SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL

JOB DESCRIPTION

INFORMAL CONTACT: Maddie Cliffe 0114 2736787

PORTFOLIORESOURCES

______

DEPARTMENTCUSTOMER SERVICES

______

DIVISION/SECTIONCORPORATE CONTACT CENTRE

______

POST TITLECUSTOMER SERVICES AGENT –

CITY WIDE CARE ALARMS

GRADEGRADE 5 Salary

Enhancements will be paid for working evenings, weekends & Bank

Holidays in line with Sheffield City Council’s terms and conditions.

RESPONSIBLE TO CONTACT CENTRE TEAM LEADER

RESPONSIBLE FORNOT APPLICABLE

HOLIDAY ANDFROM / FOR OTHER GRADE 5 CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENTS

SICKNESS RELIEF

______

PURPOSE OF JOB To provide a customer focused service for citizens of Sheffield within a Contact Centre environment by operating the CITY WIDE CARE ALARMS communication system control centre on a 24 hour 365 day basis, working in partnership with other parts of the Council and external service providers to receive and respond appropriately to alarm calls.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

KEY ROLES

Customer Service and Communications

  1. Give customers a positive impression of yourself, the city and SheffieldCity Council.

Establish and maintain effective relationships with internal and external customers. Communicate information to customers and respond appropriately. Adapt methods of communication to meet the needs of the customer.

  1. Deliver reliable customer service.

Provide customer services via telephone and by electronic means. Greet, direct and assist customers. Maintain records and information, including updating of information databases (i.e. Care First and Tunstall system)

  1. Process customer service information.

Accurately capture customer information. Identify customer needs and supply an appropriate range of options. Select, retrieve and supply customer service information.

  1. Support customer service improvements.

Contribute to the identification and implementation of customer service improvements, including carrying out customer satisfaction monitoring.

  1. Support team working.

Contribute to training and development activities for new staff members, including participating in observed activities to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and expertise.

Administration

  1. Store, retrieve and supply data.

Establish and maintain storage systems. Supply information for a specified purpose. Check and process routine, numerical information.

  1. Prepare documents.

Respond promptly to correspondence and requests for information. Prepare a variety of documents. Produce copies using reprographic equipment.

  1. Handle mail.

Receive, sort and dispatch mail.

SUG 3 Elements

All the above plus:

Information Communications Technology

  1. Access and maintain the use of ICT.

Enter and find data using ICT. Communicate information using a variety of communication methods e.g. telephone, fax, and electronic mail. These include the following requirements for the system used:

Operate a 2-way speech telephone system between the Contact Centre, customers, mobile wardens and housing wardens. Receive alarm calls from customers and respond to those calls as follows:

a)Initiate a conversation with the customer to establish the reason for the alarm call and the exact nature of the threat or risk to the well -being of the person who has triggered the alarm. Reassure the customer that an appropriate level of assistance or support will be arranged.

b)Using a telephone, Customer Service Agents will advise mobile wardens or housing wardens on the need to respond to alarm calls

and give details of the circumstances of the alarm and characteristics of

the customer concerned. They may also be required to notify relatives of the

incidence of an alarm call.

c)When an alarm call is triggered but the customer does not respond to the Customer Service Agent, the Agent will summon a mobile warden and the police/ambulance services.

d)Customer Service Agents may be required to summon emergency services in

other circumstances i.e. when discussion with a customer (or warden)

indicates that they have suffered an accident or are facing an immediate

threat to their well being or property.

e)Where emergency services are summoned, Customer Service Agents will provide

them with details of the alarm call and characteristics of the customer .

Initiate calls to customers where regular monitoring, routine contact or

reassurance is required.

Respond to other alarm signals, which may be linked to the system in future,

specifically smoke alarms, burglar alarms, temperature alarms, or habit

monitoring alarms. The response by the Contact Centre Agent will be as outlined above.

Carry out routine checks on the effectiveness of the alarm and communications

system.

  1. Work with others to improve services for customers.

Share specialist knowledge to develop the skills of others in the team. Assist in the delivery of development activities. Act as a first point of contact, help and advice in the absence of team leaders to resolve internal and external customer enquiries.

  1. Monitor and solve service problems.

Identify repeated service problems; work with others in the team to generate options for solving them effectively and efficiently. Assist with the implementation of changes required achieving service improvements and resolve problems. Support Team Leaders with evaluation of improvement activities.

  1. Develop, implement and maintain processes.

Contribute to the design, implementation and maintenance of systems and processes to meet the needs of internal and external customers and partners.

All duties and responsibilities should be carried out in accordance with agreed Council Policy and procedures, in particular the Council policies on Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety.

Any other related duties and responsibilities as may arise.

Customer Service Agents (City Wide Care Alarms) will be required to work on a shift system covering a 24-hour 3654 day basisincluding bank holidays.

