Customer Relation Officer - 18 Month Secondment/Fixed Term Contract

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join Southeastern as a Customer Relations Officer on an 18 month seconded/Fixed Term Contract basis. You will be working out of our head office in London Bridge (hybrid working).

The purpose of the Customer Relations Officer is to effectively handle Southeastern’s inbound customer contacts on a day-to-day basis – via written and verbal communications, ensuring a high level of customer service is delivered to our passengers.

You will have a number of key responsibilities in this role that will include but not be limited to:

• Providing effective and comprehensive customer service for specified areas of the business, ensuring that all contacts are quickly resolved to the satisfaction of the customer.
• Investigating and resolving customer complaints and queries with a range of appropriate personnel within Southeastern, including senior managers and directors to provide an accurate and timely response to customer complaints.
• Proactively sourcing information from a range of personnel across Southeastern including senior managers and directors within KPIs.
• Providing a point of contact for our outsourced Customer Service team and effectively helping with their enquiries.
• Managing the interface between passengers and Southeastern senior managers and directors including assisting in responding to VIP correspondence on their behalf.
• Acting as the voice of the customer within Southeastern. Raising repetitive issues and trends to drive actions and resolutions.
• Compiling and creating personalised correspondence (email and letter) to a very high standard and quality, satisfying customers first time every time.
• Compiling complaint data to report on complaint trends and produce periodic quality of service reports.
• Ensuring communications from Customer Services are consistent and in line with all our communications channels.
• Effectively and accurately reporting accidents on our Network which are reported via our channels.
• Assisting with the response to a major incident procedure.
• Assessing the amount of compensation/gestures of goodwill on a case by case basis using guidelines provided.

To be considered for this role we recommend you demonstrate the below in your application;

• You have customer service experience in a retail environment or similar
• You are empathetic, friendly, helpful caring manner.
• You have proven experience of effectively handling customer complaints and customer care skills.
• You have resilience to pressurised call situations and the ability to stay calm.
• You have excellent written and verbal communications skills.
• You are IT literate e.g. Word, excel, outlook.
• You have resilience to pressurised situations and the ability to stay calm.
• You have excellent written and verbal communications skills.

About Southeastern

Southeastern runs train services into London from Kent and East Sussex, operating almost 1,700 trains a day, carrying more than 400,000 passengers, serving 176 stations and covering 540 miles of track.

Just over 4,600 employees - mostly from the communities that we serve - work together to provide this vital service and we are looking to expand our successful team. We have a strong set of values that shape the way we run our business and guide our staff in delivering what our customers need. These are:

• We aim to be the best
• We make the difference together
• We care passionately about our people and our passengers

We are committed to being an inclusive employer, creating a workplace where everyone can come to work, feel safe and comfortable and able to do everything to the best of their ability. Read about some of the great Diversity and Inclusion initiatives our Head of Colleague Experience has been leading on here.

We recognise the positive value of diversity and it matters to us that our teams reflect the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

We proud to be a WORK180 Endorsed Employer for Women. If you would like to know more information about how we are supporting our employees, you can view our policies and initiatives here.

We have also won the Top Employer award at the Women in Rail Awards 2022!

If you have been unsuccessful in the recruitment process for the same/similar position you will not be eligible to apply for a period of 6 months from that date.

All offers of employment are subject to us obtaining satisfactory references (covering all education, training, employment and unemployment in the preceding 5 years and any previous railway employment). We will also complete right to work in the UK and criminal record checks. This is to ensure we are employing the best person for the role and to protect our customers, colleagues and our reputation. We are unable to offer sponsorship to work in the UK.

This post will close before the intended closing date should sufficient number of suitable applications be received. Therefore, if you are interested in applying for this role, we suggest that you do so at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.

SOUTHEASTERN is owned by SE Trains Ltd, a subsidiary of the Department for Transport’s public sector owning group, ‘DOHL.’ DOHL has responsibility for three rail companies, LNER, Northern Trains Limited and SE Trains.

Southeastern recognises the value of every individual employee and offers benefits that reflect this.

As well as a generous salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes;

• A Contributory Final Salary Pension Scheme
• Free rail travel on Southeastern and GTR rail services (extends to family members for leisure/educational travel)
• After a qualifying period, reduced rate travel on other train operators, including European services
• Up to 24 days annual leave entitlement (plus bank holidays).
• Access to an array of discounts for retail and leisure products through our benefits scheme.
• Family friendly benefits including enhanced maternity/paternity leave, parental leave and carers leave.