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Position Profile 3138 – Customer Contact Officer – Customer Relations About Council The Sunshine Coast Council is one of the largest local governments in Australia – serving a community of more than 280,000 residents across an area of approximately 2,291 square kilometres. Sunshine Coast Council aims to be a public sector leader and an employer of choice. We value the diversity of skills and experience that people bring to the organisation and which they deploy in servicing the community on a daily basis. Our employees’ passion and commitment to the region and their willingness to go above and beyond, coupled with a great place to work, is what sets Sunshine Coast Council apart in local government.

Our Values Everything council does is underpinned by its values which define the culture of the organisation and the behaviours that shape our interaction with the community and each other. Respect for each other in our working relationships Being our best by continuing to learn, grow, challenge and change Working as one team across the organisation and with our community High standards in our conduct, service and governance

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 1 Service excellence for our customers and each otherPosition Summary

Position title Customer Contact Officer Position number 3138 Reports to Customer Contact Supervisor Position type Permanent Full Time Position classification Award Based – Qld LG Officers Award – Level 3 Department Community Services Branch Customer Relations Team Customer Contact Employment area Sunshine Coast Current Location Caloundra Team leadership/ Not Applicable supervision Delegations As per Council’s Delegations of Authority relating to financial, administrative, human resource management, Workplace Health & Safety (WH&S) and environmental management responsibilities. Date last reviewed November 2011

Key Responsibilities Provide accurate and timely information and assistance to customers regarding council operations, by telephone, email and in person, using all available resources Understand and apply council policies, procedures and guidelines, when responding to customer requests. Effectively and efficiently manage service requests, complaints, compliments, general enquiries and transactions. Provide front line counter customer services including receiving and processing applications, accept and receipt monies, carry out daily balances and assist with preparation of bank deposits. Maintain confidentiality of customer information at all times. Provide one on one coaching and mentoring to Customer Contact Officers as required. Provide procedural training to Customer Contact Officers as required. Participate in the Contact Centre’s Monitoring Analysing and Coaching Program (MAC) Contribute to the Contact Centre’s Key Performance indicators, achieving both unit and individual performance targets and service level agreements. Work effectively as a member of the Customer Contact team and ensuring the provision of quality customer service at all times. Ensuring personal safety and the safety of others by following council policies and procedures, cooperating with all reasonable instructions and actively participating in all health & safety training and consultation. Such other relevant duties as required from time to time which would generally fall within the scope of this position.

Key Requirements Mandatory Requirements / Experience Completion of year 12 studies Certificate III in Customer Contact, Business Administration / Local Government, other relevant disciplines or equivalent experience

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 2 Employees are required to wear the council uniform, where provided, and adhere to uniform guidelines Desirable Requirements / Experience Customer contact centre experience Certificate IV in Training and Assessment Corporate Requirements Commitment to the agreed Sunshine Coast Council values and behaviours Compliance and adherence to Code of Conduct Commitment to Zero Harm – Great Health Participation in Performance Review and Planning Availability to work across council work locations

Recruitment process 3138 – Customer Contact Officer

Vacancy number V3434 Closing date 1 June 2014 Contact person Roxy Brown Contact details 07 3333 4444

What to include in your application

Your written application should include: a covering letter detailing your suitability for the role in Council including your ability to fulfil the key responsibilities and requirements of the position, including and details of any specific or mandatory qualifications – 2-3 pages maximum; and a current resume or curriculum vitae.

NOTE: A range of assessment methods may be used to assist selection, including psychometric testing and competency based testing.

Submit your application online at www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Both PDF and Word documents are accepted file formats, with a preference for PDF.

Additional information for applicants is available at www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Sunshine Coast Council is an equal opportunity employer that values cultural and physical diversity.

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 3 COVERING LETTER SAMPLE

Isabelle Gosling 42 Aragon Street MOOLOOLA QLD 4557

1 June 2014

Roxy Brown c/- Human Resources Branch Sunshine Coast Council Locked Bag 72 SUNSHINE COAST MAIL CENTRE LD 4560

Dear Ms Brown

RE: Vacancy 3434 – Customer Contact Officer

I am writing to express my interest in applying for the above position recently advertised on your website. Please also find attached my resume.

I have over six years work experience in various customer service roles and am currently employed as a senior member of the customer service team at BMR Hotel Group in Townsville. In my current position, I am required to deal with clients at all levels both face- to-face and over the telephone. I am also responsible for the supervision, mentoring and training of other members of the customer service team.

