Customer Service Officer at British Council

Reports To: Head of Customer Service/Exams Quality and Training Manager
Region: Sub Saharan Africa
Department: English & Exams
Job Category: Customer Services
Pay Band: 4

Role purpose

• To support the delivery of high quality customer service as part of a larger team in line with the corporate standards and policies.
• The postholder will be the main point of contract for visitors, providing information about our products and services.  
• The role is also responsible to ensure a smooth customer journey through all our communication channels.

Main Accountabilities

• The postholder will be based in Abuja, working within a team dispersed across offices
• To deliver a high standard of customer service to our customers and prospects and make them advocates of the British Council
• To handle first level enquiries received in person, by email or telephone on relevant aspects of the British Council’s activities / products, in a friendly and professional manner, in line with customer service standards. Forward second level enquiries to relevant colleagues, ensuring they are attended to within specified timelines.
• To update and maintain standard responses and other information for enquiry handling and send out information by mail or telephone, as required
• To carry out all reception and registration duties as required in line with relevant corporate standards and policies. Ensure that visitors are attended to immediately
• All service registration procedures (i.e. Exams, Certification and other programme registration) are fully understood and implemented to standard.
• To record all forms of customer data and records accurately to meet corporate customer service standards to inform reporting requirements and strategic decision making
• To support training of venue staff to ensure adequately trained and updated to deliver excellent customer service for British Council activities such as exams and external event activities, as required
• To maintain an up-to-date contact database of our customers, in relevant segments, within the agreed contacts spreadsheet or system (i.e. CRM)
• Ensure that customer receives responses within our service level agreements and within customer service policy
• Ensure information about the full range of British Council products and services is clearly and confidently articulated to customers, encouraging customer engagement and possible cross-selling of other British Council products
• Ensure regular communication and working is maintained with back office teams
• To regularly attend staff meetings to both gain and impart knowledge about our customers, products and services
• Regular communication and working is maintained with back-of-house teams
• Receive mail packages on behalf of team and in line with internal policy.  Follow compliance policy per exams quality standards with regards to confidential materials.

Information Knowledge Management:

• Manage information created and received in compliance with British Council’s information management standards, policies, the UK data protection principles and local legislation.

Stock keeping of materials:

• Maintaining logs of exam preparation materials, as required.

Finance:

• Ensure that payments are collected, receipts issued and accurately posted on the system. (This is mostly applicable to exam payment processing)
• To collect and report payment collected from customers for exam services on a daily basis according to FCCF and audit requirements, by issuing receipts for all income received to enable reconciliation and processing of refunds. Financial transactions must be balanced and closed with actual received income.
• Conduct daily/weekly reconciliations on financial systems and spreadsheet.

Other Duties:

• To discharge other duties and activities as directed by Management.

Key Relationships
This list is not exclusive but demonstrates that the range of relationships:

• Internal: Head of Customer Service, Customer Service colleagues Nigeria, Exams Team Nigeria, Regional Customer Service Lead, UK Customer Management Team, Strategic Business Unit Leads, Marketing Communications Team.
• External: Visitors, Customers, Enquirers, Exam Candidates, Venue Staff, External Stakeholders – i.e. partners, UK Exams Board representatives.

Qualifications
Minimum / Essential:

• Education to degree level or equivalent.

Role Specific Knowledge & Experience
Minimum / Essential:

• Dealing with customers and enquiries in a service environment
• Providing and monitoring service with quality standards
• Working quickly and accurately to tight deadlines. 
• Strong attention to detail
• Experience in handling and reporting on payments from customers
• Experience dealing with difficult customers
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Minimum / Desirable:

• Experience in public sector, education or related services industry
• Managing and training casual staff
• Experience in digital communication (i.e. social media, website)
• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in UK and Nigeria.

Click here to download Job Details (docx)

Click here to download BC Behaviour (pdf)

Click here to download BC Core Skills (docx)