• Customer Services act as the ‘front door’ for customers needing assistance with all services provided by Somerset Council
• This is a busy and highly rewarding role, handling high volume customer enquiries relating to a wide range of services including; Adult Social Care, Children's, Families and Education, Council Tax, Waste, Highways, Registrations, Business Rates, Planning, Housing and many more
• It offers hybrid working, with 2 days per week required in the office (once trained) and the remaining days can be home or office based as you wish.
• Office locations can be County Hall, Bridgwater House, Petters House or Shepton Mallet
• Full-time position (37hrs). Customers can contact us between 8.30 am -5pm Monday to Friday so, your work pattern will be within these hours.

In this post as a Customer Service Advisor, you will be providing ‘front door’ support for customers contacting the Council. ‘Front door’ support means you will act as the first point of contact for customers needing advice and assistance about any service provided by Somerset Council, which makes it a really interesting role. You will handle each enquiry with care and understanding, offering quality support and guidance before and in lots of cases instead of, transferring the customer to specific service teams. Customers include members of the public, professionals, and councillors.

You will spend most of your time talking with customers over the telephone or handling email enquiries however, customers can interact with the Council in many ways. Customer Service Advisors handle multi-channel interactions which can also include face to face interaction and digital solutions.

The variety of enquires through to this team is extensive. Some examples include supporting people who;

• are concerned about the wellbeing of themselves, a family member, friend or neighbour and need help with personal care, mobility or day to day activities?

• are raising safeguarding concerns and reporting those at immediate risk?
• are needing advice about starting or moving schools, school meals, school transport or special educational needs
• are needing help with their council tax bill, paying an invoice, rent or business rates
• are wanting to report a missed waste collection, problem on the road or fallen tree

Your day-to-day work will involve:

• Talking to customers, predominantly by telephone
• Providing excellent ‘person centred’ customer advice and guidance.
• Having strength-based conversations to determine the best way forward.
• Supporting customers to self-serve using our online digital solutions
• Signposting to services and organisations best suited to the customers’ needs

Customer demand for our help continues to grow meaning we are an incredibly busy team, and the nature of the work can be challenging and emotive. Therefore, you’ll need the skills and behaviours to really thrive in this environment.

• Excellent customer service skills including listening, empathy, understanding and kindness.
• Excellent all round communication skills including strong telephone manner.
• Confidence and resilience to handle high volume, sensitive and emotive interactions.
• Good computer skills, confidence to learn new systems and use multiple technologies.
• Enthusiasm to learn about our services, a positive and calm way of working and a problem-solving mindset.
• Professionalism to adhere to process and understand the confidential and sometimes difficult nature of interactions we handle.
• Experience is not essential; however, it will be useful and if you do have experience of any of our services on a personal or professional basis then please make this clear in your application.

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be, and you will be well supported by your manager and team with regular one to ones and coaching.  

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English is an essential requirement for the role.

This post may require a criminal background check via the Disclosure procedure.

If you would like to find out more about this exciting opportunity before applying, please email Louise Purchase, Service Delivery Manager - Workforce and Quality louise.purchase@somerset.gov.uk  for an informal chat.

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.