I am relocating to the Sunshine Coast and am seeking full time employment in a customer service position. I am interested in obtaining employment in local government and believe I have the necessary qualifications, skills, motivation and commitment for the role.

In response to the key responsibilities for this role I submit the following information for your consideration:

Provide accurate and timely information

As a Senior Customer Service Officer with BMR Hotel Group, I always like to show my initiative and display my energy and dedication to achieving set tasks and corporate goals. I action all hotel reservations accurately according to the Reservations Policy and use my initiative to ensure I am familiar with changes to hotel packages, room types, rates, facilities and services. If I find an error with room rates or accounts, I always rectify the error by accessing the rating codes within the computerised reservation system. Whilst this is not part of my role, I take personal responsibility to ensure problems are rectified immediately in order to achieve sales targets and business objectives.

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 4 Understand and apply council policies

My work experience at GBR Council gave me invaluable experience with adhering to organisational policies, processes and guidelines. During this role, I was asked to be the customer service representative on a broader team that reviewed the GBR Council’s Customer Service Charter. I provided input into a number of key strategies and initiatives to ensure customer requests and complains were handled professionally and confidentially. Some of these initiatives were implemented across the council and resulted in increased customer satisfaction and greater awareness amongst employees.

Effectively manage customer service and service requests

In the various roles I have undertaken, I have often had to provide advice to customers and other employees. I have always provided honest and straightforward professional advice grounded by my knowledge of the particular issue and/or by any further research I have conducted. This has meant that I am able to justify the advice I give. I always aim to learn from the mistakes I make, and seek the guidance of my managers and fellow employees on ways I can improve my skills and abilities. A specific example is from my time at The Flight Company, where I made an error of judgement and misinformed a customer. My supervisor assisted me in fixing my error. This experience showed me the importance of double checking information before providing it to customers, regardless of time pressures.

I am confident in my ability to build positive and productive relationships with a variety of people. During my time with Townsville News, I made an effort to build rapport and develop positive relationships with clients, including suppliers and sales representatives. For example, I always made a conscious attempt to remember names of clients and suppliers, even if I did not see them regularly. The result of this action was the noticeable increase in repeat business and compliments received by the owner of the business.

During my time with The Flight Company, I was required to negotiate with clients on a regular basis. This involved having a clear understanding of the situation or issue, the desired outcome and being able to discuss the issue/s professionally and thoughtfully to assist with managing the customers’ expectations. For example, a passenger who needed to be in Brisbane due to a family emergency had booked a flight that was subsequently delayed by a day. The passenger was inconsolable as his mother was dying. I managed to negotiate with the passenger and another carrier by organising an alternative flight. A few weeks later, the passenger sent a thank you to my company for my kindness, understanding and assistance.

Maintain confidentiality

Positions undertaken throughout my career have always required professionalism and probity. I have always been required to adhere to strict codes of conduct, confidentiality, policies and procedures.

Participate in coaching / mentoring

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 5 In my role as a Senior Customer Service Officer at BMR Hotel Group, it is essential for me to present and display the company’s vision, goals and objectives. Being a senior member of the team, I consciously set an example for excellent customer service and actively develop team member skills through formal and informal coaching / mentoring approaches.

In my current position with BMR Hotel Group I supervise four employees. I am required to delegate daily tasks, make myself available if needed and provide feedback and instruction. I also facilitate in-house training and offer opportunities for growth and development through mentoring new and existing team members. I am confident in providing feedback, advice and recognition to the team and am comfortable to coach when under performance is evident. I recently praised the efforts of one team member during a team management meeting. This was well received by the team member and appreciated by higher level management.

Provide procedural training

I am currently completing a Certificate III in Customer Contact with Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE. During one of my modules, I was required to complete a group assessment with the focus of conducting a telemarketing campaign. I was selected to be the leader of my group and was required to identify key capabilities of each team member and assign responsibilities accordingly. Through good planning, cooperation and open communication I was able to identify the resources and capabilities needed for our team to complete the assessment within the allocated timeframe. The assessment piece was used as an example to others undertaking the course and my team gained a competency for the module and top comments from the lecturer.

