Customer Service Specialist South West Water · Customer and Community

Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose

South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.

We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.

We currently have a fantastic opportunity available for a Customer Service Specialist to join our team based in Bournemouth
. You will join us on a full-time, permanent basis
, and in return, you will receive a competitive salary of £27,010 per annum plus a range of excellent company benefits + rewards.

In this role you will be working as part of the CARE team in a rewarding and fast paced customer service environment. On a day-to-day basis you will be the voice of our company by engaging with our customers to discuss the outstanding balance on their account and be responsible for resolving customer’s queries quickly and efficiently.

• Take ownership of customers issues, relieving customers stress while guiding them to a quick and easy resolution with minimum effort from our customers
• Show initiative in offering a bespoke service and SWW/BW offerings based on customers individual circumstances. This will include identifying potential vulnerability, financial hardship and offering affordability tariffs (when relevant) via the customers communication channel of choice.
• You will have an empathetic manner, excellent communication skills and the ability to build rapport. Negotiate the payment of overdue bills or outstanding payments via inbound and outbound telephone calls and in writing. Complete customer service (Res-Ex) related calls. Work on and contact customers with previously occupied accounts.
• Develop a comprehensive grasp of disengaged customer’s circumstances to enable an appropriate payment arrangement and affordability plan to be agreed, or to highlight the ramifications of non-payment.
• Solve the customer’s initial query and identify future problems whilst proactively identifying any future benefits or requirements the customer might have.
• Sharing insights with peers and management. With alignment to our company values, promote a collaborative approach to continuously improving our customer service experience.
• Work will involve incoming and outbound telephone contacts, written correspondence, non-contact administration and representing the Client in contact with third parties and customer representatives and maintain accurate records of contact with customers utilising our CRM system.
• Initiate and put forward suggestions to improve collection processes and standard operating procedures, while identifying fraudulent accounts and refer these to the Collections Team Manager.
• Ensure individual performance targets and agreed objectives are achieved and maintained.

• Customer service experience
• Experience or knowledge of debt collection practises
• Excellent communication skills
• Communicates confidence through positive language making own decisions (where necessary) via the telephone
• Confident with using IT systems
• Friendly and socially confident, with a willingness to engage with others
• Confidence to direct and manage a call through to resolution
• Forward thinker who shows initiative and takes ownership
• A positive and enthusiastic attitude, embracing the challenges this job entails
• A strong work ethic to achieve our team goals

• At South West Water, we don’t all do the same job, but we each get out of bed in the morning knowing that every day is a chance to make incredible things happen, together. In return for our people’s hard work and commitment, we offer an…