Customer Services Apprentice

About the team we are recruiting to

Customer Services is one of the largest departments in Coventry City Council and are the front face of the organisation.  We are usually the first port of call for customer enquiries across the council.  Our fast-paced telephone teams deal with thousands of calls and emails a week, we have a dynamic Customer Service Centre with around 2500 visitors a week approaching us for a wide range of enquiries from paying their council tax to seeking help to access services and dedicated support teams who process bookings, timesheets and general administration work for the whole organisation.

You may be based in one of several locations, we have a Customer Service Centre right in the heart of the city; Friargate – a large purpose built office by the train station along with several reception points across the city.

Joining Customer Services is a really good stepping stone into a long term career with the Council, depending on the role you are offered you will learn about other parts of the organisation

We want every single customer to have a positive experience when approaching the council and would welcome you being part of the team.

What is the job role?

This is an exciting opportunity to gain work skills, experience and a Customer Service Level 3 qualification as part of Coventry City Council’s Customer Services team. Please see the attached documents at the bottom of the advert to see profiles of some of our previous apprentices that now work in our team. 

Customer Services is a big service with several different teams, we have opportunities with our Customer Service Telephone & Digital Contact Centre, Blue Badge Team, Customer Experience, Assurance and Community Support Teams. 

Apprenticeship summary 

Successful candidates will join our faced-paced and dynamic teams to provide Customer Service and general administrative support to a wide-range of customers. 

You will be given on the job training to help you learn a variety of skills alongside your apprenticeship qualification. 

Typical duties in the apprenticeship will involve: 

· Answering customer enquiries in telephone contact centre setting 

· Raising service requests for customers using a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) 

· Assisting with front facing reception duties 

· Offering a quality customer service experience 

· Managing team email inboxes and prioritising where appropriate 

· Ordering goods and services / raising invoices 

· Basic financial and statistical calculations 

 
Closing date is midnight on 5th September 2021. 

The application and selection process for candidates is as follows: 

Stage 1 - 6th September - Candidates will be shortlisted based on the answers given 

Stage 2 - 9th September - Pre-interview and Maths & English assessment* 

Stage 3 - 15th September - Final interview and work-related role play. 

* (The pre-interview is a short session to give you further details of the apprenticeship role and to help you understand what to expect from and how to prepare for the final interview. You will also complete a short diagnostic assessment to check the level of Maths and English that you are currently working at and identify any support you may require). 

Is this something you might be interested in? 

If you would like to know more before applying, call us for a chat on 024 7697 7410 we would love to hear from you and explain a little more about working for the council and why it’s a really good career plan as well as know a little bit about why you are interested. 

Did you know that there is support available to help you with your application? 

If you would like support in completing your application or have any questions about our recruitment and selection processes, help is available at The Job Shop.  

We would recommend that all applicants take advantage of this service in order to maximise the chances of being shortlisted. 

Address: 1 Bull Yard, Coventry, CV1 1LH  
Phone: 024 7678 5740 
Email: jobshop@coventry.gov.uk      
Website: http://www.coventry.gov.uk/jobshop  

Who are we looking for?

Desired skills 
You will receive training and support throughout the apprenticeship to develop your skills, but we are looking for applicants that already have: 

· Good computer and digital skills 
· Good verbal and written communication skills 

Personal qualities 
You will need to be able to demonstrate the following during your time with us: 

· You genuinely care about helping people and delivering a good service 
· You work well as part of a team 
· You are willing to learn 
· You can follow written and verbal instructions 
· You have initiative 
· You are reliable and trustworthy 

About Coventry

Coventry is a lively, multicultural city, which embraces old and new. Around the modern city centre there are traces of history everywhere – in the old city walls, the timber-framed buildings and the reconstructed medieval Spon Street. But Coventry has always had an eye on the future, and is now firmly focused on regenerating and re-inventing itself to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. With major developments and new projects taking place right across the city, Coventry City Council is the place to be!

There's a huge buzz about the city – Coventry ranks as the 8th best city to live, work and do business in the UK, and is the UK City of Culture 2021 ! We believe this will help put Coventry on the map for all the right reasons. You can feel the sense of local pride throughout the city as we build towards this momentous year. It also offers a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to those joining us to play their part in it.

We genuinely believe that Coventry City Council is a special place. You will be joining Coventry City Council during an exciting time to become part of a team that contribute to achieving our visions for the city. We have made our council a place where we look after our people, making sure you're happy in your work and given everything you need to succeed. We've created friendly, welcoming workplaces where everyone is working towards the same cause, providing the best possible services for the city of Coventry.

As a council with improvement at its heart, we’re committed to making life better for the people who live and work in Coventry. We’re equally concerned with the quality of life enjoyed by our people, so by joining us, you won’t just be helping the community, you’ll be helping yourself too.

Not only do you get to work alongside great people that are helping to improve services for our community we offer great benefits too! For your valued contribution we will provide a fantastic benefits package including;

• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Outstanding local government pension scheme
• Learning & Development with access to certified courses.
• Access to an award winning Occupational Health Team
• Vibrant employee networks