Customer Service Advisor

Who are we? 

First Customer Contact is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier. FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport. 

About the team 

We are continually seeking ways in which to improve the experience for our customers. Our Customer Contact Centre will therefore use industry leading systems to deliver excellent customer service and ensure that requests are speedily and effectively resolved. 

Our delivery teams are responsible for a variety of customer support matters which range from processing customer compensation claims to complaints handling, group bookings and assisted/special services, quality assurance and fraud prevention and detection and retails sales to individuals and corporates. 

About the job 

• As one of our Customer Service Advisors specialising in Passenger Assistance you will be the first point of contact for customers calling in seeking help and advice when accessing the passenger assistance service
• You will provide verbal and written support to customers within agreed time scales and in an appropriate manner
• Our advisors are responsible for a variety of customer support matters which range from handling customer enquiries to resolving customer complaints.

Salary: £24,902 (37.5 hour contract) 

Expected Start Date: 14th April 2025 – 5 week induction including a training programme and supported grad-bay 

Please note annual leave will not be available during the training and grad bay period 

Your main responsibilities will be: 

• Deliver exceptional customer service
• Respond to inbound calls, emails and complaints from customers
• Achieve performance objectives while adhering to standards
• Maintain accurate records on our CRM system (Salesforce)
• Respond to customers correspondence according to the relevant passenger charter and business process
• Have an awareness of all business areas to enable you to understand route cause of customer contact and assist with continuous improvement
• Maintain our systems and equipment by reporting any problems
• Attend training to improve personal knowledge and professional development
• Identifying and escalating high profile/priority customer contact to the Management Team

As a minimum, you will need to have: 

• A passion for delivering excellent customer service
• Empathy with other people’s perspectives and the ability to work well with others
• Patience and the ability to remain calm in challenging situations
• Flexible in your approach to work with the ability to adapt to an ever-changing customer services environment
• Ability to accept constructive criticism and feedback
• Resilience when faced with challenging queries
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Good comprehension of English and ability to write English quickly, concisely and effectively
• Demonstrable skills and ability to provide a customer focussed service, responding proactively and positively to challenges, keeping customers informed and managing expectations appropriately.
• Ability to manage situations in which customers are unhappy about the level or quality of service/response and to find solutions to the points raised.
• Capacity to communicate effectively using all forms of media
• Confident in highlighting issues identified while carrying out duties
• Ability to learn and apply policies from the training sessions
• Excellent organisational skills coupled with the ability to prioritise work
• Active listening skills
• Computer literacy Microsoft office 365 (essential)

About the location 

Sheffield city centre. Ten minutes’ walk from Sheffield Station. Travel to other UK locations as appropriate. 

Working pattern 

37.5 hours per week 

Typical rotation: Mon – Fri – 8am – 8pm 

1 in 3 weekends covering between 8am – 10pm 

Contact Centre Operational Hours 06:00-23:00 including weekends 

Benefits 

• 25 days Holiday plus National Bank Holidays (pro-rata)
• Travel Offers for Bus and Rail*
• Payroll Giving – donate directly from your pay to a Charity of your Choice
• Shopping Discounts including discounts and cashback on electrical goods, your weekly shop, holidays, cinema trips, car insurance, upgrading your mobile and lots more
• All employee Share Schemes*
• Save as You Earn – gives you the opportunity to save a regular amount each month for three years. At the end of the savings period, you can use your savings to buy shares at a discounted price set at the start of the Scheme, or take your savings as cash.
• Buy as You Earn – allows you to buy shares each month, with 2 free ‘matching’ shares for each 3 shares you buy. You can vary the amount you save, or stop it at any time. You need to participate in the scheme for at least 3 years in order to receive the matching shares.
• Employee Assistance Helpline – free, confidential employee support service provided by an independent provider
• after 6 months of employment

We all belong at First Customer Contact. FirstGroup’s vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, 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. 

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details. 

If you require additional support 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/ 

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