Job description
Working within Ecotricity' s Group Finance operation, the objective of this position is to maximise cash collections and minimise bad debt through excellent customer service and effective debt recovery processes.
We have the challenging task of balancing the needs of our customers with our needs as a business, all within a regulatory framework shaped by quality, compliance and a drive for exceptional customer service.
The department is both the middle and the end of the customer journey, aiming to rehabilitate customers struggling with their energy bills back to financial health. This means that we have a responsibility to try and resolve all manner of complex queries, providing opportunities within the team to take on greater ownership.
Credit Management Department
We have two main functions; a support function that works with our customers to identify their ability to pay and help them become and remain debt free, and, a control function that manages the end to end process of passing accounts to external debt collection agents. This role is in the Collections function.
Working within Credit Management you will be multi skilled and flexible; able to be reactive within a fast-paced office environment with fluctuating workloads. You will be positive and keen to learn with a can-do attitude. The department is very friendly but extremely professional with the customer experience always its focus.
In addition to the core responsibilities you may be responsible for undertaking other project-based work as the need arises from across Ecotricity group – all aimed at delivering a high and consistent quality of service to Ecotricity customers.
Core Responsibilities
- Resolve queries from internal and external customers and 3rd parties within specified timescales through multiple communication channels.
- Identify, investigate and resolve complex queries.
- Process and progress accounts through our internal and external debt collection processes
- Ascertain full contact details (full name, telephone & address etc) and, obtain information on (previous) customers for tracing purposes, which involves liaising with letting agents, landlords, housing associations, etc.
- Arrange the disconnection of gas and electricity supplies or the installation of prepayment meters.
- Arrange the re-connection of gas and electricity supplies.
- Process, analyse, cleanse and format data for debt collection purposes.
- Liaising with third party debt companies and solicitors on a daily basis regarding customers’ accounts, arranging pre-disconnection visits, processing visit results.
- Liaising with other departments within the company to sort out any issues preventing debt collection.
- Updating database systems and records accurately including external industry bodies.
- Identify bad debt.
- Meeting targets.
Additional Responsibilities
- Help other departments for debt related matters
- To complete any other reporting or monitoring of workload as requested
- Any other ad-hoc duties as requested by Manager or Head of Department
Skill and Experience
- Previous experience of collections within the Energy Industry is essential
- Liaison with industry participants, industry bodies and external customers
- Proven background within Credit Control
- Ability to build rapport
- Confident and professional telephone manner
- Excellent attention to detail and investigative skills
- High level of numeracy, accuracy and problem-solving ability
- Good computer literacy; adept with Microsoft Office and experience of bespoke software packages
- Experience of using multiple IT systems simultaneously
- Excellent listening skills, and verbal & written communication skills
- Ability to organise workload and multiple priorities
- Ability to work on own initiative
- Team Player
What's in it for you...
Healthcare plan, life assurance and generous pension contribution
Volunteering day
Hybrid working
Various company discounts (including shops, days out and events)
Holiday of 25 days (plus bank holidays) & ability to buy/sell days
Cycle to work scheme, car pooling and onsite parking available
As a valued member of the team you will be supporting the Group Environmental policy and its associated targets to make the Green Britain Group net carbon neutral by 2025
Flexibility statement
The fast moving nature of the company's business means that from time to time you may be asked to perform duties or tasks outside of your original job description on an ad hoc basis. This allows the company to use it's people in the best possible way at all times and helps the employees to make make their contribution in a changing environment.
Ecotricity is Britain's greenest energy company. When we started back in 1995, we were the first company in the world to provide a new kind of electricity- the green kind.
Our mission was, and remains, to change the way energy is made and used in Britain- by replacing fossil fuels with clean, renewable energy.
We don't just supply green energy, we use the money from our customers' bills to make it ourselves too- we build windmills and sun parks in Britain. We call this 'bills in to mills'. In 2021, we started work on building two new solar parks, and now, in 2022, we're bringing geothermal energy to our customers' fuel mix, a first in the UK. We're also developing green gas mills which will generate 100% green gas from a source that we will never run out of- grass.
We don't just focus on energy though- we built Electric Highways, Britain's leading network of electric vehicle charging points, we helped Forest Green Rovers become the greenest football club in the world, and, in partnership with RSPB, we launched Britain's greenest mobile phone service, Ecotalk + RSPB.
Ecotricity is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to providing equality for all