Customer Service Information Officer

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce.
This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This full-time, permanent role has a starting salary of £30,647 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We are excited to be recruiting a Customer Service Information Officer to join our excellent team at Surrey County Council's Contact Centre. You'll be part of a team that values development and collaboration, and you will play a key role in maintaining the outstanding service we provide to our residents.

The role offers hybrid working and as a team, we typically split our time between working from home and collaborating in the office two days per week.

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

Surrey County Council's Contact Centre provides a front door to our residents for the main services delivered by the Council, handling a wide and interesting range of enquiries.

With over 1.2 million residents in Surrey, it's a complex, fast-paced operation that requires quick responses to changes in customer contact and service requirements. While this makes it a busy and sometimes pressurised environment, our Officers are empowered to make decisions, show initiative, and contribute ideas to improve the quality of service we provide.

As a Customer Service Information Officer
, you'll join a team of over 30 Officers who prides itself on fostering a supportive and collaborative environment. Whether you're looking to develop within the service or explore opportunities across the Council, we're here to support your career journey.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to gain invaluable customer service experience while learning about the wide range of services the Council provides — making it a great stepping stone for your future.

You'll be responding to enquiries, initially by telephone and, once fully trained, by email and webchat. Topics range from School Admissions and Transport, Highways, the Registration service, to our Community Helpline, which provides financial, welfare, and wellbeing support.

We provide extensive training and support for all new and existing team members. Your induction will last three weeks and includes subject matter training, systems training, and call handling development to ensure you're equipped for success. Once trained, you'll take calls from the office full time initially, so you have immediate, face-to-face support available.

We're looking for individuals with a genuine passion for customer service who enjoy helping people every day. You'll need to show relevant experience (not necessarily within a Contact Centre), and a natural capacity for empathy when handling potentially distressing or complex calls.

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours :

• Experience delivering high levels of customer care and professionalism, including in sensitive or emotionally challenging situations
• Strong IT skills and experience using databases with a high level of accuracy
• Ability to work effectively, flexibly, and as part of a team
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

• Please describe a time when you provided high levels of customer care in a sensitive or emotionally challenging situation. What was the situation, how did you handle it,…