Gill
An interview with Gill, Senior Customer Service Officer.
Tell us a bit about yourself
Hi, I’m Gill. I have been in Customer Service all my working life starting at Barclays Bank, where I worked for 25 years, 8 years in a branch, then moving to Barclaycard when they started up a new division of merchandisers and progressing to Account Manager looking after medium to large businesses turning over £10 million, both recruiting and maintaining a strong working relationship with these companies.
I participated in introducing debit card, point of sale equipment and the first online shopping introduced by banks. When I left there, I worked at the duty-free store at Gatwick Airport in the beauty and perfume department, but also covering in the other stores there in Customer Service, which included advising customers and closing the stores by banking and ensuring the stores were ready for opening the next day.
I then had my own business for 5 years in which I employed 7 staff. After moving to Bognor Regis, I had part-time roles at Clinique and Smiths publications.
I started at WSCC as a Customer Service Advisor on the telephones and progressed to Senior Customer Service Advisor after 2 years.
What inspired you to become a Senior Customer Service Officer?
I very much enjoy problem solving and helping colleagues and customers with the more challenging queries.
Why did you choose to work for West Sussex?
A role with WSCC is always interesting and I enjoy helping customers and feel that you can really make a difference to the customers who call you.
What is the best thing about being a Senior Customer Service Officer at West Sussex?
The feeling of a job well done and finding an answer to a challenging query.
What do you particularly enjoy about working in the Core team?
The variation of calls and queries. I take calls from up to 20 service lines, so I never know what type of call is going to come through. This makes for a very interesting day. Some lines are busier than others but the difference of calls can be really interesting and you learn a lot of information that you never knew you needed.
How does West Sussex support you to develop and progress?
There are always opportunities to progress with training and management are always available to assist you to get involved with more varied aspects of this role.
Is there a particular case or something about your work here that makes you feel proud?
When a customer calls and is really upset and you are able to sort out the issue they have and they thank you for your help.
What would you say are the challenges of being a Senior Customer Service Officer?
There are many demands on my time and sometimes this can feel a little overwhelming trying to prioritise the most important, especially when answering calls and supporting the team.
If there is one myth you could bust about being a Senior Customer Service Officer, what would it be?
You don’t have to answer calls if the phones are busy.
What would you say to somebody considering joining us?
If you are looking for a fast-paced role that gives back what you want to put in, and you are a problem solver and enjoy helping people this is the role for you.