Advisor

Livv Housing Group; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Livv Housing Group is seeking a Customer Complaints Officer to deliver high quality complaint investigation and resolution across the business. You will triage and resolve at first contact where possible, and lead Stage 1 and 2 investigations in line with policy and the Housing Ombudsman requirements.

You will communicate with customers by phone, email and meetings, liaise with MPs and Councillors as needed, and maintain accurate records while supporting a values-led approach.

Qualifications

• 3 GCSEs (Level 4 or above) or equivalent relevant customer service experience (E)
• Housing or other relevant qualification (D)
• Experience in complaint handling (E)
• Experience in a customer facing role (E)
• IT Skills, including Microsoft Office applications (E)
• Excellent communication (oral and written) teamwork and interpersonal skills (E)
• Ability to explain complex information in simple terms and to provide guidance to a diverse range of people (E)
• Customer focused (E)
• Confident, resilient and able to deal with conflict/ difficult situations in a professional manner (E)
• Must be able to travel independently (E)

Responsibilities

• Triage all queries/enquiries and resolve at first point of contact where possible.
• Lead the investigation of stage 1 and 2 complaints proactively, in accordance with complaints policy.
• Prepare Stage 2 investigation packs and support the preparation and collation of documentation for Housing Ombudsmen enquiries.
• Be the first point of contact for all complaints, MP’s and Councillor enquiries.
• Provide customer focused, high quality complaint resolution service for the business in accordance with Group’s policy and regulatory requirements.
• Work in partnership with other teams to deliver the required level of customer service.

Skills

Communication skills

MS Office

Customer focus

Explain complex info

Teamwork

Problem solving

Education

GCSEs (3)

Housing or related qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Directly Responsible For: No direct Reports

Hours: 37 (Fixed Term for 12 Months)

Overall team / department

• The Customer Services Team provides support, advice, and guidance to prospective and existing customers on all services across the business. They provide first point of contact resolution where possible and elevate enquiries to the correct teams. It consists of:
• The Contact Centre Team is responsible for receiving all inbound customer and other stakeholder enquiries and resolving the majority at the first point of contact. They deal with enquiries, over the telephone, via email, chat, and social media interactions. Any queries that cannot be resolved will be escalated to the appropriate team across the group.
• The team are also responsible for outbound campaign calls for other areas across the business in line with business requirements.
• The Complaints Team is responsible for managing all customer complaints across the business. Their role is to ensure that all complaints are investigated, and responses provided within agreed targets. They ensure that all complaints are dealt with in line with the Housing Ombudsman requirements.
• This role is responsible for the delivery of an effective high quality complaints resolution and investigation service in line with policy and performance requirements.
• The role is responsible for ensuring the triage or immediate resolution of complaints, delivering appropriate customer outcomes in line with business policies and objectives in response to complaints and enquiries raised by external stakeholders.

Key working relationships

• The role holder will develop and maintain effective communication and joint working practices across the business to deliver strong complaint investigation and resolution services.
• The role holder is required to deal with customers directly by telephone, email and pre-arranged face-to-face meetings and with 3rd parties in responding to complaints e.g. MPs and Councilors.
• Be the first point of contact for all complaints, MP’s and Councillor enquiries.
• Provide customer focused, high quality complaint resolution service for the business in accordance with Group’s policy and regulatory requirements.
• Triage all queries/enquiries and resolve at first point of contact where possible.
• Pass complaints to the Team Leader for allocation to the team.
• Lead the investigation of stage 1 and 2 complaints proactively, in accordance with complaints policy.
• Liaise with departmental managers to investigate complaints and challenge proactively where information is not provided, missing or incorrect and actions have not been followed up.
• Recommend the amount of compensation to be awarded and the reason for it.
• Manage the relationship with the customer throughout and following the complaint investigation.
• Proactively manage the relationship with Councilors and MPs to manage enquiries and reduce the number of formal complaints received.
• Prepare Stage 2 investigation packs and support the preparation and collation of documentation for Housing Ombudsmen enquiries.
• Work in partnership with other teams to deliver the required level of customer service.
• Ensure systems are updated with accurate and up to date information so that other teams are aware of the status of customer complaints.
• Complete any other tasks commensurate with the level and nature of the post as delegated by the role’s line manager.

Key measures of success

• KPIs - dealing with complaints within agreed response times.
• Effectively investigate to reduce the number of Stage 2 complaints (and Housing Ombudsman Investigation).
• Customer Satisfaction.
• Process compliance.

Livving our values

Livv’s a place with opportunities to grow. We believe in empowering you to make a positive impact in your own unique way. Our values embody what matters to us and show what it means to be Livv, together:

Making a difference daily

We invest in our people, our customers and in the creation of a fairer society.

Positively open

We’re open to feedback at all times, as we strive to deliver a first-class customer experience.

Forging the right way

We’re creating an inspiring road which others will want to follow.

Together as one

Our teams work on another level of cohesiveness to enable us to deliver better outcomes.

Each one of us

• listens to our customers and makes their needs a priority
• is committed to equality, diversity and inclusivity
• takes a flexible approach and works where we’re needed
• follows health and safety guidelines to keep ourselves, colleagues, and customers safe
• helps reduce risks by proactively communicating any potential issues to our line managers
• protects sensitive information by safeguarding customer, colleague and third-party data
• is guided by our policies, procedures and social aims
• is dedicated to continual learning and taking ownership of our personal and professional development.

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

3 GCSEs (Level 4 or above) or equivalent relevant customer service experience (E)

Housing or other relevant qualification (D)

Experience

Experience in complaint handling (E)

Experience in a customer facing role (E)

Skills, knowledge & ability

IT Skills, including Microsoft Office applications (E)

Excellent communication (oral and written) teamwork and interpersonal skills (E)

Ability to explain complex information in simple terms and to provide guidance to a diverse range of people (E)

Personal characteristics

Customer focused (E)

Confident, resilient and able to deal with conflict/ difficult situations in a professional manner (E)

Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines (E)

Other

Must be able to travel independently (E)

Flexible approach to hours worked (E)

Equality and Inclusion

Please visit here to read more about Livv inclusive and our approach to equality and inclusion.

Disability Confident

The Equality Act protects disabled people from discrimination, and we welcome applications from disabled people. The Equality Act defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and adverse long‑term effect, usually at least 12 months, on their ability to carry out day to day activities.

We will try to provide access, equipment, or other practical support to ensure that disabled applicants are not disadvantaged by their disabilities.

Data Protection

We fully recognise your rights under current Data Protection Laws and are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. We collect and process personal data relating to applicants to manage the recruitment process effectively, including for statistical purposes.

For full details please see our Job Applicant Privacy Policy