Customer Service Advisor

We are looking for individuals with excellent customer service skills who are positive, sensitive and have an exemplary telephone manner, adapting your approach as appropriate to ensure equality of access to all. A positive image of the council must be conveyed at all times and Customer Service standards must be maintained. Successful candidates will be trained to deliver a good knowledge of all service areas including Council Tax, Housing, Welfare/Benefits and Environmental Services including Waste.

You will work as part of a team to deliver an efficient and effective customer contact centre, supporting and assisting in the delivery of services to respond to the customer’s needs and expectations. Ensuring that as many enquiries as possible are resolved at first point of contact and customers are encouraged to access all services available to them online. We are open 24/7 365 days of the year; therefore, we are looking for flexible individuals able to work across the following contact channels: telephone, live chat, and email. Weekend working is on a rota basis.

The working hours are as follows:

• Normal working hours between 08:00-19:00
• Working Monday to Sunday
• You are required to work 1 in 3 weekends (Either the Saturday or the Sunday with a day off in the week)
• Bank holiday cover is required on a rota basis
• An enhanced hourly rate of pay is applied for weekend and bank holiday working

ROLE AND PURPOSE

To provide and deliver information on a wide range of services via telephone, email, web chat, social media/others in an appropriate manner whilst ensuring service standards are met. To provide excellent customer service, ensuring that a positive image of the council is conveyed at all times and that Customer Service standards are met. To provide information on a wide range of both council services and services of partner organisations, ensuring that as many enquiries as possible are resolved at first point of contact and customers are encouraged to access all services available to them.

Grade 3 Responsibilities:

• To provide information and advice whilst taking action to ensure the enquiry is dealt with both effectively and appropriately whilst maintaining targets and deadlines.
• Take responsibility for resolving queries and completing the arising actions on behalf of the customer, progressing and chasing when required.
• Maintain and record a full accurate electronic record of all customer interactions.
• To proactively identify improvements to service and assist with their implementation.
• To participate in training and development activities upon request that are deemed necessary to become proficient within this role.
• To be polite and professional at all times, providing a caring, listening service, whilst demonstrating an understanding and responsiveness to customers’ requirements.
• To contribute towards the delivery of a flexible and responsive service which will involve weekend working and to take a flexible approach to changing patterns of work.

Grade 4 Responsibilities:

• To respond to enquiries from customers across all contact channels phone, face to face, email, chat and social media, taking action to ensure they are dealt with efficiently and appropriately.
• To liaise with colleagues and partner organisations to help resolve/escalate enquiries to the appropriate person as required.
• To encourage customers to self-serve where appropriate using online forms/information, and provide support to vulnerable customers with complex enquiries.
• To maintain a knowledge and understanding of how and why Council services are delivered and how these can be improved for the customer.
• To contribute towards the delivery of a responsive service, this will be delivered via face to face and phone including weekend working at various locations.

Grade 5 Responsibilities:

• Cashing up and reconciliation of monies taken via the ICON system on a daily basis and all other office systems as appropriate.
• To coach and support team members offering training as appropriate and necessary to carry out their roles correctly and error free.
• To be a champion and deliver specialist knowledge relating to services accessible to customers at all Customer Service sites.

Benefits of Working for Hull City Council:

• A competitive salary
• An excellent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Initially 23 days annual leave depending on length of service, plus eight public holidays per year, and three additional days off
• Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods
• Supportive and forward-thinking culture
• Great career development opportunities

Please ensure that you complete and submit your application by midnight prior to the closing date. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria against the person specification as listed in the job description.