Customer Service Advisor

Vanquis; Chatham; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holidays plus additional options

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Workations for up to 20 days

Access to LinkedIn Learning

Optional Private Medical Insurance

Job summary

A leading UK bank is seeking a Customer Operations Advocate to provide exceptional customer service through various communication channels. This role requires strong communication skills and the ability to handle complex customer queries while maintaining compliance and supporting individuals in challenging situations. Ideal candidates should have sales experience and familiarity with CRM systems. The position offers a hybrid working pattern, emphasizing employee wellbeing and professional development, alongside competitive benefits and a supportive culture.

Qualifications

• Proficient in written and verbal communication across diverse customer backgrounds.
• Capable of analyzing data to inform decision-making.
• Experience in sales or telephone-based customer service environments.

Responsibilities

• Deliver exceptional customer experiences via multiple communication channels.
• Handle complex customer situations with case-by-case decision-making.
• Collaborate with stakeholders for first-contact resolution.

Skills

Communication skills

Data analysis

Relationship building

Attention to detail

Sales experience

Regulatory compliance

Tools

First Vision

CRM systems

Job description

Working Pattern: Hybrid (usually a couple of days a week in the office).

What We Offer

We care about your wellbeing, not just your work. Our benefits are designed to support your life, your health and your growth:

• Holidays: 25 days (rising to 30) + buy/sell up to 5 days + swap up to 4 bank holidays.
• Pension: Up to 10% employer contribution.
• Enhanced Leave: Enhanced maternity (post-probation), 4 weeks’ paternity, and paid neonatal & carers leave.
• Workations: Work abroad for up to 20 days a year in approved countries.
• Birthday Leave: Your birthday off paid.
• Learning: Access to LinkedIn Learning for all colleagues.
• Financial Wellbeing: Free Snoop Premium subscription.
• Healthcare: Self-pay Denplan & optional Private Medical Insurance.

The Role

You and your Team

As a Customer Operations Advocate, you’ll play a key role in delivering exceptional experiences for our customers by handling complex queries across multiple channels. You’ll specialise in a dedicated product area, developing deep expertise that enables you to confidently guide and support customers throughout their journey with us.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives on problem‑solving, enjoys building strong customer relationships, and is passionate about providing outstanding service through objectives and regulatory expectations. You’ll champion best practice, support continuous improvement, and help shape a customer-first culture across the operation.

As a Customer Operations Advocate, you will:

• Deliver exceptional customer experiences by using your product expertise and journey‑moment knowledge to engage across telephony and non‑telephony channels.
• Take full ownership of customer situations, exploring individual circumstances and making fair, case‑by‑case decisions—even when these fall outside standard processes.
• Support customers in vulnerable or financially difficult circumstances, ensuring risks are identified, controlled, and any detriment is quickly recovered.
• Work confidently within policy, process and regulatory requirements, maintaining a strong understanding of customer touchpoints and SLAs.
• Collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders to enable first‑contact resolution and informed future customer decision‑making.
• Embrace a flexible, continuous‑improvement mindset in a fast‑paced environment, staying proactive in learning and keeping up to date with operational changes.

What We’re Looking For

• A confident communicator with strong written and verbal skills, able to adapt to a wide range of customers, including those in vulnerable circumstances.
• Skilled in analysing data, interpreting facts and figures, and using insights to make well‑informed decisions.
• Proven ability to build and maintain professional relationships with both internal teams and external partners.
• Strong commercial awareness, excellent attention to detail, and the ability to follow processes accurately while maintaining organised, accessible documentation.
• Experienced in sales and/or telephone‑based environments, with desirable experience using First Vision and CRM systems.
• Familiarity with working in regulated industries, demonstrating an understanding of compliance and governance expectations.

Our average process takes up to 4 weeks, but we’ll work around your availability. You’ll also have access to our Talent Acquisition team throughout.

Offers are subject to standard background checks (credit, fraud and employment references).

Who we are

At Vanquis, our purpose is simple: to deliver caring banking that helps people make the most of life’s opportunities. Founded in 1880, we’re now a FTSE All Share specialist bank supporting over 1.7 million UK customers with responsible, tailored lending.

We’re proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work and recognised by the Financial Times as one of the UK’s Best Employers 2025 — ranked top 50 nationwide and seventh in Banking & Financial Services.

We’re also proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, actively supporting veterans, reservists and military families.

Guided by our values — caring for people, pulling together, finding better ways and getting the right things done — we’re building a workplace where colleagues feel connected, valued and empowered. Alongside competitive pay, we offer meaningful benefits, salary reviews, a discretionary bonus scheme and continued recognition.

We’re invested in your development too. With the right support and hands‑on learning, you’ll grow your skills, shape your career and realise your ambitions.

How We Hire

We use AI to help organise applications and surface early matches, but all decisions are made by humans. Please apply authentically — especially during interviews.

If you need assistive technology or reasonable adjustments (including the use of AI tools), please let the Talent Acquisition team know in advance and we’ll be happy to support you. Where we have reason to believe AI has been used inappropriately, we reserve the right to withdraw a candidate from the recruitment process.

Vanquis Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value everyone’s unique background, identity and experience, and we’re committed to a workplace where all colleagues can thrive. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail] and we’ll be happy to help.

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