Handling Customers Complaints and Enquiries

Role Title
Customer Services officer
Role Information
Role Type / Pay Band / Location / Duration / Reports to:
Customer Services / H / Beirut / 2 years / Customer Services Manager
Role purpose
To deliver an effective quality driven first line service to customers, clients and stakeholders at the British Council Beirut, ensuring that customers receive the information and services they need in a friendly, professional, efficient and responsive environment
About us
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.
We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.
Geopolitical/SBU/Function overview:
The post holder will be responsible to handle exams and UK education/information enquiries (face to face, telephone, and email), referring those customers requiring further specialised services to the appropriate member of staff/team/service point
Main opportunities/challenges for this role:

Handling customers Complaints and enquiries
Liaising with the internal staff
Handling Exams registrations and to get familiar with different products.

Organogram (delete if not applicable)
Main Accountabilities:
Handle exams and UK education/information enquiries (face to face, telephone, and email), referring those customers requiring further specialised services to the appropriate member of staff/team/service point and to operate telephone switchboard

To respond to emails within 24 hours
To respond to other written enquiries within 2 working days
To respond to telephone enquiries that need following up within 12 hours unless research is required and the enquiry cannot be answered immediately
To acknowledge and state when answer will be provided if enquiry cannot be answered within standard period
To take messages in the event of a colleague's absence and to pass them on immediately using the agreed methods (email)
To be able to refer to the next level of enquiries appropriately
To highlight further resources and self-access materials that may be useful to enquirer/answer query if appropriate
To meet corporate customer care, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and enquiry handling standards
To record statistics relating to enquiries accurately and to agreed standard
To answer all switchboard calls to corporate customer care standards
To answer all basic enquiries (according to definition provided) to satisfaction of customer
To refer difficult/complex accreditation related enquiries that cannot be dealt with satisfactorily to Customer Service Manager and ensure that information is delivered to the enquirer within 3 working days
To register exam candidates as per examinations board guidelines.
To handle cash including fines, charges for services, membership charges according to corporate standards
To liaise with the Exams Manager and Customer Services Manager o collating customer satisfactory survey’s for Exams units in specific and the British Council in general
To liaise with the Exams Manager in contacting exams candidates as needed
To maintain the usage of the Exams log book for collection of statements and certificates
To carry out daily reconciliations of cash collected before hand over to Finance
To arrange mail shots sent to contacts within one week of receipt of materials
To conduct presentations in and out of office to promote specific products/services, namely Education UK
To send invitations by fax/email promoting UK institutions visits
To assist in arranging appointments on behalf of UK institutions representatives
To ensure materials and displays are always up to date and accurate
To ensure all computer and audio/visual resources are in functioning order
To ensure furniture and equipment is clear and ready to use
To ensure all displayed materials on board and shelves are always up-to-date
To ensure the front of house area and display materials are maintained to a suitable standards

Key Relationships:
Internal

Local Staff members
Regional Staff members

External

Key stakeholders
Suppliers
Random Customers
Exams Candidates
Corporate clients
Public enquirers
UK universities representatives

Role Requirements:
Threshold requirements: / Assessment stage
Passport requirements/ Right to work in country / Post holder must be eligible to work in Lebanon. When required, successful candidate needs to secure, at his/her own cost and liability, the appropriate work and residency permits and any other required document, as well as any renewals thereof, from the Lebanese competent authorities. / Shortlisting
Direct contact or managing staff working with children? / Yes/No
IF YES. Appropriate police check / N/a
Notes / Hours are variable according to work schedule and can include evenings and occasional weekends. The role includes representing the British Council at external events where appropriate.
Person Specification: / Assessment stage
Language requirements (DELETE IF NOT APPROPRIATE)
Minimum / essential / Desirable / Assessment Stage

Written and spoken English at Proficiency Level (B2)
Fluent in written and spoken Arabic

/ Good command of written and spoken French / Shortlisting
Qualifications
Minimum / essential / Desirable / Assessment Stage

University degree or provenrelevant experience

/ Shortlisting
Role Specific Knowledge & Experience
Minimum / essential / Desirable / Assessment Stage

Minimum of 2 years’ experience in the Customer Services field

/ Shortlisting
Role Specific Skills (if any) / Assessment Stage
Financial Skills:

Awareness of payment system process and document standards
Awareness of the concept of reconciliation

Computer Skills

To understand and use the Council’s IT systems in an effective manner in compliance with IT security standards including ability to access and use the British Council intranet site
To understand and comply with BC security standards

/ Shortlisting AND Interview
Shortlisting
Interview
British Council Core Skills / Assessment Stage

Planning and organising (Level 1)

Is methodical
Able to plan own work over short timescales for routine or familiar tasks and processes.

Managing finance and resources (Level 2)

Uses resources efficiently
Uses resources efficiently in own role and complies with financial rules and procedures.

Using technology (Level 3)

Operates as a basic user of information systems, digital and office technology
Able, with adjustments if necessary, to use office software and British Council systems to do the job and manage documents or processes.

Communicating and influencing (Level 2)

Communicates clearly & effectively
Listens to others and expresses self clearly, with grammatical accuracy and awareness of a diverse audience in speaking and writing. / Shortlisting AND Interview
Shortlisting and Interview
Shortlisting and Interview
Shortlisting and Interview
British Council Behaviours / Assessment Stage

Working together: (essential)

Establishing a genuinely common goal with others

Making it happen: (essential)

Delivering clear results for the British Council

Being accountable (essential)

Delivering my best work in order to meet my commitments

Connecting with others: (essential)

Making regular opportunities to understand others better

Shaping the future:(essential)

Looking for ways in which we can do things better

Creating shared purpose: (essential)

Communicating an engaging picture of how we can work together / Interview
Prepared by: / Date:
Sereen Kassem-Business Development Manager / 13.04.2017
1 / [Insert job title] | [Insert date prepared] | The British Council