Customer Service Manager

You will facilitate the day to day running of the area housing offices Customer Relations Teams to meet demand via telephone, email and face to face interactions. You'll have overall responsibility for the supervision of all cash handling procedures, safety of staff handling cash and the security of cash collected.

To recruit, train, develop and maintain a team of customer relations officers (CRO's) to provide effective customer services as a social housing landlord and ensure that PCC meets the outcomes required within the Consumer Standards when Tenants contact us. To work collaboratively as part of the Management Team within an Area Housing Office, but also with all other teams and departments within Portsmouth Homes and relevant teams within Portsmouth City Council, to ensure consistency of services delivered and all compliance matters are met.

The role is responsible for a team of CROs within an Area Office/s, but they also work closely with Local Housing Managers (LHMs) and carry out duties required by Senior Housing Managers (SHMs). Work collaboratively with peers in other locations, as well as team managers in other departments within PCC in particular Finance and Transactions, Tenancy Support, Portsmouth Homes Complaints and the Repairs Support/Building Services Teams, as often the CRO team are the face of Portsmouth Homes, covering all Landlord Services.

The role is responsible for proactive staff management, including absence management and performance management including disciplinary and capability issues as well as ensuring that there are appropriate resources to meet demand at all times, and that staff work in a safe and secure manner.


Skills:

You need:

• Experience of managing individuals and teams with a preference for Coaching and Mentoring
• Extensive and adaptable IT skills including the Microsoft 365 package (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to absorb and interpret complex information
• Strong numeracy and excellent written skills
• Experience of performance management and improving customer satisfaction (desirable)
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to adapt flexibly to a wide variety of audiences for a range of purposes
• Experience of dealing with GDPR and Data Protection issues, with the ability to support others in developing an understanding while minimising risk and assuring compliance (desirable)
• Experience of Cash Handling and Financial Compliance (desirable)
• Experience in the use of telephony systems to ensure that there is accountability for the services provided and that performance is measured, resources are appropriate to meet demand and that legal and statutory requirements are met (desirable)
• Level 4 Housing Qualification or be prepared to study (desirable)
• English and Maths GCSE or equivalent (desirable)
• Evidence of commitment to own continuing personal and professional development
• Engage at all levels of the organisation and work with others to: Ensure a consistently high standard of service delivery, support and engage with staff to identify and manage training needs to ensure the success of the team & communicate accurate and clearly with staff and colleagues
• The ability to build effective working relationships with staff, colleagues and managers and other stakeholders throughout Portsmouth Homes, HNB and PCC
• To give advice and guidance when needed relating to CRO team service delivery.
• To produce good quality data to support in the analysis and understanding of demand and support decision making relating to resourcing
• To be enterprising, resourceful and adaptable, using your own initiative.
• Confidently deal with unexpected or unanticipated problems, reprioritising work as required and escalating where appropriate.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in complex and pressurised situations