SALARY: £34,000 per annum
HOURS: 40 per week, Monday - Friday
LOCATION: Albert Road, Bristol
Customer Relations Manager
Purpose of the role:
- Responsible for leading the Customer Relations team to ensure that all customer complaints (both waste and FM), FOIs, SARs and other informal communications are handled effectively and to agreed SLAs.
- Provide the business with appropriate complaints reporting, KPI’s etc. to ensure the business has a good oversight of the complaints at all stages.
- Maintain SLA levels and focus on improving the quality of BWC responses.
- Key liaison link to Bristol City Council’s customer services team, disclosures team and directly manages stage 2 complaints, FOI responses, SARs and provides information to BCC on Ombudsman requests.
- Using the complaints data, the postholder drives continual services improvement by identifying and sharing lessons learnt.
- Has the freedom to act and make quick decisions to solve problems. As a third-party contractor, ensure BWC adheres to the Local Government Act 1974 in relation to complaint handling, supporting Bristol City Council (BCC) to remain compliant
Key Responsibilities:
- Take ownership, investigate and respond to customers formal and informal complaints in a professional and timely manner.
- Negotiate suitable resolutions to complaints with due regard to the Bristol City Council Waste Policy and Bristol Waste Company’s operational parameters.
- Investigate and solve customers' problems, which may be complex or long-standing.
- Gather evidence and information for high level complaints, Ombudsman and FOI requests.
- To be the main point of contact and support for key stakeholder (Bristol City Council) complaints & CSC and assurance teams, customers, and colleagues to resolve informal, formal complaints, Stage 2 escalated complaint cases and provide information for Ombudsman requests within the agreed complaint procedures.
- Coach and develop a high performing team. Ensure team members have objectives, development plans etc. and provide pastoral care as required.
- Ensure the team analyse daily complaint trends to provide insight and intelligence to Operational Supervisors and Managers.
- Liaise with senior management to raise trends and discuss more complicated and Stage 2 complaints.
- Check the complaints system regularly to ensure assigned complaint cases have been actioned and are responded to with SLA.
- Triage case complaint content and make decisions on the appropriate process to follow.
- Investigate and resolve complaints, liaising with the operational team to gather information and evidence required.
- Liaise with complainants in a professional, sensitive, and appreciative manner via emails and phone calls.
- Liaise with Supervisors/Service Managers to find immediate solutions and provide information to influence long term resolutions for repeat issues.
- Assess cases and use judgement to highlight cases where there is the possibility of reputational damage to BWC.
- Ensure all relevant information including detailed, sensitive, and complex information is interpreted, understood and recorded correctly on the Council’s Case Management system.
- Provide advice and guidance to staff on relevant complaints, FOI and SARs procedures and Councillor/MP enquires.
- Ensure the security of resident’s data ensuring compliance within GDPR.
- Improve customer service procedures, policies and standards as required.
Essential Requirements for the Role:
- Demonstratable experience of managing a complaints or customer services function in a relevant service sector
- Significant experience in handling difficult customer service situations/ conflict and ability to bring complaints/ issues to resolution.
- Significant experience of thinking strategically and exercise judgement to make decisions that will improve customer and residents overall experience, solve problems and support new ways of working.
- Proven competence of leading, motivating and supporting a team to deliver exceptional customer service and communications
- Innovative thinking, enthusiasm, and determination to see complaints through to resolution, with the ability to collaboratively work with operational colleagues and other support service areas to find solutions
- Strong analytical skills and experience of using data to identify trends and assess customer satisfaction levels.
- Strong interpersonal skills with demonstratable experience to deal with members of the public, external clients, decision makers (both internal and external) – adapting communication style to the situation.
- Confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy, when dealing with difficult situations
- Ability to provide exceptional customer service is a given, and an ability to engage with all sections of the community
- The ability to prioritise tasks and work under pressure.
- A problem-solving approach to work
- Flexibility and adaptability to changing workloads.
- Highly organised and detail-orientated
- High level of personal integrity
- Ability to handle information securely and confidentially.
- Tact, discretion and respect for confidentiality
- Working knowledge of MS office, including spreadsheets and emails
Full Job Description can be provided upon request.
Our Benefits:
- Depending on your role we provide an employer contribution of up to 5% into the company pension scheme.
- Generous annual leave package with 25 days annual leave days plus 8 bank holidays.
- Support for Mental Health, we have an BUPA Employee Assistance Programme that provides support in a variety of different areas such as Mental Health, Financial and Family related topics. We also have Mental Health First Aiders across the business.
- Support for your Physical Health with our BUPA Health Cash Plan (we cover the cost of coverage for you), Cycle to Work scheme and an onsite Physiotherapist. All free for our colleagues.
- Because we value our colleagues so much, we want to recruit more employees just like them. Which is why we have our employee referral scheme.
- Dedicated learning and development team. We take pride in developing our colleagues and some examples of this include our In-House Driver Development Programme and internal promotions. Many of our Senior Leadership Team have developed from Operational roles, such as one of our Contract Managers who started as a Street Cleanser.
- Employee recognition awards and long service awards. To celebrate our colleagues wherever they are on their journey with us. We recognise and celebrate talent.
- Flexible working, we recognise that everyone is different and strive to create an environment that supports all colleagues. We have introduced a hybrid working model where possible and actively encourage part-time working, job sharing and flexibility on hours. If this interests, you please do get in touch, and we can start a conversation.
To discuss this role, your application, or any reasonable adjustments please feel free to contact our People Services team on recruitment@bristolwastecompany.co.uk or by phone on 0117 440 6676.
We are on equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates.