Customer Experience Officer at The People Practice

Our client, a fast-growing culinary company, is looking to hire a Customer Experience Officer, you will be the primary point of contact for the organization\'s customers across all digital, phone, and messaging channels. You will manage online orders through our Shopify platform, handle inbound and outbound calls, respond to customer enquiries via email and WhatsApp, and ensure that every customer receives the attentive, professional service that the organisation is known for.

This is a role for someone who is naturally people-oriented, highly organised, and comfortable managing multiple customer touchpoints simultaneously. You will work closely with the Customer Service Manager and the operations team to resolve queries, coordinate order fulfilment, and contribute to a seamless customer journey from first contact to final delivery.

The organisation serves a clientele that expects premium service at every touchpoint. The successful candidate must be able to think on their feet, exercise sound judgement under pressure, and approach every interaction with a genuinely customer-centric mindset.

Responsibilities

Online Orders and Shopify Management

• Monitor and manage all incoming orders on the organisation\'s Shopify platform in real time, ensuring nothing is missed or delayed.
• Ensure orders are accurately processed, confirmed, and communicated to the production and fulfilment teams without delay.
• Track order status throughout the fulfilment cycle and proactively update customers on timelines, changes, or any issues.
• Manage order amendments, cancellations, and refund requests in line with company policy, exercising good judgement and escalating where necessary.
• Identify and flag recurring issues with the online ordering experience to the Customer Service Manager, with suggestions for improvement.
• Maintain accurate records of all orders processed, including any special instructions, custom requirements, or client preferences.

Phone and Digital Communication

• Handle all inbound customer calls professionally, responding to enquiries, order queries, and complaints with care, efficiency, and warmth.
• Make outbound calls to confirm orders, follow up on deliveries, and gather post-purchase feedback.
• Respond to customer messages via email within agreed response time targets, ensuring replies are clear, complete, and brand appropriate. The ability to compose well-written, professional emails is essential.
• Manage customer communication via WhatsApp, which is a primary ordering and enquiry channel for the organisation. Responses must be timely, courteous, and informative.
• Maintain a warm, polished, and brand-appropriate tone across all customer communications, whether written or verbal.
• Ensure all digital communication channels are monitored during business hours with no messages left unacknowledged beyond agreed service levels.

Customer Query and Complaint Resolution

• Resolve customer issues at first contact wherever possible. The successful candidate must be resourceful, solution-oriented, and able to think on their feet when faced with unexpected situations.
• Escalate complex matters to the Customer Service Manager promptly, providing full context and a recommended course of action.
• Keep accurate, detailed records of all customer interactions, complaints, and resolutions in the company’s designated systems.
• Follow up with customers after complaint resolution to confirm satisfaction and rebuild goodwill.
• Identify patterns in complaints or queries and report insights to the Customer Service Manager to support continuous improvement of the customer experience.

Order Coordination and Fulfilment Support

• Work closely with the production and dispatch teams to ensure orders are fulfilled accurately, on time, and to the organisation\'s quality standards.
• Communicate special requirements, delivery instructions, and any changes to orders to the relevant teams in real time.
• Coordinate delivery logistics with the dispatch team, confirming delivery windows with customers and resolving any scheduling conflicts.
• Conduct pre-dispatch checks to verify that outgoing orders match customer specifications before handover to the delivery team.
• Flag potential fulfilment issues (stock shortages, production delays, delivery complications) to the Customer Service Manager as early as possible.

Customer Relationship Management

• Build and maintain positive, professional relationships with repeat and high-value customers, recognising their preferences and anticipating their needs.
• Maintain and update customer records, including contact details, order history, preferences, and any relevant notes, to support personalised service.
• Support customer retention initiatives, including post-purchase follow-ups, feedback collection, and re-engagement outreach as directed by the Customer Service Manager.
• Assist in onboarding new customers, ensuring they understand the organisation\'s product range, ordering process, and delivery options.

Reporting and Insights

• Prepare weekly reports for the Customer Service Manager covering order volumes, response times, complaint trends, and customer feedback highlights.
• Track and report on customer satisfaction metrics as directed.
• Contribute observations and ideas to team discussions on improving the customer journey, drawing on direct experience with customers.
• Monitor competitor customer service practices and share relevant observations with the team.

Brand Representation

• Represent the organisation with professionalism, warmth, and pride in every customer interaction. You are the voice and face of the brand to our customers.
• Maintain a thorough working knowledge of the organisation product range, pricing, seasonal offerings, and event services so that customer enquiries can be answered confidently and accurately.
• Uphold the company’s standards for presentation, punctuality, and conduct at all times.

Must have skills

• Quick-thinking and resourceful. You can think on your feet, adapt to unexpected situations, and find solutions without waiting to be told what to do.
• Genuinely customer-centric. You instinctively put the customer’s experience at the centre of every decision and interaction.
• Warm, professional, and articulate in all forms of communication. You represent a premium brand and your communication reflects that.
• Calm and composed under pressure. Peak periods, demanding clients, and last-minute changes are part of the job, and you handle them with grace.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail. In a business where every order matters, accuracy and follow-through are essential.
• A team player who collaborates effectively with production, dispatch, and management teams.
• Proactive and self-directed. You identify what needs to be done and act on it without requiring constant supervision.
• Emotionally intelligent with strong interpersonal skills. You read situations well, manage difficult conversations with empathy, and build lasting rapport with customers.
• Discreet and professional in handling customer information and company matters.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or HND in any discipline.
• 3 to 5 years’ experience in a customer-facing role, ideally within hospitality, food service, retail, or a premium consumer brand.
• Demonstrated experience managing customer interactions across multiple channels (phone, email, WhatsApp, and online platforms).
• Experience with Shopify or a comparable e-commerce platform is a strong advantage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. The ability to write clear, professional, and well-structured emails is non-negotiable.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace. Comfort with CRM or helpdesk tools is an advantage.
• Experience in a role requiring real-time order management or coordination with production and logistics teams is desirable.