Issue Date :1.8.10

S H E F F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L

PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR POST: Customer Services Agent

MINIMUM ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

/

METHOD OF ASSESSMENT

Experience:

  • Experience of working within a team to provide a high standard of customer service
/
Application form/ interview

Ability, Skills and Knowledge:

Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing

Have well developed listening skills and the ability to assimilate information

Proven ability in capturing, storing and accurately retrieving information to meet customer needs

Ability to establish, maintain and develop effective working relationships with customers, delivery partners and colleagues

  • Ability to utilise information and communications technology to access and communicate information.
  • Ability to understand and implement the Council’s Equal Opportunities policies
  • Ability to remain calm and provide reassurance to vulnerable customers when working under pressure
/ Application form/ interview/test
Application form/ interview/test
Application form/ interview/test
Application form/ interview
Application form/ interview/test
Application form/ interview
Application form/ interview/test

Personal Style and Behaviour:

  • Demonstrable commitment to providing a high quality service
  • Committed to continuous improvement in service delivery
  • Be flexible and work as part of a team
/ Application form/ interview/test
Application form/ interview
Application form/ interview

Work Related Circumstances:

  • Will be required to work on a rota system to meet the needs of the service, operating evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays
  • The successful candidate will be required to complete a Criminal Records Disclosure form in line with Section 115 of The Police Act 1997
/
Application form/ interview
Application form/ interview

Sheffield City Council – Corporate Contact Centre

Agreed Working Arrangements

The Contact Centre will be open 24-Hours, and operates 365 days a week. (Including Bank Holidays and weekends).

It is therefore essential that staff resources are available during these times to meet service demand. The working pattern for this service is outlined in a separate rota.

Rostering System

Contact Centre Agents must be in position ready to take calls from the start of their agreed rostered working time.

Breaks

In line with Display Screen Equipment Health and Safety Regulations, all staff will be encouraged and supported to take short, frequent breaks away from the computer screen. Looking away from the screen and/ or completing administrative tasks associated with calls can help to achieve this.

All staff can take toilet breaks and fetch water/ drinks as and when required during their rostered working time. Additionally, 15-minute refreshment breaks within each 3 to 4-hour working period will be facilitated.

Annual Leave

Annual leave must be agreed in advance by a team leader/ manager and will be considered in the context of minimum service levels. All staff will be encouraged and supported to take their annual leave entitlement and spread their time off across the year.

Corleen Bygraves-Paul

1 August 2010

Sheffield City Council

Role Profile Description

Date / October 2007
Family / Customer Engagement
Role profile Level Number / CE4A
Purpose
To provide a specialised service to enable customers to make informed use of the service or facility
Role Accountability / End Result
Operations
Plan and organise work and projects to complete it within set framework, standards, & timescales /
  • Work done to time and standards
  • Satisfied users

Provide advice to colleagues and customers on matters concerning the specialised field, and keep up to date with developments. /
  • Informed customers
  • Appropriate level of personal expertise & knowledge base maintained

People management
Allocate and monitor work
Train and mentor assistants
May contribute to recruitment process /
  • Work completed to required standard
  • Trained Staff
  • Staff recruited

User support
Provide advice to colleagues and customers and keep up to date with developments. /
  • Sound advice given / proffered
  • Informed customers
  • Appropriate level of personal expertise & knowledge base maintained

Consultation
Implement and develop methods of Customer Consultation and Engagement and address the outcome of customer consultation /
  • Customer feedback and participation encouraged and supported

Working in Partnership
Working alongside partner organisations to deliver services to customers
Participate and lead formal liaison meetings with partners /
  • Joined up service delivery

Risk management
Make the Team aware of all safety and security issues concerning the work and its environment. /
  • Health & Safety compliance assured
  • Information bulletins issued
  • Workforce understand obligations

Relationships
Forming and creating relationships with other organisations and reporting back on progress against targets /
  • Services delivered jointly and joined up

Reports
Collect and analyse information, compile and submit reports. /
  • Procedures adhered to and recorded
  • Reports made accurately & on time
  • Accurate and complete records

Promotion and Marketing
Make presentations to groups to promote service to appropriate end-users. /
  • Service effectively promoted

Resources
Provide information for budget preparation, implement the approved budget, and monitor the cash / income stream.
Organise stock and stock levels and equipment and stock secure
May be involved in making small bids for funding /
  • Accurate & complete data, on time
  • Costs kept within target
  • Correct income received and banked

Nature of contacts and relationship (who and the nature of the communications)
General public, users, partners to answer queries & problems and discuss service improvements, and support project work.
Other organisations in the same field to keep up to date with developments, best practice.
Working Environment Context (physical, disagreeable, health and safety aspects)
Both internal & external – hazards on site might include needles broken glass – anti-social behaviour
Procedural Context (Creativity; discretion; impact: concentration)
Work carried out to specification, standards and guidelines.
May be undertaking research to identify solutions and manipulating data and supporting projects.
Planning and organising own work and fitting in with others projects.
Direction Received
Regular supervision from manager and contact with project board
Key facts and figure ranges (include likely size of any team managed)
No supervisory involvement or budgets. May have responsibility for project budget. Working on projects of varying sizes and timescales.
Skills, knowledge and qualifications (Formal qualifications typically required. Essential and generally preferred. Work knowledge acquired.)
NVQ3/4 or equivalent, specialist trained in discipline with relevant accreditation, as appropriate.
Work Knowledge
Specialist knowledge of work area – Sound understanding of corporate project management tools and processes.
Work Skills and Equipment Operated
PC Software packages including in house systems.
SM1 / SM2 / SMD / CRE / CON / DDIS / DCON / RES / WWD / KS / TOTAL
2 / 1 / 0 / 2 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 4 / 354