Customer Connect Adviser

Looking for a new challenge?

Take a look at our current vacancies. If you see a vacancy that is right for you, we encourage you to apply! Can you deliver excellent customer service in a busy customer focussed environment? Being customer focussed, you’ll be at the forefront of the Financial Ombudsman Service by progressing written enquiries that come through from customers that need our help. Contract: 12 months fixed term Working hours: 35 hours per week (shifts to be agreed with your manager) Salary: £26,327 Reporting to: Customer Connect Team Leader Start Date: Monday 2nd September 2024 Location: London, Docklands E14 Training: 12 weeks training – Initial 3 weeks on site then moves to hybrid working Our permanent hybrid policy sees us all working at least four days across a fortnight in the office. The Customer Connect department is a contact point for all our customers at the start of their journey with us, and throughout all stages of their case. We have exciting opportunities for several Advisers to join us. As one of our Customer Connect Advisers, you’ll join a busy team that supports consumers and businesses we’re working with, responding in a timely manner without compromising quality - making sure their enquiries are progressing quickly and efficiently to our Investigators. You’ll be preparing cases by understanding problems brought to us by consumers, in order to move things along as quickly as possible. By listening carefully, asking thoughtful questions, thinking pragmatically, and communicating effectively, you’ll quickly understand and get to the heart of the problems customers bring to us. There’ll be different ways you do this but most importantly it will involve giving customers an immediate steer on their situation – including confidently signposting to other organisations who can help - leaving a positive experience so our customers are confident to come back and use our service again. These customers expect high-quality and reliable support, so you’ll need to work professionally, engaging with empathy and curiosity, to make sure you deliver an excellent service. To be considered for this role, you’ll need to show us that you’ve got the skills and capabilities. Key responsibilities

• Handling first contact written communication - you’ll register new complaints from different written channels and update records on a range of systems, following a range of established processes carefully and ensuring complete accuracy when inputting information
• Being trustworthy – you’ll deal with sensitive customer information, so confidentiality is very important
• Being empathetic, ability to converse with vulnerable and distressed customers
• Building relationships with internal customers – to help you and your team be as efficient and effective as you can
• You’ll be a strong team player who’s able to look at a problem and think of new ways to tackle it
• And you’ll need to be flexible and willing to adapt, showing the potential to quickly grasp a range of processes and procedures.

Minimum Criteria

• have practical knowledge of GDPR
• demonstrate excellent customer service – you will know how to make sure our customers feel they have been heard
• be able to communicate effectively in both written and verbal communications – you are able to adapt your communication style to meet the needs of your audience
• demonstrate a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
• have a good working knowledge of Microsoft word, outlook and excel
• possessing the intellectual and problem-solving skills to really get to the heart of issues

Desirable Criteria

• an ability to spot trends and common themes when handling consumer enquiries
• the confidence to share your views and suggestions for improvement with your peers and team leader
• complaint handling experience

Why Financial Ombudsman Service? Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it wasn’t for their amazing efforts, ideas, and commitment we wouldn’t be able to make a difference that we do today. So, we offer an attractive, competitive salary and flexible benefits to suit them. Here’s a list of some of the many benefits and perks you can get for working with us:

• 25 days holiday entitlement, with the option to buy extra or sell days
• Generous pension
• Employer provided benefits such as Private Medical Insurance, Virtual GP, Critical Illness Cover, Life Assurance Cover, to name a few
• Choice of voluntary benefits including Technology Scheme, Cycle to work Scheme, Will-writing service amongst others
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Extensive opportunities for personal and career development
• Fully equipped on-site gym open 24 / 7
• Extensive Well-being resources including on-site therapists
• Beautiful and bright London office looking over the Thames and near to mainline stations
• Our employee led networks do fantastic work in educating and raising awareness across a range of experiences and support us in being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. You can get involved, too!

How do I apply? To apply, please upload a single document that includes your most up to date CV and a cover letter telling us how your relevant skills and experience relate to the role. Applications need to be submitted by 11:59pm Sunday 7th July 2024 Due to high application numbers this advert may end earlier than the date specified, so please dont delay, and apply now Please note all applicants must be available to interview sometime between the 15th – 31st of July 2024 Recruitment process: Following a short telephone interview with our Talent team, shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a competency-based interview with 2 Customer Connect Team Leaders via Microsoft Teams. A full job profile is available on request and will be provided to candidates shortlisted to the first stage of the assessment process. We’re proud to be an inclusive employer We view diversity as fundamental to our success and welcome applications from underrepresented groups across all communities. We’re committed to being a great place to work– attracting and developing people from the widest possible range of backgrounds. We want everyone to perform at their best and feel able to be themselves. We understand that if we’re diverse and inclusive, we’ll better understand different perspectives, which is fundamental to our job resolving financial complaints. We welcome applications from Black and other ethnic minority candidates, and female candidates, for all positions and particularly so for senior leader positions as they are under-represented within the Financial Ombudsman Service at this level. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. This means that we will put disabled candidates entering under the scheme through to the next stage of the recruitment process should they meet the minimum criteria for a role. A minimum criterion needs to be measurable from reviewing a candidate’s CV/supporting statement. Exceptions may apply if due to the volume of applications we are not able to interview all eligible candidates who qualify under the scheme. If you would like to speak to a member of our team about any reasonable adjustments you need, please email hrsupport@financial-ombudsman.org.uk and let us know your preferred method of contact. Find out more Check out below channels to find out more about everyday life at the Financial Ombudsman Service – and don’t forget to follow us while you’re there!

• LinkedIn: Financial Ombudsman Service
• Our careers page: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/who-we-are/join-us

Good luck with your application!