant and inclusive work culture, where every team member is valued and encouraged to grow. Working in our Bicester store offers unique opportunities for personal development, as you will play a key role in shaping customer experiences while receiving support and training to enhance your skills. Join us for a rewarding experience that not only focuses on sales but also on building lasting relationships with customers and colleagues alike.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Customer Service Manager in London
✨Get to Know the Company Culture
Before jumping into applications, it’s super helpful to understand the vibe at TALA. 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 TALA 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 Manager in London
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 TALA:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Tell us why you want to work at TALA 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 TALA!
How to prepare for a job interview at TALA
✨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.
