Customer Support and Collections Associate

Close Brothers.; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical

Discounted health checks

Stakeholder pension contribution

Gym discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Gym discounts

Purchase additional holiday

Job summary

Close Brothers Asset Finance seeks individuals with a customer-focused mindset to support customers in financial difficulty, delivering appropriate collections and recovery strategies within compliance. You will develop knowledge of CBAF products, operate with your designated authority and strive for positive outcomes aligned with divisional objectives.

We value inquisitive problem-solvers with strong communication, emotional intelligence and resilience who can collaborate in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Prior experience in collections/recoveries for lending products.
• Experience communicating with vulnerable customers.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent analytical skills to assess customer circumstances.
• Ability to demonstrate emotional intelligence, resilience and empathy.
• Strong teamwork and ability to manage workload in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Mitigate losses by early engagement with customers in financial difficulty and apply effective collections strategies.
• Communicate confidentially and empathetically with customers by phone, post and email.
• Assess customer circumstances using structured questioning and income/expenditure analysis.
• Explain repayment options clearly and point to debt-advice sources.
• Identify vulnerability and arrange appropriate care and additional support.

Skills

Collections & recoveries

Vulnerable customers

Communication

Analytical thinking

Emotional intelligence

Teamwork

Tools

Alfa Financial Software

Job description

Overall Summary

The vacancy OVERALL SUMMARY At Close Brothers we look to recruit individuals from all different backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don't tick every box. We celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity and are open to discuss flexible work options to help you balance your work and home life. Join the Close Brothers Asset Finance (CBAF) team where you will assist our customers in financial difficulty, providing appropriate support and operating within your designated authority. This includes identifying tailored and effective collections and recovery strategies for our customers, whilst maintaining compliance with relevant internal and external regulatory expectations. You will need to develop a deep understanding of CBAF businesses, products and processes. You'll use your strong interpersonal skills to deliver good customer outcomes ensuring alignment to divisional objectives. An inquisitive nature, strong initiative, problem solving skills and a customer-first approach are key to success in this role.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Mitigate losses to the bank through early engagement with customers in financial difficulty and deployment of appropriate collections and recoveries strategies
• Confidentially and empathetically communicate with customers through channels including telephone, post and email
• Understand customer circumstances through appropriate techniques, including structured questioning and use of income and expenditure analysis
• Provide clear explanations of repayment options and independent sources of debt advice to empower customers to make informed decisions
• Identify and respond to customer vulnerability ensuring an appropriate level of care, seeking additional support where needed.

Policies & Procedures

• Apply the CBAF Collections and Recoveries Standards, and associated procedures, to all customer dealings
• Identify and log customer dissatisfaction in an appropriate and professional manner whilst adhering to complaints/escalation process
• Escalate complex queries or situations that cannot be resolved at first instance
• Identify improvements to enhance customer and/or Bank outcomes
• Ensure that all Governance and Compliance requirements are adhered to and all reporting and reviewing activities required by the Regulatory Bodies are carried out to the standards required

Requirements

• Prior experience in collections/recoveries in relation to lending products
• Experience with vulnerable customers
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to assess customer circumstances and identify appropriate strategies, applying judgement and decision making skills
• The ability to demonstrate emotional intelligence, resilience and empathy
• Strong teamwork skills, able to collaborate effectively while maintaining individual workload in a fast paced environment

IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU HAVE/CAN

• Deliver excellent customer service via previous customer facing roles with excellent and professional telephony skills
• Knowledge of collections and recoveries regulatory requirements and industry standards
• Proficiency in Alfa Financial Software

At Close Brothers we support employees to balance their work life priorities and in this role you will be able to enjoy a mixture of hybrid working.

About Close Brothers

Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking and securities trading. We employ approximately 3,000 people, principally in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250. To find out more about Close Brothers, please visit our careers page: To find out more about life at Close Brothers: To find out more about our benefits: To find out more about our commitment to creating an inclusive environment: #LI-JN1 #LI-CBAFL #LI-Hybrid

The company Close Brothers is a UK specialist banking group providing lending and deposit taking. We employ approximately 3,000 people, principally in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Our services

• Commercial: Offers specialist and predominantly secured lending principally to the SME market.
• Retail : Provides intermediated finance through motor dealers, motor finance brokers and insurance brokers, and savings products for individuals and corporates.
• Property: Offers residential development finance to established UK property developers, funding for commercial properties, and bridging and refurbishment loans.

At Close Brothers, we are here to help people and businesses thrive over the long term. Through our deep sector knowledge and expertise, focus on delivering excellent and specialist service, and strength of established relationships, we support our customers through the cycle. Our values of deep expertise, consistent service and long-term relationships embody our distinctive culture and customer-centric approach. We also recognise our responsibility to help address the social, economic and environmental challenges facing our businesses, employees and customers, now and into the future.

Benefits

• Private medical
• Discounted health checks
• Stakeholder pension contribution
• Gym discounts
• Cycle to work scheme
• Gym discounts
• Purchase additional holiday