Complaints Handler

Riverside; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Competitive pay and pension

28 days holidays plus bank holidays

Job summary

Riverside in Speke, Liverpool is seeking a Complaints Handler on a fixed-term basis for 6 months. The role offers hybrid working and a 35-hour week, with a starting salary of £33,723.55 and potential £37,101.56 after 12 months of successful performance.

You will resolve customer feedback with empathy, conduct thorough investigations, maintain records in Salesforce and contribute to service improvements within the organisation.

Qualifications

• Clear demonstrable experience in complaints handling.
• Empathetic approach to dealing with customers.
• Strong analytical and investigation skills.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional feedback and complaint resolution service to customers.
• Deliver a customer-centred approach to handling feedback and complaints.
• Manage a caseload of service requests and complaints with timely resolution.
• Conduct thorough investigations ensuring policy and procedures are followed.
• Collaborate with Heads of Services to identify service improvements.

Skills

Complaints Handling

Empathic approach

Analytical skills

Planning & organisation

Communication

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: Complaints Handler

Contract Type: Fixed term for 6 months

Salary: £33,723.55 (£37,101.56 is achieved after 12 months successful performance in the role)

Working Hours: 35 hours per week

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday- Hybrid

Location: Speke, Liverpool

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

Please note that whilst we will accept applications based on any form of valid legal permission to work in the UK, we will be surrendering the Riverside Sponsorship licence, so for the avoidance of doubt, we are unable to apply for any further sponsorships whether on behalf of existing colleagues or candidates.

The difference you will make as a Complaints Handler

You will provide a professional, responsive and positive feedback and complaint resolution service to customers, ensuring an empathetic approach at the point of contact, to deliver a customer centred approach to the handling of feedback and complaint resolution. You will have individual autonomy and freedom to solve customer problems and provide responsive, supportive and thorough investigations to all feedback and complaints, ensuring all investigations are in line with the appropriate policy and procedures that are in place. Develop performance information, insights and understanding into the causes for customer feedback and identify areas for improvement based on learning, and work closely with the Heads of Services to identify service improvements as a result of customer feedback.

About You

We are looking for someone with

• Clear demonstrable experience in Complaints Handling
• An empathic approach to dealing with customers.
• Strong analytical and investigation skills
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.

Why Riverside?

At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.

We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working With Us, You’ll Enjoy

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Flexible working options available
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity And Inclusion At Riverside

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.

Riverside is a Disability Confident Employer and operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for any applicant who declares they have a disability. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements for the role (as set out in the role profile and/or person specification) they will be guaranteed an interview.

Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.

Role Profile

• To provide a professional, responsive and positive feedback and complaint resolution service to customers, ensuring an empathetic approach at point of contact.
• To deliver a customer centred approach to the handling of feedback and complaint resolution
• To have individual autonomy and freedom to solve customer problems.
• To provide responsive, supportive and thorough investigations to all feedback and complaints
• To ensure all investigations are in line with the appropriate policy and procedures that are in place
• To develop performance information, insights and understanding into the causes for customer feedback and to identify areas for improvement based on learning
• Work closely with the Heads of Services to identify service improvements as a result of customer feedback
• Manage a caseload of service requests and complaints (all stages) to ensure effective early resolution for our customers in accordance with agreed Policies, processes, standards, time scales and targets using our Customer Relationship Management system, Salesforce. You will deal with complaints from all areas of the business
• Thoroughly investigate feedback and complaints from customers showing empathy and understanding. Examine databases, files, records and liaise and meet with relevant staff in order to fully understand the events and actions leading up to the complaint.
• To ensure complaints are responded to and fully investigated within the required timeframes and in line with internal and external processes.
• Work closely with the rest of the service improvement team, and heads of service to ensure the process meets best practice and gives the best customer experience.
• Through complaint handling be able to identify and elevate any serious concerns or risks to business through the appropriate channels and to Senior Management, such as any Health & Safety or Data Protection concerns.
• Actively promote and raise awareness of the feedback and complaints procedure across the organisation and the customers ensuring it is inclusive and accessible
• Support the Complaint Resolution Manager with stage 2 complaints.
• Ensure all complaint documentation and record keeping is accurately maintained on the customer relationship management system.
• Plan and facilitate complaint meetings and other methods of resolving feedback and concerns in a positive manner.
• Build and maintain good relationships with all colleagues across The Riverside Group to ensure service improvements are seen as positive changes.
• Contribute to the development of best practice standards and share learning across the team.
• Contribute to the dissemination of learning outcomes to both colleagues and customers to raise awareness of service improvements identified during the course of the complaint investigations.
• Triage complaints as they come into the business and assess them. This could include dealing with the complaint/Service Request or assigning it to another colleague.

Person specification

Essential

• Clear demonstrable experience in Complaints Handling
• An empathic approach to dealing with customers.
• Strong analytical and investigation skills.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Able to work to own initiative.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate both verbally and in writing, focus on plain English.
• Dispute resolution skills, and the ability to truly listen to a customer’sconcerns and resolve effectively
• A ‘can-do’ attitude and solutions-driven, innovative approach
• An awareness of the risks associated with poor complaints management.
• Effective stakeholder management, both internally and external to the organisation.
• The ability to remain calm in a pressurised environment.
• Excellent team player who can work flexibly to meet business requirements.
• Results driven with strong analytical skills and experience of providing meaningful management information.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office

Desirable

• Knowledge of Housing
• Salesforce
• Knowledge of the Housing Ombudsman’s complaint handling code.
• Experience of working in a complaints/resolution team
• Experience identifying service improvements as a result of feedback and complaints.

About Us

Riverside is one of the UK’s leading not-for-profit social housing and regeneration organisations, owning or managing around 75,000 homes from Irvine to Kent. We are a leading provider of supported housing services, particularly for those affected by homelessness, and our track record of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods dates back over 90 years. We have plans to build over 15,000 affordable homes over the next decade.

Our Values and Behaviours

Creating an Inclusive Environment