Customer Relations Advisor

Purpose of the role:

• Ensure that all customer complaints (both waste and FM), FOIs, SARs, and other informal communications are handled in a professional and timely manner and to agreed SLAs.
• Investigate and negotiate suitable resolutions to complaints with due regard to the Bristol City Council Waste Policy and Bristol Waste’s operational parameters.
• Drives continual services improvement by identifying and sharing lessons learnt.

 Key Responsibilities:

• To be the main point of contact and support for customers/colleagues to resolve informal and formal complaints within the agreed complaint procedures
• To triage case complaint content and make decisions on the appropriate process to follow
• To investigate and resolve complaints, liaising with the operational team to gather information and evidence required
• To liaise with complainants in a professional, sensitive, and appreciative manner via emails and phone calls
• To liaise with our key stakeholder, Bristol City Council, informing them of any known current service disruptions
• To analyse daily complaint trends to provide insight and intelligence to Operational Supervisors and Mangers
• To maintain and respond to complaints within the SLA to the agreed timescales
• To find immediate solutions and provide information to influence long term resolutions for repeat issues
• To assess cases and use judgement to highlight cases where there is the possibility of reputational damage to BWC
• To prepare ad hoc reports, as requested, concerning complaints and customer feedback
• Ensure all relevant information including detailed, sensitive and complex information is interpreted, understood and recorded correctly on the Council’s Case Management System
• To provide advice and guidance to staff on relevant complaints, FOI and SARs procedures and Councillor/MP enquires
• To ensure the security of resident’s data ensuring compliance within GDPR
• To support the Customer Relations Manager in gathering evidence for high level complaints and Ombudsman requests

Essential Requirements for the Role:

• Excellent communication and customer service skills, a background in complaints handling an advantage.
• Excellent written and oral skills
• Confidence, patience, politeness, tact and diplomacy, when dealing with difficult situations
• The ability to prioritise tasks and work under pressure
• A problem-solving approach to work
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing workloads
• Being highly organised and detail-orientated is a given
• Ability to handle information securely and confidentially
• Working knowledge of MS office, including spreadsheets and emails 

 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.