Customer Service Specialist
Please note shift allowances are subject to change based on hours/weekends worked, the amount stated is not definitive, however gives an idea of the potential uplift of your base salary.
Location: Ponteland
Hours: Key-time, 18.5 Hours per week this will include weekend/bank holiday work.
Contract: Permanent
The role
Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference?This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Communications Department as a Customer Service Specialist.
Working a part time role will enable you to achieve a real home/work life balance and as the first point of contact for many of our customers by telephone or one of our many digital channels, and your engagement will define the service they receive from Northumbria Police.Using effective communication, the team deliver an outstanding customer service experience in response to all public interactions, acting where possible to resolve queries at first contact and providing professional advice and effective signposting.
With customer service at the heart of everything we do, and using a problem-solving approach, we aim to resolve many queries during that first contact.
What you’ll do
The team receives customer contact via 101 as well as through numerous digital platforms such as web chat and online reporting forms and in the future, this will include social media reporting. Every contact is different, some of which will be an emergency and will require the customer service specialist to identify, assess and mitigate risk to ensure the correct response is allocated.You will handle contact from members of the public experiencing a wealth of emotions and need to be able to adapt your style to meet their needs. You will also deal with police officers, professionals, and partner agencies.
As a Customer Service Specialist, we will support you in developing an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the organisation. You will need a have a desire to resolve the customer’s query at first point of contact, ensuring excellent customer service and demand reduction to other departments.
Working within a busy department, you must be able to work well under pressure and resilient to change. We are looking to recruit candidates on a Key-time 18.5 Hours per week this will include weekend/bank holiday work. You can learn more about the proposed shift pattern here.
Our training course is full time Monday – Friday 0800 – 1600 for 8 weeks, there is a requirement that you can attend this course for the full duration and to be able to be mentored full time for a further five weeks, without any periods of leave being taken.It is likely the train course will commence in January 2024 therefore candidates will need to be available to start then.
Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please view the job description
What you’ll bring
Excellent communication and listening skills with the ability to build rapport quickly.A passion for problem-solving.
The ability to assess and understand key information.
Confidence to multitask, recording information accurately with attention to detail.
IT competence across a range of applications.
Committed to getting things right for our customer and delivering outstanding customer service.
We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.
Interested to learn more? For further information about the role please contact Lorna Thomson 4084 Lorna.Thomson@northumbria.police.uk.
Just so you know
If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.
Terms of appointment
This is a permanent role subject to a six-month probationary period and 24-month commitment to post.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.