Customer Care Officer (part time)

Blue Cross For Pets; Burford; Hybrid; GBP 23,000 - 25,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

Wellbeing support

GP access

Health plan

Employee assistance programme

Pension scheme

Professional development

Life assurance

Pet insurance discount

Family-friendly policies

Recognition scheme

Volunteer days

Job summary

Blue Cross is hiring a Customer Care Officer (part-time) in Burford, a hybrid role with 2 days in the office. You will handle enquiries, complaints, and donations, delivering compassionate support to supporters and clients. Flexible hours are available within the stated pattern.

The role reports to the Customer Care Supervisor; essential skills include excellent communication and resilience in a busy environment. Closing date shown in the posting.

Qualifications

• Customer service experience in a busy environment
• Ability to multi-task and handle high volumes of enquiries
• Calm, confident telephone manner
• Resilience dealing with distressed/enquiring customers
• Proficient in Windows/MS Office and IT systems
• Experience handling complaints
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Self-management and teamwork
• Understanding and applying Blue Cross values

Responsibilities

• Handle complaints with empathy and professionalism
• Document and investigate complaints for timely resolutions
• Respond to enquiries via letters, email and social media
• Resolve enquiries promptly and escalate complex issues
• Stay updated with Blue Cross campaigns to provide accurate information
• Act as a brand ambassador promoting the charity’s mission
• Process telephone donations accurately and compliantly
• Support distressed clients with a calm, compassionate approach

Skills

Customer service

Multitasking

Telephone manner

Resilience

IT skills

Complaints handling

Communication

Self-management

Blue Cross values

Tools

CRM

Job description

Customer Care Officer (part time)

Application Deadline: 22 September 2026

Department: Fundraising, Comms & Engagement

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Burford

Reporting To: Customer Care Supervisor

Compensation: £23,917 / year

Description

Contract: Permanent, part time, 21 hours per week

Salary: £14,350 per annum (FTE £23,917)

Location: Hybrid working, 2 days at Burford, OX18 4PF

Working pattern: Monday 9.00am to 2.00pm, Tuesday to Friday 9.00am to 1.00pm. We can offer some flexibility around these hours, for example 10.00am to 2.00pm, while ensuring service needs are met.

Closing date: Tuesday 22 September 2026

Interview date: Tuesday 29 September & Friday 2 October 2026

Join Blue Cross as a Customer Care Officer and play a pivotal role in providing essential support and information to our supporters, clients, and the public.

As the compassionate first point of contact, you'll offer a listening ear, expert advice, and signposting services, ensuring that every interaction leaves a positive impact on those seeking assistance. This is a hybrid role with 2 days a week in our Burford office.

More about the role

In this role, you’ll provide advice, reassurance, and assistance to those in need of our services, with a particular emphasis on complaint management. Whether by phone, email, or other channels, you will ensure their concerns are addressed with empathy and professionalism.

Key responsibilities include:

• Handling complaints from service users with empathy, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Documenting and investigating complaints and supporting timely resolutions.
• Responding in writing to enquiries and feedback across letters, email, and social media.
• Resolving enquiries and requests promptly, escalating complex issues where needed.
• Staying up to date with Blue Cross initiatives and campaigns to provide accurate information.
• Acting as a brand ambassador, promoting our mission and values in every interaction.
• Processing telephone donations accurately and compliantly.
• Supporting clients who may be distressed, both over the phone and face to face, with a calm, professional, and compassionate approach.

This role is pivotal in ensuring every interaction with Blue Cross leaves a positive impression, even when addressing concerns or complaints, and contributes to our mission of providing compassionate care to animals and their owners.

About you

You’ll bring excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with a wide variety of people in a busy environment. Resilient and adaptable, you’ll be comfortable handling sensitive and emotionally charged conversations while maintaining professionalism and compassion.

Essential knowledge, skills, and experience

• Customer service experience within a busy office or call centre environment
• The ability to multi-task and demonstrable experience of responding to a high volume of telephone and email enquiries
• A calm, confident telephone manner
• Demonstrable resilience and experience of dealing with distressed and angry enquirers
• Excellent keyboard skills, knowledge of Windows and MS Office and the ability to learn and navigate multiple IT systems
• Experience of handling complaints
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• The ability to self-manage while working collaboratively as part of a team
• The ability to demonstrate understand and apply our Blue Cross values

Desirable knowledge, skills, and experience

• An understanding of basic animal welfare
• An understanding of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act
• Experience working with CRM or ticketing systems
• Previous experience of working in the charity/voluntary sector

Blue Cross benefits

Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.

In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.

Our generous benefits package includes:

• Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
• Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
• Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
• Health cash plan
• Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
• Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
• Life assurance
• 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Recognition scheme
• Annual volunteer days
• Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers

To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.