Customer Service Administrator

Job Description

About the Trust 

We're one of the UK’s biggest charities and we care for 2,000 miles of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs because we believe life is better by water. We're looking for people who support our cause and want to make a difference for future generations. Could this be you?  

Along with our waterways we also manage museums, archives and the country's third largest collection of historic buildings, as well as the nature and wildlife that calls our canals home. All of this enables us to provide wellbeing opportunities for millions of people each year.

The role of Customer Service Administrator is to deliver excellence in customer service. This will involve supporting our customers both over the telephone, email and online notice boards. The role will also involve general administration and financial support to the regional team.

You will be based working from home and applicants should be confident and comfortable to work from home on a permanent basis. You will be required to attend the local hub locations at either Little Venice London, or Milton Keynes as and when required for monthly team and collaborative meetings.

Interviews will be held in person at our Little Venice, London hub location.

Location: Home working - Monthly travel to Little Venice, London Hub

Key Accountabilities:

• Being part of the regional customer service team, ensuring that all telephone and email enquiries are managed in a friendly, helpful, professional and conscientious way.
• Managing customer enquiries to resolution and in line with our service level agreements in a timely manner through our customer relationship management system Sugar.
• Clearly communicating navigational updates such as restrictions, closures and advice notices via online customer notice system.
• Accurately booking lock passages and pre-bookable moorings for boaters via online customer licensing system.
• Logging reports, faults and failures of boater Customer Service Facilities such as elsans, pump outs, and bins. Liaising with contractors to update live notices.
• Working with internal insurance team to progress and resolve insurance claims.
• Logging all incoming reports of customer accidents, incidents and/or near misses via our internal health and safety system.
• Produce accurate and timely communication for our customers via online notice boards, social media and our website.
• Coordinate the organisation of events and functions within the waterway, for both internal and external customers.
• Provide administration services for the waterway including, minute taking, organisation of occupational health visits and updating of training records.
• Produce accurate and clearly presented reports that support the needs of the business.
• Maintain accurate and well organised systems of records that are easily retrievable (e.g. Sharepoint)
• Use SAP to provide financial and administration services to the waterway, to ensure effective ordering of materials and supplies, to work with notifications and other financial processes. Tasks will include raising purchase orders and invoices and actioning goods receipts.
• Ensure that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life.

About You:

• Proven experience in a customer service environment, e.g. providing “front of house” services via telephone, email, notice boards, post, email, social media, etc.
• Proven experience of administration.
• Communication skills that allow you to inform, help and advise customers clearly and professionally and liaise with other professionals.
• Ability to deal with difficult and potentially confrontational situations.
• Confident in the use of the MS Office word processing and spreadsheet software.
• Confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy, when addressing customer enquiries
• Calm under pressure, with good prioritisation skills
• Ability to provide a positive interaction and experience with customers on the phone and face to face.
• Understands importance of working safely.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

What we offer

In addition to your annual base salary of £25,153, a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits we are also open to flexible working arrangements.

• Competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, where we will double your contribution to a maximum of 10%.
• 25 days paid holiday (plus paid Bank Holidays), increasing to 30 days after 5 years.
• Home working status with ‘hub’ facilities available should you need the flexibility to work outside of home.
• Annual £200 personal learning & growth award to spend on any learning related activity.
• Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues, e.g. health, financial, well-being and domestic matters.
• Access to a range of employee benefits including store discounts, boating holiday discounts and holiday purchase scheme.
• 2 days paid volunteering leave per annum, allowing you to volunteer for a local community project etc.
• Free fishing facilities across our canal network.

All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills and abilities and solely by being assessed against the requirements for the job.

Our values

We care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone can thrive. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments - whether for a disability, neurodiversity, or health condition - please let us know what you need and how we can support you. We’ll work with you to make any necessary changes.

All of our jobs can be considered on a part time flexible or job share basis.

We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. You are considered disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. We recognise not everyone who is classified as disabled under the Equality Act personally identifies this way, or with this definition of disability. Please do not let this discourage you from applying under the scheme.

Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.

Find out more about us on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us

Job Details

• Pay Type
• Salary

• Hiring Rate
• 25,153 GBP