Customer Service Specialist

Level: 3

Duration: 15 (Excluding EPA)

Apprenticeship Overview

A work based learning programme aimed at professionals that are advocates of Customer Service and act as referral points for dealing with more complex or technical customer requests, complaints, and queries in line with the company vision, values and corporate social responsibility.

This programme is suitable for colleagues that have line management responsibility for a customer service team, are an escalation point for complicated or ongoing customer problems, are experts in your organisation’s products and/or services, share knowledge and best practice with other colleagues, gather and analyse data and customer information that influences change and improvements in service and utilise both organisational and generic IT systems to carry out your role with an awareness of other digital technologies.

Apprentices will be required to have or achieve level 2 English and maths, prior to taking their end point assessment.

DEVELOPING CORE KNOWLEDGE:

  • Understand what continuous improvement means in a service environment and how your recommendations for change impact your organisation
  • Understand the impact your service provision has on the wider organisation and the value it adds
  • Understand your organisation’s current business strategy in relation to customers and make recommendations for its future
  • Understand a range of leadership styles and apply them successfully in a customer service environment
  • Understand and critically evaluate the possible journeys of your customers, including challenges and the end-to-end experience

DEVELOPING CORE SKILLS:

  • Demonstrate a continuous improvement and future focused approach to customer service delivery, including decision making and providing recommendations or advice
  • Resolve complex issues by being able to choose from and successfully apply a wide range of approaches
  • Find solutions that meet your organisations needs as well as the customer requirements that provide a positive outcome through the use of advanced questioning, listening and summarising to negotiate mutually beneficial resolution
  • Manage challenging and complicated situations within your level of authority and make recommendations to enable and deliver change to service or strategy

DEVELOPING CORE BEHAVIOURS:

  • Personally commit to and take ownership for actions to resolve customer issues to the satisfaction of the customer and your organisation
  • Exercises pro-activity and creativity when identifying solutions to customer and organisational issues
  • Share knowledge and experience with others to support colleague development
  • Adopt a positive and enthusiastic attitude, being open minded and able to tailor your service to each customer

*The End Point Assessment duration for this Apprenticeship is 3 months