Apprentice Customer Service Advisor

Employer Description

At Agilisys we strive to improve the customer’s experience at each of our various contact points. We are an employee-owned organisation that delivers success through innovation, working with public sector partners to help them transform services that make a real difference to millions of people across the UK. We are one of the UK’s most innovative IT services providers, delivering transformation through a suite of world-class citizen-centric technology products as well as centres of operational excellence around the UK.

We are looking to hire enthusiastic, flexible, and driven Customer Service Advisors to provide a professional and efficient telephony service for our Kent customers.

Travel information

Based in Maidstone, the office is accessible via train car and bus. Maidstone East is just opposite the office along with a pay and display car park.

There is no available on-site parking which is free.

Description of Vacancy

1. Answer and respond to customer calls into the Contact Centre, to provide a service for a specified area of the Authority’s operations, giving information and advice as trained.
2. Handle calls for specific services providing information and advice where appropriate with the aim of ideally resolving customer enquiries at the first point of contact.
3. Interpret queries/problems that are generated by calls from customers in order to generate solutions to meet the caller’s needs.
4. Re-route calls to an appropriate officer when unable to assist the customer, so that they obtain an appropriate response to their enquiry
5. Maintain call quality standards through the effective use of verbal communication when responding to each call, including following the Authority’s complaints procedure when appropriate, to ensure that callers are always provided with a high quality and efficient service
6. At the end of each appropriate call, offer the Govmetrics customer satisfaction survey
7. To achieve individual objectives and team targets to assist in meeting the businesses overall KPI’s.
8. To deliver a high level of Customer Service in line with our client’s quality standards.
9. To handle a wide range of enquiries using various Service systems and processes including complaints.
10. To communicate effectively (written & verbal)
11. To be professional, helpful, welcoming, and pleasant to customers and colleagues.
12. To be able to remain calm in all situations, with a polite and courteous manner.
13. To meet data protection and client confidentiality requirements.
14. Desirable to have some knowledge of how local authorities or other large organisations operate.

Wage

Starting salary £6.00 per hour/ Annual salary £11,544

including a structured salary progression up to £14,044 by achieving key milestones.

Hours

Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm

37-hour week

Two paid 15-minute breaks

Unpaid 36-minute lunch

We are currently operating a hybrid work model, split between our office and homeworking, where a strong/stable WI-FI connection is required.

20% paid time during working hours is given to complete training, referred to as “Off the Job Training”

Skills Required

• Ability to handle a wide range of enquiries in a contact centre environment.
• Computer literate and ability to operate telephone equipment effectively.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal with a polite, efficient and courteous manner. Able to deal sympathetically with distressed, agitated, confused, irate customers or those with special needs.
• Ability to learn and deliver new services
• Some knowledge of how local authorities or other large organisations operate

Personal Qualities

• Personal self-confidence to provide a customer focused front-line enquiry service via the telephone
• Possess a friendly and helpful disposition.
• Able to remain calm under pressure.

Qualifications Required

GCSE Maths & English – Grade C or higher

Training Provided

On the job training with the employer whilst working towards the Apprenticeship Standard – Customer Services Practitioner Level 2 Standard will establish an Apprentice’s skills to deliver high quality service to customers both internally and externally. The Apprenticeship will incorporate knowledge of customers and the customer experience, understanding the organisation, its products/services and their role and responsibilities.

Regular work-based assessments/observations carried out by Kent Training & Apprenticeships Tutor Assessor, to determine competency and meet with Awarding Body standards.