Maternity Cover Customer Service Assistant
I am currently recruiting for a full time Customer Service Advisor based in Huntingdon to be employed on a temporary contract arrangement as a maternity cover placement.
Why does the role exist?
The purpose of the role is to provide a dedicated fist point of contact for our customers, facilitating a high standard of customer service, in line with customer expectations, through the building, developing and balancing of excellent working and commercially effective relationships with customers, and managing the sales order process from receipt to delivery.
Key Responsibilities
To develop, manage and influence existing customer relationships, through aligning customer and the Company’s expectations, to ensure we both consistently provide a high level of service and achieve customer satisfaction, thereby contributing to the Company Sales budget and the Company Plan.
Act as the customer’s representative within the Company by managing and influencing internal relationships with all other Departments, to ensure we both consistently maximise opportunities with, and meet commitments to, our customers.
Undertake daily reactive/proactive inbound/outbound customer communication and liaison, via the phone, e-mail and face-to-face (when required on occasion) to ensure timely, courteous, effective and professional response to enquiries, all requests for information and resolution of issues.
Manage the sales order process from enquiry through to order and delivery – including but not limited to sales order processing, order monitoring/progressing and undertaking all necessary external/internal liaison – and efficiently handle all stages of our business administration function delivering our commitments, including but not limited to sales order processing, complaint/concern recording and credits.
Secure sales and opportunities for the company, within the Company’s pricing policy guidelines/ customer terms to contribute to the Company Plan and Sales Budget.
Manage the customer concern/complaints process, including receipt, review, resolution, and implementation of corrective action, logging/recording and identifying preventative action.
Promote, support, sponsor and participate in Company service initiatives.
Key tasks and activities
What are the key tasks and responsibilities that contribute to achieving the purpose of the job role? What are the measures of performance that will define achievement of these goals?
1. Market / Product Knowledge
Continually develop, exhibit and apply a thorough knowledge of the UK market and company products in order to keep up to date, operate effectively and contribute to the Company Plan
2. Internal Account Management
Professionally manage and commercially control designated customer accounts, in conjunction with support from external Sales/National Accounts, ensuring contractual, Agreement or order requirements are fulfilled in line with customer and the Company’s expectations. Undertake all necessary customer communication and liaison, via the phone, e-mail and face-to-face (when required on occasion) to ensure timely, courteous, effective and professional response to all enquiries, requests for information and resolution of issues, whilst acting in a commercially responsible manner.
3. Customer Knowledge and Relationship Management
Maintain, grow and utilise a good working knowledge of customer accounts, to develop and manage commercially effective and balanced working relationships with designated customers and key contacts. Act as the first point of contact to use and influence these relationships to promote and effect a high quality standard of service for our customers, that aligns their and the Company’s expectations, in turn supporting the achievement of sales targets and ensuring customer demands are satisfied.
4. Internal Company Relationships
Manage and influence internal relationships with all Operational/non-Sales Departments and colleagues by undertaking all necessary communication, liaison and action via the phone, e-mail and face-to-face, to consistently ensure sales opportunities are secured and customer commitments are achieved, in turn realising customer satisfaction.
5. Sales Performance
Undertake negotiations with current customers/potential clients via telesales, verbal/written quotations and enquiry handling activities to secure sales within agreed pricing policy guidelines and customer terms, to realise and maximise all opportunities (given/facilitated) in support of the Company’s Sales Budget.
6. Sales Process Administration
Complete all required Sales administration necessary to deliver our commitments to our customers, including but not limited to sales order processing, complaint/concern recording, credits, orderbook management and other System-related activity (terms/price updates etc) to ensure the sale process consistently runs in a smooth, efficient and timely manner.
7. Service Orientation and Complaints/Concerns Management
Adopt at all times a high service orientation throughout day-to-day activities that fully satisfies and controls customer demands and expectations, in line with those of the Company. Target complete customer satisfaction throughout all activities, and on the occasions this is not achievable, actively manage the customer concern/complaints process, including receipt, review, resolution, and implementation of corrective action, logging/recording and identifying preventative action.
Knowledge and Skills
What are the essential and desirable areas of knowledge, skill and experience in relation to undertaking this role effectively?
Essential skills needed:
Customer service experience
Customer service experience in a manufacturing background and/or a business-to -business environment would be advantageous - if you have customer service retail experience, unfortunately this role would not be open to you based on the differing level of requirement in the role.
Able to communicate clearly – both verbally and written
Excellent orator and scribe
Very high service orientation, displayed consistently
Able to achieve consistent customer service excellence irrespective of situation
Ability to maintain existing external relationships with key contacts and demonstrate influential use of the same.
Ability to create excellent working relationships with key contacts and maximise through identifying and using strategic influencing techniques
Ability to build internal relationships in a team environment
Ability to maximise internal relationships for benefit of self, the team and Company
Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team
Non-dependent self-starter yet recognised as influential team contributor and key player
Ability to multi-task yet to follow laid down procedures in a pressurised environment Ability to thrive on pressure, self-manage all day-to-day activity and push procedure boundary to achieve success
Adaptable to change
Ability to help facilitate change and identifies areas for improvement
Commercial awareness – able to maximise given sales opportunities
Commercial ability – able to create and secure sales whilst maximising added-value
Ability to consistently convert sales through telephone /written negotiation
Able to deliver demonstrable contribution to Company Sales Budget through telephone /written negotiation
IT literacy with methodical and organised administration skills
High calibre and up-to-date IT skills with peer-leading organisational and admin skills
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