Contribute to key performance indicators

Part of my role as Senior Customer Service Officer at BMR Hotel Group is to guide the Customer Service Team to fulfil individual and group key performance indicator targets. I developed a plan to improve customer service satisfaction ratings of hotel clients by designing and implementing a training and induction program for new employees and refresher training of other members of the customer service team. This initiative considered internal and broader external factors that were influencing the performance of the customer service team. The plan was well supported in head office, and was later translated and implemented across other locations within the BMR Hotel Group.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely

Isabelle Gosling M: 0412 343 3433 Email: [email protected]

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 6 RESUME SAMPLE

Isabelle Gosling PERSONAL

Address: 42 Aragon St Mooloolaba Qld 4557

Mobile: 0412 3456 7890

Email: [email protected]

CAREER OBJECTIVE

My aim is to continue to develop my career in customer relations, using the knowledge, skills and abilities I have gained in both my tertiary education and employment history. I am looking for a position that offers challenges and the opportunity for professional development and continuous learning.

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

2010 – Current Certificate III Customer Contact Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE – Townsville

2005 – 2007 Bachelor of Arts James Cook University – Townsville

2000 – 2004 St Patricks College – Townsville Overall Position (OP) Score of 13 Year 12 Certificate

TRAINING

Microsoft Office Proficiency Training – Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE (2011) Performance Management – ABM Pty Ltd (2011) Being an Effective Mentor – ABM Pty Ltd (2011) Customer Service in Action – Customer Service Institute of Australia (2010) Customer Service Intensive Training Program – BMR Hotel Group (2009) Conflict Resolution – The Flight Company (2007)

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 7 Responsible Service of Alcohol – Far North Queensland Institute of TAFE (2007) Cash Handling – Townsville News (2005)

WORK HISTORY Jul 2009 – Current Senior Customer Liaison Officer BMR Hotel Group, Townsville Duties: 1. Providing a high level of customer service to hotel guests, internal and external clients seeking information, advice and assistance 2. Managing requests, tour bookings, complaints, general enquiries and transactions 3. Facilitating in-house training to customer service employees 4. Employee supervision (4 employees) 5. Mentoring new members of the customer service team 6. Clerical and administrative duties

Mar 2008 – Jun 2009 Call Centre Operator Happy Healthy Families Health Insurance Company, Townsville Duties: 7. First point of contact for customers seeking insurance policy information 8. Dealing with customer enquiries, requests and complaints over the phone 9. Processing insurance applications 10. Liaising between customers and insurance officers 11. General administration

Jan 2007 – Jun 2007 Customer Service Officer (Work Experience) GBR Council, Townsville Duties: 12. Providing information and assistance to internal and external customers via telephone, face-to-face and email contact 13. Responding to enquiries and complaints by referring to council policies, procedures and guidelines 14. General administration

Sept 2006 – Dec 2007 Assistant Duty Manager Sandwiches R Us, Townsville Duties: 15. Daily store operations including staff rostering, supervision and training

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 8 16. Supervising food preparation in accordance with food safety regulations 17. Cash handling and stock control 18. Inventory management including stocktakes, development of sales reports and end of day processing 19. Banking and general administration

Dec 2004 – Sept 2006 Shift Supervisor Townsville News, Townsville Duties: 20. Processing newspaper and magazine deliveries 21. Inventory management including checking and removing out-of-date stock and stock reordering 22. Providing a high level of customer service to newsagency patrons and suppliers 23. Supervision and training of employees (up to 4 employees per shift) 24. Ensuring sales targets are achieved and areas of opportunity to increase sales identified 25. Ensuring premises and displays are well maintained 26. Dealing with customer enquiries and complaints 27. Cash handling, general administration and banking

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

High achievement and performance motivation Well-organised with effective time management skills Ability to analyse problems and develop and evaluate solutions Capable of working as an individual or as part of a team Able to lead and motivate others to perform Have a strong honest work ethic and set high expectations Goal oriented Flexible and willing to learn new skills and competencies Able to communicate effectively with people in various situations, both orally and in written communication Proven ability to interact and respond to customers in various business situations.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS Current Member – Customer Service Institute of Australia Current Collegiate Member – Customer Contact Management Association

INTERESTS

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 9 Health and Fitness – regular exercise, health activities, and attending sports events Ballet and the performing arts Travel – exploring new places and cultures Volunteering for organisations such as the Salvation Army, Lions, Rotary, and local community groups.

PROFESSIONAL REFEREES

Tom Smith Johan Gillespie Customer Service Manager Call Centre Manager BMR Hotel Group Happy Healthy Families Health Insurance (07) 4712 3456 Company (07) 4712 3456

Sylvia Austen Customer Service Team Leader The Flight Company (07) 4012 3456

Sunshine Coast Council – 3138 – Customer Contact Officer- SAMPLE ONLY 10