Customer Experience and Retentions Specialist

Virgin Active; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 201,000 - 312,000; Full time

Job summary

Virgin Active South Africa is seeking a Multi-Skilled Agent to deliver effortless member experiences across calls, email and written correspondence. You will support members by resolving queries, managing complaints, handling cancellations and at-risk conversations, and offering tailored solutions that help members stay connected to their wellness journey.

You will use empathy, active listening and problem-solving to understand needs and provide clear options, while upholding policy and

Qualifications

• Matric qualification or equivalent.
• 1-3 years' experience in a contact centre, customer service, retentions, sales or cancellations environment.
• Ability to converse, read and write clearly in English.
• Computer literacy with the ability to work across CRM, telephony, ticketing and membership systems.

Responsibilities

• Handle inbound and outbound member interactions across calls, email and written correspondence.
• Resolve membership, billing, App, access, facility, contract, policy and general service queries within agreed service levels.
• Use curiosity, active listening and effective questioning to understand the member’s needs, concerns and the reasons behind their behaviour before recommending a solution.
• Manage cancellation requests and retention opportunities by understanding the member’s reason for leaving, confirming the correct information and offering relevant and appropriate solutions.
• Recognise verbal, behavioural and emotional cues during member conversations and adapt your communication, questioning and approach to the individual member.
• Use member insight and good judgement to personalise conversations and solutions rather than relying only on scripted responses.
• Use a solution-based approach, structured call guidance and effective objection handling to support member loyalty and reduce avoidable cancellations.
• Present information, options and choices in a clear and simple way so that members can understand their options and make informed decisions.
• Apply approved behavioural conversation principles and retention techniques to support positive member outcomes while ensuring conversations remain fair, transparent and compliant.
• Apply empathy, professionalism and sound judgement when managing complaints, sensitive conversations and members who may be at risk of leaving.
• Apply empathy, professionalism and sound judgement when managing complaints, sensitive conversations and members who may be at risk of leaving.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Active listening

Empathy and rapport building

Questioning and needs discovery

Negotiation and objection handling

Multitasking across systems

CRM software familiarity

English proficiency

Education

Matric qualification or equivalent qualification

Tools

Fresh

iTensity

Flexer

CRM software

Ticketing systems

Telephone systems

Job description

Our purpose is to change people's lives for the better through wellness. We are passionate about supporting people to lead healthy, fulfilled lives by providing a space where they can focus on their physical, mental and social well-being.

As a Multi-Skilled Agent, you play a key role in creating effortless member experiences. You support members by resolving queries, managing complaints, handling cancellation and at-risk conversations, and offering tailored solutions that help members stay connected to their wellness journey.

Every interaction is an opportunity to inspire trust, solve the member's need, protect member value and support Virgin Active's promise of refreshing real experiences, holistic wellness, curated guidance and communities without conformity.

A day in the life of a Multi-Skilled Agent...

• Handle inbound and outbound member interactions across calls, email and written correspondence.
• Resolve membership, billing, App, access, facility, contract, policy and general service queries within agreed service levels.
• Use curiosity, active listening and effective questioning to understand the member’s needs, concerns and the reasons behind their behaviour before recommending a solution.
• Manage cancellation requests and retention opportunities by understanding the member’s reason for leaving, confirming the correct information and offering relevant and appropriate solutions.
• Recognise verbal, behavioural and emotional cues during member conversations and adapt your communication, questioning and approach to the individual member.
• Use member insight and good judgement to personalise conversations and solutions rather than relying only on scripted responses.
• Use a solution-based approach, structured call guidance and effective objection handling to support member loyalty and reduce avoidable cancellations.
• Present information, options and choices in a clear and simple way so that members can understand their options and make informed decisions.
• Apply approved behavioural conversation principles and retention techniques to support positive member outcomes while ensuring conversations remain fair, transparent and compliant.
• Apply empathy, professionalism and sound judgement when managing complaints, sensitive conversations and members who may be at risk of leaving.
  
• Apply empathy, professionalism and sound judgement when managing complaints, sensitive conversations and members who may be at risk of leaving.

We can't live without...

Experience and Background

• Matric qualification or equivalent qualification.
• 1 - 3 years' experience in a contact centre, customer service, retentions, sales or cancellations environment.
• Ability to work across Customer Service and Retentions queues, campaigns and products, adapting quickly to changing business needs.
• Ability to converse, read and write clearly in English.
• Computer literacy with the ability to work across CRM, telephony, ticketing and membership systems.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong communication, active listening, persuasion and negotiation skills.
• Strong customer focus, with empathy and the ability to build rapport and trust quickly.
• Strong curiosity and questioning skills, with the ability to look beyond the initial member request to understand the real need, concern or motivation.
• Ability to recognise verbal, emotional and situational cues during member conversations and respond appropriately.
• Ability to listen carefully, interpret information and adapt communication style and approach to suit the individual member and situation.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess information, identify the underlying issue and recommend an appropriate solution.
• Ability to explain information, options and recommendations in a clear, simple and easy-to-understand way.
• Ability to learn and understand new concepts, recognise how they apply in different situations and confidently put the learning into practice.
• Ability to manage objections and influence member decisions through effective questioning, relevant information and personalised solutions rather than relying only on scripted responses.
• Good judgement and decision-making skills, with the ability to balance member needs, commercial outcomes, business policy and compliance requirements.
• High emotional intelligence and resilience when dealing with complaints, rejection, difficult conversations and sensitive member situations.
• Ability to close conversations professionally, confirm clear next steps and work towards the best possible outcome for both the member and the business.
• Strong follow-through and ownership, ensuring agreed actions and commitments are completed.
• Ability to multitask, move confidently between different systems and communication channels, and maintain accuracy under pressure.
• Strong quality and compliance focus, with accurate recording of member interactions, decisions, offers and retention outcomes.

We'd like you to have...

• A proactive approach and willingness to constantly seek a better way of doing things.
• Ability to work independently while being a respectful and supportive team player.
• Good knowledge of relevant computer programs, CRM software, ticketing tools and telephone systems.
• Previous experience using systems such as Fresh, iTensity, Flexer or similar membership/contact centre platforms would be advantageous.