Customer Accounts Officer

Aster Group UK; Frome; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Colleague wellbeing initiatives

Defined Contribution Pension

Volunteering hours

Savings on various services

Enhanced leave

Personalised recognition initiatives

Job summary

Aster Group UK in Frome is looking for a Customer Accounts Officer to manage rent arrears recovery. You will establish effective relationships with customers and support their queries, requiring excellent communication skills and IT proficiency. The role involves attending meetings and court hearings as necessary. A housing management qualification is desirable. Benefits include flexible working, wellbeing initiatives, and a defined contribution pension.

Qualifications

• Commitment to delivering excellent customer service and maintaining effective relationships.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficiency in IT and attention to detail when presenting information.
• Knowledge and/or experience of rent arrears recovery and pre-action protocol.

Responsibilities

• Pursue rent arrears and agree repayment plans with customers.
• Refer customers to internal or external support as necessary.
• Attend meetings and court hearings regarding customer cases.
• Work flexibly to meet customer needs, including travel.

Skills

Excellent customer service

Communication skills

IT proficiency

Attention to detail

Knowledge of rent arrears recovery

Education

Housing management qualification (desirable)

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

CRM databases

Job description

What you’ll be doing

As a Customer Accounts Officer, you will be responsible for pursuing rent arrears, agreeing appropriate re‑payments with our customers and referring our customers to internal or external support where applicable. Where appropriate, you will refer cases to court, attend hearings, apply for warrants and attend evictions.

You won’t be out and about all the time; if you do need to attend meetings or court hearings regarding customers in these areas, it will be ideal if you are suitably located near the Somerset area.

With a focus on achieving positive outcomes, you’ll work with our customers to understand their circumstances and support their queries, identifying those customers who need to be sign‑posted further.

About you

You will be someone who is committed to delivering excellent customer service, establishing, developing, and maintaining effective working relationships with our customers, external agencies, and colleagues.

You’ll have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and a strong eye for detail and accuracy when presenting information. You’ll be proficient in IT, including the Microsoft Office suite and CRM databases.

You should have knowledge and/or experience of rent arrears recovery and the pre‑action protocol for rent arrears. A housing management qualification is desirable.

A flexible approach is essential to meet the needs of our customers, including local and regional travel. You will also need a UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle for work purposes.

What’s in it for you

• Flexible working – whilst some roles need to be carried out in a specific place at a specific time, where possible we encourage our colleagues to work to their own schedule at a location that suits them, their team and our business’ needs
• A focus on colleague wellbeing – workshops, an employee assistance programme offering counselling and support, mental health training and a health cash plan
• We invest in colleagues’ careers and development through our leadership and colleague development frameworks
• Defined Contribution Pension and attached life assurance
• Volunteering hours available to all colleagues to enable them to give back
• Savings at cinemas, gyms, holidays, days out, various shops and eateries and lots more
• Enhanced leave
• We celebrate colleagues who go above and beyond with a range of personalised recognition initiatives

Professional Standards

We follow a sector‑wide, outcome‑based framework for professionals in social housing. The Competence and Conduct Standard introduces a sector‑wide, outcome‑based framework for those working in social housing in England, while also requiring senior professionals who deliver social housing services to gain, or work towards, a housing management qualification.

Legal and EEO Statement

We create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity and believe that creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work is the right thing to do.

All candidates will be required to verify their right to work in the UK prior to commencement of employment with the Aster Group & its subsidiary brands.