Customer Services Advisor London, England
Job description
Job Description
Job Title: Customer Services Advisor
Department/Division: Students Services
Salary: £25K
Working Hours: 40 hours per week / Full Time Monday to Friday (Flexibility needed for times of the day)
Reports to: Student Services Manager
Period of appointment: Permanent
Probationary period: 6 months
Customer Services Department
This is a role within LCBT’s Customer Services team which resides within the Student Services department. The department works closely especially with the Central Admissions team as well as supporting other LCBT departments. The ideal candidate should be friendly, helpful, flexible and adaptable and willing to learn and take on a multitude of varied duties within the customer services team. They should also be eager to meet and exceed enrolment targets, have high attention to detail and strong organisational ability.
LCBT maintains high standards of customer service across all areas and we aim to provide our learners and their parents/guardians with a superb experience during their time at LCBT. Working within the customer services team you will be dealing with potential students, enquiries, current students, parents/guardians, etc, as well as staff from different departments on a daily basis. You will be responsible for the front of house of the college. It is a key requirement of this role that all communication is dealt with effectively, efficiently and in a friendly and professional manner at all times.
The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, motivated to succeed, reliable and a good communicator.
You will need to show initiative and learn a broad range of customer services and key office skills and be able to provide quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) to potential students. A good knowledge and working practice of MS Word, MS Excel and MS Outlook is essential, with experience of other software applications desirable.
Key responsibilities – Customer Service Advisor
- Provide effective communication to prospective students and parents/guardians in a professional manner and one which is both informative and conducive to maintaining the college's high reputation within education and industry
- Interview, assess and give clear, accurate and relevant information, advice and guidance to candidates
- Provide accurate initial fee assessment, information, advice and guidance as well as potential funding that may be available to candidates
- Work flexibly to allow access to candidates at times which meet their needs
- Deal with queries by phone, email and in person in a fast-paced environment
- Communicate outcomes of applications in a timely and effective manner by email
- Attend external events including school open days, Career Fairs and exhibitions and deliver presentations at these events
- Promote interest externally amongst schools, career offices, employment services and other relevant agencies by carrying out presentations, Application Events, Information, Advice and Guidance sessions, etc.
- Ensure prompt response time to any enquiry or application
- Communicate with learners about any aspect of their chosen course – start information, changes to course, course cancellation, etc.
- Process and record payments from students booking onto courses
- Investigate regular involvement with learners/groups once enrolled to maximise progression potential of each learner
- Work accurately, effectively, efficiently, and flexibly
- Manage work efficiently and effectively to ensure achievement of individual and team targets within expected timeframes
- Liaise with the Job Shop to encourage learner progression into employment
- Liaise with Programme Managers and other teaching staff to encourage learner progression on to further studies
- Enter student details accurately on to the Learner Management System (REMS) and update reports as required
- Enrol students onto courses using correct funding codes
- Create course group files
- Process applications and enter relevant information on the database
- Keep product and funding knowledge up to date
- Maintain accurate tracking systems as required within the department and ensure that all work meets internal and external funding, audit and inspection requirements
- Ensure accurate record and data entry onto all systems as required by the department and management to enable accurate and full reporting
- Work to exceed the Admissions Team Targets
- Identify and communicate course demands to ensure that courses are available to meet applicants’ needs.
- Identify upcoming courses which may need more focus or a change of approach to ensure required enrolment numbers are reached
- Keep updated with all key areas contributing to enrolment to including enquiries and Application Day bookings
- Provide clear feedback to management on either potential area for training / courses not included within the curriculum or student / department issues which may be causing a barrier to learning.
- Attend any meetings and training as required.
- Assume other duties in keeping with the role that may be required from time to time to cover holiday or staff absence or assume other duties when require and have a flexible approach to workload/duties.
The above-mentioned duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive. The post holder may be required to carry out other appropriate duties as may be required within the competencies of the post holder.
The list of duties will be regularly reviewed with the post holder.
IDEAL CANDIDATES
Essential skills
- Previous experience of working in a very busy customer services/CA role
- Good telephone manner
- Ability to deal with sensitive matters and an understanding of confidentiality issues including data protection
- Professional discretion, maintaining a professional and effective manner with visitors, staff and learners matters
- Good level of IT skills – adept in the use of MS Office (Excel and Word)
- Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and ability to work with a high level of accuracy
- Demonstrable commitment to providing excellent customer service
- Self-motivated and committed to own personal development
- Excellent communication, written and numerical skills
- Able to handle multiple tasks at any one time
- Able to work independently or as part of a team
- The ability to be assertive and to respond promptly to problems
- Strong sales ability and eagerness and dedication to meet targets and deadlines
- Excellent time management and prioritisation skills, ability to work under pressure and to deadlines including dealing with difficult and stressful situations
- Adaptability (a propensity to be flexible where necessary)
- Effective team player
Desirable Skills
- Prior experience and knowledge of working within a college environment
- Prior Beauty and/or Makeup qualification and/or knowledge
- Prior experience of using college MIS systems Effective team player.
- Strong IT skills.
- Professional and approachable.
Special requirements
- Employees have a particular responsibility for ensuring the confidentiality of personal information and College data.
- To keep updated and maintain CPD including attending internal/external seminars/workshops.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £25,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
- London: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Experience:
- customer service: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person
Reference ID: Customer Services Advisor
