Job Role: Customer Enabling Services Advocate Location: Leechmere, Sunderland Service/Team: Customer Enabling Services Pay rate: £13.26ph Hours: Monday – Sunday (4 week rota - shifts include 7am -3pm, 3pm-11pm, 9am-5pm, 5pm – 1am) Do you have strong social and communication skills, and enjoy helping people solve problems? A local Council are looking for a responsible Customer Enabling Services Advocate to report to and support the Customer Enabling Services Manager. The main purpose of job will be to support the Customer Enabling Service in the delivery of a range of complex customer service functions and digital interface responsibilities. Key responsibilities will include Receiving and resolving detailed enquiries from customers and service users to ensure an effective and responsive service, acting as an advocate and working closely with internal and external partners to exceed customer expectations and achieve service standards. Key tasks: To provide information, advice and guidance to customers via a range of communication channels including face to face, telephone, email, letter, web chat and social media. To communicate, verbally and in writing, specific knowledge of council and partner services to resolve enquiries at the first point of contact. To undertake surveys, telephone calls and interviews to collect data/customer insights to inform improvement programmes. To act as the ‘front door’ for the Council and partners, including the City Hall meet and greet function to effectively resolve enquiries or triage customers to the appropriate service provider. To contribute to the delivery of the Customer Service and Digital Strategies through ongoing user research activities and provision of a mediated/assisted service e.g. public access IT. To provide support and assistance to local Council campaigns, events and programmes. To escalate and refer any challenging or complex enquiries and/or complaints to the Customer Enabling Services Manager. To actively listen to customers to assess and anticipate needs, quickly develop excellent customer rapport to enhance the experience. To make sure contacts and decisions are made in accordance with service standards. To influence others to adopt policies and courses of action when working with customers to resolve enquiries. Essential Criteria: Listening and responding to customer needs, acting upon and processing service requests. Communicating -able to share and obtain verbal and written information and have dialogue with others either in person or over the telephone Ensure work is carried out in an organised and effective way, including any follow up actions, so customer enquiries are resolved fully at the first point of contact Responding to enquiries using telephone, web, email, face to face and any other communications channel that becomes available as technology and ways of working develop Working within set policies and procedures to make sure customers have a good experience by receiving excellent customer service Contributing to, developing and maintaining positive customer relationships, including managing challenging behaviour and hostility Works at a fast pace, copes well with higher levels of workload Provide an excellent Customer Service Able to effectively use a computer to prepare documents, record information, input data and use IT systems to develop and maintain customer information and statistical data An ability to always work effectively, including times of change Be able to work effectively within a busy team environment, be helpful and co-operative with others