Customer Service Representatives

Customer Success & Support

Level 2229 of 1200 points

Job description

Customer Service Representatives

Job purpose

To act as the first point of contact for customers, providing information on products and services, processing routine transactions, and resolving or referring general complaints, so that customers receive accurate and consistent service and their interactions are properly recorded.

Skills

Working knowledge of the organisation's products, tariffs and billing arrangements, and of the scripts, service standards and escalation procedures governing enquiries. Secondary-level education with a few days to a year of on-the-job training; little or no prior experience.
Communicates with customers by telephone, in person and in writing — establishing what is being asked, explaining charges, policy terms and outcomes in plain language, and staying courteous with customers who are dissatisfied or hostile. Works with colleagues and other departments to get matters closed.
Resolves routine problems within defined rules: tests whether a complaint is valid, identifies likely causes such as a billing error, confirms the correction took effect, and recognises what must be referred on. May recommend procedural improvements to prevent recurrence.
Manages a queue of contacts and open cases, following up outstanding items and keeping records current against response and quality standards. Scheduling is largely set by inbound demand rather than by the postholder.
Work is carried out seated at a workstation, using a telephone and computer continuously. No handling, lifting or manual dexterity demands beyond ordinary keyboard use.

Responsibilities

No supervisory responsibility. Works within a service team, may explain established procedures to newer colleagues, and refers unresolved grievances to designated departments.
Collects payments and deposits and arranges billing at set tariffs, and may apply a refund, bill adjustment or exchange to settle a complaint strictly within a defined limit. Exercises no discretion over amounts, holds no budget and makes no financial commitments.
Ordinary care of a workstation, telephony and customer-management systems. No responsibility for stock or plant.
Accountable for the accuracy and confidentiality of customer records: logging interactions, complaints and actions taken, and completing contract forms, change-of-address records and service discontinuance orders. Errors feed directly into billing and service delivery, though the information is operational rather than commercially sensitive.

Effort required

Sustained concentration across a continuous flow of contacts, switching between unrelated enquiries and recalling product and procedural detail while the customer waits, with simultaneous listening, questioning and data entry. Individual problems are routine; the demand is holding attention across the whole working period.
Regular direct exposure to customers who are frustrated, distressed or angry, including disputes about money. Requires consistent self-control and the ability to absorb dissatisfaction that is not personally directed. Work is repetitive and externally paced.
Prolonged sitting at a workstation with continuous screen and telephone use, and no scope to vary posture while a contact is live. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor office or contact-centre environment with no significant physical hazard, working alongside others at a shared bank of workstations and seated at a screen throughout. The demand is psychosocial rather than physical: near-continuous contact with the public, a proportion of it confrontational.
Volume and pace are set by inbound customer demand rather than by the postholder, so the work is continuously interruption-driven with little control over sequence. Autonomy is limited: activity is governed by scripts, standard procedures and defined escalation points, and unresolved matters must be passed to others rather than pursued.

Skills

40% · 107 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 2 of 8
36 of 144 points
Basic factual knowledge of a field of work. The job requires simple thinking and practical knowledge to use information, complete tasks and solve routine problems using basic rules and tools.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Standard communication and interaction with others. The job holder is required to communicate with colleagues or customers in structured settings. Tact, empathy and basic relationship building are required.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 1 of 5
19 of 96 points
Routine problems. The job requires solving minor, routine problems that occur regularly. Solutions are already known and are easy to follow.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 1 of 5
14 of 72 points
Limited planning required. Tasks are set by others or are predefined, with minimal need for adjustment.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 57 points▾

PeopleLevel 0 of 5
0 of 144 points
Does not apply. The job does not require any responsibility for people.
Goods and equipmentLevel 0 of 5
0 of 84 points
Not applicable. The job does not involve any responsibility for goods or equipment.
InformationLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Limited responsibility for information. The job requires the individual to gather, process or share information in a controlled way, following guidelines or predefined procedures.
Financial resourcesLevel 1 of 5
19 of 96 points
Very limited responsibility for financial resources. The job involves handling small amounts of cash or processing simple transactions, such as recording expenses or maintaining basic financial records.

Effort

15% · 41 points▾

Mental effortLevel 1 of 5
12 of 60 points
Limited mental effort. The job involves tasks that require only low levels of mental effort, such as basic attention and following simple instructions with few competing demands for attention.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 2 of 5
29 of 72 points
Occasional psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires occasional involvement in emotionally demanding situations, such as handling minor conflicts or dealing with upset individuals.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.