Customer Services Advisor Apprentice
About the job
Salary: £7.55 p.h.
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Apprentice
As a Customer Services Advisor Apprentice, you will be the first point of contact for customers, helping to resolve basic enquiries and process service requests across a wide range of council services. You will learn how to identify and understand customers’ needs, providing accurate information and support in a polite, professional, and customer-focused manner to both internal and external customers.
You will be trained to operate a variety of ICT systems to maintain and update customer records, create accurate service requests, and produce clear, concise written records of customer interactions. This will include scrutinising, verifying, and confirming customer identification, working in line with data protection principles, and escalating any suspected fraudulent activity to a Team Leader where appropriate.
The role will also involve negotiating with customers, taking account of their individual circumstances to achieve satisfactory outcomes, and accepting and processing payments by cash, cheque, credit or debit card, ensuring systems are accurately reconciled.
You will support continuous service improvement by assisting with customer satisfaction surveys, providing feedback to Team Leaders, and highlighting areas where services could be improved. You will develop an awareness of all services delivered by the department and the wider council, enabling you to confidently signpost customers to the correct point of contact.
Alongside customer-facing duties, you will undertake a range of administrative tasks to support service delivery. Throughout the apprenticeship, you will receive training, support and supervision to help you develop your skills, knowledge, and confidence within a busy customer service environment.
Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.
About you
You will have some experience of establishing facts and problem solving, with the ability to deal confidently with enquiries from members of the public, both face to face and by telephone, in a polite, patient, and tactful manner.
You will be willing and able to learn new procedures and information, following guidance and instructions accurately. You will have basic IT skills, including the ability to use Windows-based computer packages, along with good keyboard skills.
You will be comfortable undertaking numeracy-based tasks, such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, to support customers and process transactions. You will be able to produce clear, concise, and accurate written notes from customer interviews and carry out administrative tasks such as scanning, addressing and general office support.
You will have a good level of spoken and written English and be able to demonstrate an understanding of how discrimination can impact service delivery and the people you work with, showing a commitment to treating all customers fairly and respectfully.
You will have achieved GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths or be willing to work towards an English and Maths qualification as part of your apprenticeship.
You will be flexible and willing to adjust or extend working hours to meet the front-line needs of the service, for example during busy counter periods. You will have been resident in the UK for the past three years and be able to travel across the Borough as required, maintaining high service delivery standards.
This is a public facing role so you’ll need to show off your fluency in speaking and writing English.
About us
Our ambitiousLuton 2040 Vision– that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.
The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough
Application Process
On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.
Benefits
We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:
- From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
- Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
- Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
- Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
- Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
- Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
- Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
- Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
- Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
- Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
How to apply
We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!
Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply
Available documents
Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.Salary range
- £7.55 per hour