Customer Service Supervisor
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.
Join Our Team: Customer Service Supervisor
We’re excited to welcome a new Customer Service Supervisor covering our London & South East region.
Navigate your future and lock in your career as we keep our canals open and alive.
Working Hours & Location
This role follows 37 hours, Monday to Friday working pattern. The vacancy will be offered on a remote working basis, with a monthly requirement to attend our Little Venice, London hub for team meetings.
Role Overview
This role leads the customer support team within the waterway, overseeing the main customer interface and ensuring all enquiries and communications are handled efficiently and professionally.
The Customer Service Supervisor will supervise day-to-day customer service operations and ensure the smooth running of the team. Working closely with customers, colleagues and stakeholders, you will drive high standards of service while supporting the team to deliver a consistent and positive customer experience.
Key Accountabilities:
- Drive and manage performance of the customer service team supporting region to meet Trust SLA’s and customer satisfaction targets.
- Manage cases and complaints on behalf of the team and region, working with regional operational and engineering colleagues and teams to resolve enquiries and complaints.
- Be a point of contact for case escalation and resolution, including formal complaints, drafting replies on behalf of BCSM and Regional Director.
- Be part of the Customer Service team responding to incoming customer telephone calls and manage telephone performance across the customer service team.
- Manage and write monthly report summaries of customer service performance to BCSM and Regional Director to help drive regional customer service performance and priorities.
- Manage claims process within the waterway, ensuring acknowledgements and responses are issued within the prescribed timescales.
- Oversee logging of all regional customer related incidents, via Safety Log, ensuring all reports are submitted in line with Trusts procedure.
- Maintain communication channels with our customer groups through telephone calls, notice boards, post, email, social media and our website; delivered in a consistent and timely manner.
- Be a support for the organisation of events and functions within the waterway, for both internal and external customers for example team days, APM’s and open days.
- Co-ordinate administration support for the waterway partnership, its chair and its members and ensure an effective flow of communication between the members, customers and staff of the Trust.
- Line manage a team of 6 Customer Service Administrators ensuring that tasks are processed efficiently and in a timely manner in line with defined standards and processes.
- Lead and develop individuals to ensure that the appropriate skills and competencies are maintained to deliver the objectives of the team, working with volunteers to expand the capabilities of the team.
- Provide financial management support to the waterway, under the guidance of the Finance Analysts, to ensure effective ordering of materials and supplies and adherence to financial processes.
- Display the Trust values and behaviours at all times.
- Ensure that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life and promote inclusion by challenging behaviour, practices, actions, or decisions that are counter to the objectives of the Trust’s policies and values.
About you
You are a confident, customer-focused professional with strong experience in administration. You communicate clearly, handle enquiries and complaints with professionalism, and remain calm under pressure.
With proven team leadership and organisational skills, you can manage workloads, support others to perform at their best, and maintain high service standards. You are comfortable working with financial processes, IT systems, and organisational policies.
Above all, you are approachable, resilient and committed to delivering excellent service while promoting an inclusive and values-driven culture.
Skills & Qualifications
- Proven experience of delivering excellence in customer service and working to customer service SLA’s
- Proven experience of customer case management, including de-escalation and/or resolution of formal complaints
- NVQ or equivalent in a Customer Service related discipline and /or Business Administration Level III / HNC - Desirable
- Some knowledge of work safety management.
- Proven line & budget management experience.
- Proven experience in SAP - Desirable
- Substantial experience in a customer service area, providing support over telephone and email.
Substantial experience of administration. - Some experience of working with or as a volunteer(s) is desirable.
- Communication skills that allow you to inform, help and advise customers clearly and professionally and liaise with other professionals.
- Listening skills, to understand exactly what customers require.
- Ability to deal with difficult and potentially confrontational situations.
- Confident in the use of word processing and spreadsheet software.
- Confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy, when addressing customer enquiries.
- Ability to work well under pressure.
- Ability to understand and implement organisational policies
Contact & Application
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk. We encourage early applications as we may close the vacancy once we receive enough suitable candidates.
What We Offer
We offer an annual salary of £32,500. Enjoy a competitive pension scheme, increasing holiday entitlement, and a range of employee benefits. For a full breakdown of our benefits, check out our brochure here:EVP - 1.
Learn more: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits
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.
At Canal & River Trust, we are committed to fair, transparent, and ethical recruitment practices. As part of our hiring process, we may use AI to analyse applications and support us work more efficiently. However, all hiring decisions – without exception - are made by our hiring managers.
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