Concierge Customer Service Advisor - Fixed Term

If you're looking for a career in local government then join our customer service team!

The Team

Customer Services is often the first point of contact for residents and visitors to Cambridge City Council. Our team supports customers with a wide variety of enquiries and helps them access the services and information they need.

Joining our team is a great opportunity to build valuable customer service skills and develop your knowledge of the Council. You will work closely with colleagues across different services while gaining experience that can support your future development within local government.

The role

As a Concierge Customer Service Advisor, you will provide a welcoming, professional and high-quality service to customers contacting our Council services.

You will answer a high volume of general enquiries via our switchboard and help customers to access a wide range of Council services. You will also aim to signpost or resolve enquiries at the first point of contact wherever possible, using Council systems, information and technology to find the right solution.

A key part of the role is helping customers to help themselves. You will support customers over the phone to use our digital options, including online forms and other technology, adapting your approach where customers need additional assistance.

The role also includes providing a face-to-face service at Council offices when required, welcoming customers, understanding their needs and helping them access the appropriate service or support.

Customer Services can be a busy environment, and our customers have very different needs. You will therefore need to be confident working with a wide range of people, remain calm under pressure and provide a consistently professional service.

You will follow agreed procedures when dealing with challenging customer interactions, helping to maintain a safe and respectful environment for customers and colleagues.

What you will be doing

As a Concierge Customer Service Advisor, you will:

• Welcome customers at the first point of contact over the phone and help them to access the right Council service.
• Undertaking face-to-face customer service duties as required, providing a professional and welcoming service to customers visiting Council offices and helping them access the support they need.
• Handle a high volume of enquiries while maintaining excellent customer service standards.
• Support customers to use digital services and online self-service options where appropriate.
• Resolve enquiries at the first point of contact whenever possible or signpost customers to the correct service.
• Use Council systems and procedures to manage customer interactions.
• Work effectively with colleagues across Council services to ensure customers receive the support they need.

• Identify recurring customer issues and share feedback to help improve services.
• Work flexibly across different customer service activities in response to demand.
• Deliver a friendly, professional and consistent customer experience.

About you

We are looking for someone who genuinely enjoys helping people and can provide excellent customer service, even when things get busy. You'll have experience of working in a high-volume, customer-facing environment and be comfortable using computer systems to find information.

You'll need to be:

• Customer focused, taking personal responsibility for providing a high-quality service.
• Confident and approachable, with clear and effective communication skills.
• Digitally confident, able to use email, internet-based services and Microsoft applications.
• Calm and resilient, particularly during busy periods or challenging customer interactions.
• Adaptable, as priorities and customer needs can change throughout the day.
• Accurate and organised, with good attention to detail when handling customer information.
• A strong team player, willing to support colleagues and contribute to the wider team.
• Inclusive and respectful, treating everyone with dignity and valuing different needs and perspectives.
• Responsible and accountable, taking ownership of your actions and the service you provide.

You will need a good general standard of education, including GCSE English at grade A-C or equivalent. Previous public-sector or local government experience is useful, although your customer service skills and ability to work effectively with people are particularly important. You should have experience of working in a high-volume customer contact environment and be able to remain calm, organised and customer focused while handling a significant number of enquiries.

If you have the skills we're looking for and want an opportunity to make a difference to customers while developing your career in local government, we'd love to hear from you.

What we can offer:

• A variety of learning and development opportunities via a range of sources and methods
• Access to the highly valued Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Additional Voluntary Contribution (Shared AVC) Scheme
• Agile and Flexible working
• Annual leave purchasing scheme
• Annually negotiated pay and award progression
• Confidential advice and support via an Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Family friendly policies
• Flexible Bank Holidays
• Free swimming at CCC swimming pools
• Generous annual leave allowance 25 days' per annum, rising to 30 days' after five years continuous service; plus 8 days public holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Gym Memership salary sacrifice scheme
• Home & Electronics salary sacrifice scheme
• Lifestyle Savings with over 750 discounts from the UK's leading retailers, restaurants, supermarkts, attractions and more
• Professional Membership Fees paid for, dependent on role
• Relocation Assistance may be payable in approved cases
• Staff reward and recognition framework- including annual staff awards ceremony
• Subsidy for public transport
• Your Care dynamic wellbeing platform

Hours: Working Pattern: Full Time 37 Hours

Contract: Fixed term for 1 Year.

Salary: £27,709 - £30,023 per annum, pro rata for part time

Location: Mandela House

You can click on the links here to find out more information about Staff Pay and Benefits, Working for the Council, our Values & Behaviours, Equality & Diversity in Recruitment or Our People & Culture Strategy.

Application Process

If you would like an informal chat, please contact Ilona Balfe on email Ilona.balfe@cambridge.gov.uk

To be considered for this role, you can follow the on-screen instructions to 'Apply Online' and submit an application.

If you are an internal candidate you can apply by logging in to your Employee Self-Serve (ESS) and access the 'Useful Links' (top right of the dashboard, under the person icon) and click on 'CCC Job Opportunities'.

Cambridge City Council recognises the value of digital badges in evidencing skills, knowledge and competencies, and welcomes their inclusion within job applications as verifiable indicators of achievement and capability.

Cambridge City Council is an Equal Opportunity employer and embraces diversity, creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

For City Council employees who apply for the role on a secondment basis, please note that you should refer to the Secondment Policy. Please note that agreement will need to be obtained from your line manager before the secondment can be confirmed.