Customer Liaison Officer

CIH International Housing Group; Greater London; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days leave

Mears Fun Day

Volunteering leave

Staff discounts

Family friendly policies

Company van & fuel card

Job summary

Mears Group is hiring a Complaints Officer to join the team working with Octavia Housing Association to provide front-facing support for all complaints. Location is West London, with a full-time permanent contract. You will deliver high-quality service, resolve queries, and support social value initiatives within the contract.

The role emphasizes customer-centric communication, documentation, and collaboration with local teams to improve service delivery for residents and partners.

Qualifications

• Experience in handling complaints and resolving queries.
• Experience of working within Social Housing is required.
• Understanding of Voids & Repairs and related processes.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills are essential.
• Great customer service skills with a professional telephone manner.
• IT literacy and comfortable using digital systems.

Responsibilities

• Help resolve front-line complaints and queries.
• Assist with complaint investigations and ensure thorough documentation.
• Deliver a front-line professional service to our client, ensuring a positive experience.
• Attend customer appointments promptly and to required standards.
• Support the Group Customer Success Manager with operational needs.
• Build and maintain positive relationships between Mears and the client.
• Assist with social value initiatives and customer engagement across channels.
• Champion social value and internal communications.

Skills

Complaints handling

Social housing

Voids & repairs

Communication

Customer service

IT literacy

Job description

Annual salary: up to £34,000.00

Complaints Officer

Location: West London

Contract: Full Time Permanent

Salary: Up to £34,000

We are the largest provider of repairs and maintenance, and regeneration services across the UK. Mears provide tailored rapid-response and planned maintenance services through partnering arrangements with more than 70 local authorities, Arm's Length Management Organisations and Housing Associations.

About the Role

We are looking for a Complaints Officer to join our team who can positively represent Mears, working with Octavia Housing Association to provide front facing support and advice for all complaints.

Putting the client at the heart of everything we do; ensuring we meet the needs of the business and our client.

As a Complaints Officer, you will be working alongside our Octavia contract within the Social housing project, delivering excellent service and support through our local teams, who understand the importance of working together for the local community.

Key Responsibilities

• Help resolve front-line complaints and queries
• Assist with complaint investigations and ensure thorough documentation
• Deliver a front-line professional service to our client, ensuring a positive experience
• Attend customer appointments promptly and to required standards
• Support the Group Customer Success Manager with operational needs
• Build and maintain positive relationships between Mears and the client
• Assist with social value initiatives and customer engagement across all channels
• Champion social value, internal communications, and the red thread approach
• Communicate accurate and timely information to customers and operational teams in clear terms
• Ensure customer feedback is acknowledged and shared with operational teams to improve service
• Represent Mears professionally as a brand ambassador
• Adhere to all relevant policies, processes, and procedures
• Recognise and escalade safeguarding concerns appropriately
• Work with local authorities, contractors, and support services to resolve complex resident issues
• Support residents in accessing digital services and inclusive communication
• Gather resident feedback and satisfaction data to inform service improvements

Key Criteria

• Experience in handling complaints and resolving queries
• Experience of working within Social Housing
• Understanding of Voids & Repairs
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Great customer service skills
• Professional telephone manner
• Experience in community engagement, social value, or resident involvement
• IT literate and confident using digital systems
• Effective problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team
• Understanding of tenancy enforcement procedures and anti-social behaviour protocols
• Awareness of safeguarding principles and how to escalade concerns
• Ability to manage sensitive conversations with empathy and discretion
• Experience working with diverse communities and promoting equality and inclusion
• Knowledge of housing legislation and local authority procedures
• Ability to take accurate meeting minutes and produce clear written records

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
• Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment.
• Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more
• Family friendly policies
• Company Van, Fuel Card and Uniform

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.