Customer Service Advisor (GPR)

South Western News UK; Southampton; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional transport operator located in Southampton is seeking a Customer Service Advisor to handle customer inquiries and complaints via phone and CRM systems. The ideal candidate will have previous experience in customer service, strong communication skills, and a passion for providing excellent service. Offering competitive starting salaries plus benefits including free travel on services. The work pattern includes 37 hours across 5 days with various shifts. Join and help enhance the customer experience as part of our dedicated team.

Benefits

Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employee

75% discount on many other train operating companies

Excellent pension scheme

Full training and support with development

Qualifications

• Previous experience of working in a customer service role is required, with a telephony background being an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Accept incoming contacts and provide advice.
• Ensure that you meet personal performance targets.
• Participate in Team Briefing process.
• Log call details for follow-up actions.
• Ensure personal safety at all times.

Skills

Good interpersonal skills

Good verbal communication skills

Good written communication skills

Education

Good general education

Job description

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to improve quality of life, by bringing people together to get the most out of life.

About the Team

The customer contact centre is a busy and interesting place to work, dealing with a vast array of customer enquiries and complaints through different methods.

About the Job

You will focus your time corresponding with customers via our Customer Relationship Management System, handling a variety of phone calls such as providing information on journeys, compensation, refunds, and handling complaints.

If you have a passion for providing our customers with an excellent customer experience, you have outstanding IT skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a great telephone manner, then this job could be for you.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Accept incoming contacts, providing advice and fulfilling customer requirements in an impartial way. Where necessary log call details so that follow up action can be taken, and customer service issues are resolved.
• Ensure that you meet any personal performance targets that may be set and actively participate in any Team goals.
• Participate in the Team Briefing process, ensuring that you become familiar with any changes to your working environment.
• Remain familiar with the contents and how to use any relevant commercial publication and associated database reference sources.
• Become and remain conversant with the features and functionality of any business equipment and software provided for your use.
• Ensure your own personal safety and that of others at all times.
• Participate in correspondence, fulfilment, and data preparation routines.

Subsidiary Tasks

• Ensure that any event that has or could seriously damage the customer experience is relayed to a CSC Manager.
• Ensure that any changes to ticketing arrangements, procedures or the train service that are discovered in the course of your duty is relayed to your Team Leader promptly.

Contact With Others

• CSC Team members, CSC Managers, Head of Customer Contact, Customer Service Directorate and Board
• Colleagues within South Western Railway
• External Professional bodies
• General Public

You’ll need:

Previous experience of working in a customer service role is required, with a telephony background being an advantage. Additional skills required:

• Good interpersonal skills.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Good general education.

About the location

Overline House is conveniently situated overlooking Southampton Central Station and is easily accessible by public transport. The station is very local to West Quay, a hub for retailers and restaurants, and provides an excellent link between London, coastal areas and the Isle of Wight.

Working Pattern

You will work 37 hours on average per week, across 5 days per week.

Operational hours of the contact centre are: 08:00 - 20:00

Hours will be across Monday - Saturday, with a mix of early, middle and late shifts.

As a GPR (General Purpose Relief) you will be working a variety of shifts to cover absence, leave and peak periods, within the contact centre.

The Reward

Starting salary of £23,669 per annum plus regional allowance of £519 per annum.

As your knowledge and skills increase, you will have the opportunity to work towards to Advisor level and then Consultant level, provided you pass competency assessments & probation reviews at 3 & 6 months.

Advisor: £25,518 per annum (after 3 months)

Consultant: £27,612 per annum (after 6 months)

We also offer a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employee
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependant)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR.

Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/