Meet and Greet Assistant

South Western News UK; Southampton; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free duty and leisure travel for staff

Free leisure travel for spouse/partner

75% discount on other train operators

Full training and development

Excellent pension scheme

Job summary

South Western Railway (SWR) is seeking a Customer Service Attendant to provide a safe environment and deliver excellent customer service at stations. You will assist passengers, welcome travellers, and proactively offer help on and off trains and throughout the station.

You'll need very good communication, a strong customer focus, and the ability to work under pressure. The role involves shifts, training is provided, and a safety-critical medical is required to proceed.

Qualifications

• Very good communication skills.
• Exceptional level of customer focus.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Being multi-lingual and outgoing would be advantageous.
• Organised, proactive and able to efficiently prioritise tasks.
• Passionate about doing the right thing – nothing is too much trouble.
• This is a safety critical role and you will be required to pass a medical including vision and hearing tests.

Responsibilities

• Offering passenger assistance to those that need it, including help with luggage and assisting boarding/alighting.
• Safely dispatch trains from the platform when required, ensuring passengers are clear and signals are correct.
• Maintain personal and passenger safety, and assist contractors and visitors as needed.
• Follow rules in Network Rail Group Standards and company handbooks, keeping competency up to date.
• Monitor and coordinate passenger assistance requests, especially when demand is high.
• Provide a safe, courteous, and helpful service at all times.
• Keep a clean, well-presented station environment and complete ad hoc cleaning during quieter periods.
• Assist with emergency procedures and evacuations when required.
• Operate plant and equipment only when competent.
• Maintain station security during shifts.
• Understand ticketing and route restrictions relevant to the location.

Skills

Communication

Customer focus

Stress management

Multilingual

Organization

Proactivity

Attention to detail

Safety awareness

Medical fitness

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 bring people together to get the most out of life.

The Reward

Opportunities to work on rest days or to do overtime could increase your annual earnings. Some Rail Operators earn up to £30,000 per annum plus regional allowance.

On top of your salary, we offer a variety of valuable benefits, including:

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

About the job

To provide a safe environment whilst delivering excellent customer service at all times seeking opportunities to enhance the customers experience at the station.

To ensure thatcustomers are extended a welcome to the station, providing pro-active assistance and information to customers on and off trains and throughout the station.

Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Offering passenger assistance to those that need it, whether this be additional support with moving luggage or helping customers board and alight our trains with ramps.
• When required, you will be able to safely dispatch trains from the platform, ensuring all customers are clear of the train whilst observing the correct signal is showing. You will need normal colour vision for this position.
• Ensure your personal safety and that of others, including that of visitors and contractors, at all times.
• Comply with the rules as defined in Network Rail Group Standard, South Western Railway Employee Handbook, other regulations and Instructions, Group Standards and Legislation, undertaking periodic re-examination of competency.
• Monitor, manage and proactively complete booked and un-booked passenger assistances at all times. Co-ordinating support with colleagues where assistance demands are high.
• Provide a safe, courteous and helpful service at all times.
• Provide a safe, clean and well-presented customer environment, ensuring ad hoc station cleaning is completed during quieter periods.
• Undertake emergency procedures and implement evacuation procedures when required.
• Operate plant and equipment as required in relation to your role, providing you are passed competent to do so.
• Maintain the security of the station premises when on shift.
• Have an understanding of ticket & restrictions relevant to your location and line of route.
• Wear uniform (including name badge) and safety clothing as supplied, ensuring that your standard of appearance is exceptional at all times and complies with the company standard.
• Additional tasks as specified by the local manager and Station Supervisor applicable to the role.

You'llneed to be:

• Very good communication skills
• Exceptional level of customer focus
• Ability to work under pressure
• Being multi-lingual and outgoing would be advantageous
• Organised, proactive and able to efficiently prioritise tasks.
• Passionate about doing the right thing – nothing is too much trouble.
• This is a safety critical role and you will be required to pass a medical including vision and hearing tests.

Applicants who require a visa must have 6 months remaining at the time of their appointment. Training is full time and you must be able to commit to this.

Working pattern

Our customers need us all day, every day (except Christmas day) and as part of the stations team, you'll need to able to work shifts at all times of the day and on every day of the week.

You will work an average of 37 hours per week across an average of 4.5 days, with additional hours on a Sunday as part of a roster.

Typical Shifts:

Week 1 - Sun (OFF), Mon-Sat 0830-1640

Week 2 - Sun (OFF), Mon (RD), Tues-Sat 0800-1610

Week 3 - Sun 0700-1500, Mon 0800-1610, Tues-Weds (RD), Thurs-Sat 0940-1800

Week 4 - Sun 0900-1700, Mon-Weds 0940-1800, Thurs-Sat (RD)

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 additionalsupport 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/