Customer Services Adviser

CSA – April 2024

Customer Service Adviser (Permanent, Hybrid working)

Gateshead Council

Salary £24,702 - £25,979 (Grade E)

A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen to join our friendly, enthusiastic, and hard-working Customer Services team. As the first point of contact for many of the Council’s customers, we deal with a wide range of enquiries on matters as diverse as bins and recycling, electoral registration, faulty streetlights and fly tipping. If you enjoy talking to people, have a natural ability to empathise, a strong desire to resolve problems and can help us achieve our aim of ‘Making Gateshead a place where everyone thrives’, then we would love to hear from you.

About the role

Customer Services are committed to providing Gateshead Residents with the highest quality service. We believe that the key to achieving this is to recruit enthusiastic, hardworking individuals into our friendly and motivated team.

As a part of the duties, you will be dealing with customers enquiries over the telephone, processing requests or directing them to the appropriate service. This will require making outbound calls and answering inbound calls whilst liaising with other departments within the Council to ensure that the customer’s query is dealt with efficiently.

Customer Services manage the Corporate Post Room dealing with incoming and outgoing post which is time bound so good organisational skills are vital to the role.

You will also be the meet and greet representative for Gateshead Council when working on our reception areas face to face, dealing with a diverse community as well as our business customers.

This role will suit an outgoing individual with a positive attitude and who will be proactive and able to respond to different customer needs and expectations.

You will be able to demonstrate an understanding of ICT systems and will be comfortable and confident with digital services.

A minimum of 4 GCSEs at grade C or above including Maths and English is required. Equivalent qualifications or relevant experience will also be considered.

What’s in it for you

• We offer flexible and hybrid working arrangements to ensure a positive work life balance.
• You will receive an annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days per year (pro-rata for part time employees) rising to 32, 2 of which may be fixed by the council at any time plus up to 26 flexi days per year.
• The chance to buy up to 10 additional holidays per year.
• We’ll help you save for your future with an outstanding employer contribution to your pension.
• A range of generous employee discount schemes.

About Gateshead Council

It's been said we are one of the most entrepreneurial, forward thinking and ambitious councils in the country. And we believe our employees reflect that spirit and drive that is needed to make a real difference to the people of Gateshead, helping them to thrive and improving their lives for the better.

When you work for us, you are working for a council that, even in these challenging times, is ambitious and not afraid of taking risks - a trait that has established our reputation as a council whose actions speak louder than words.

We value our employees and respect the skills and knowledge they bring. We strive to create a friendly and supportive environment where views are listened to and 'thinking out of the box' is encouraged.

As a council we are aware that people have commitments and pressures outside of work - we offer support and encourage employees to have a good work / life balance. We are one of a small number of North East employers to have achieved four years of the Continuing Excellence level of the North East Better Health at Work Award.

We’re truly committed to providing our residents with the highest quality of services and we need like-minded people who can help us deliver.

If you enjoy talking to people, have a natural ability to empathise, a strong desire to resolve problems and can help us achieve our aim of ‘Making Gateshead a place where everyone thrives’, then we would love to hear from you.

If you are successful in your application to work for us, you will be joining a team that is welcoming, supportive, and friendly, as well as one that puts its residents first and achieves results.

It’s time to apply!

We’re delighted that you want to come and work with us. Please look at the full job profile. It’s important that you read it in full and check that you meet the essential criteria, because when we start choosing people to come and meet us, we’ll be checking to ensure that they meet the essential criteria as set out in the job profile.

All we need from you is a completed application form which you can do online at www.gateshead.gov.uk/counciljobs, so please send it to us no later than midnight on Monday 21st May 2024.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Michael Dodgson, Customer Services Team Leader by email michaeldodgson@gateshead.gov.uk