Customer Service Specialist

Description

• Take ownership of customer issues, relieve stress and guide quick, easy resolutions with minimal effort.
• Offer bespoke services and affordability tariffs by identifying vulnerability and financial hardship through the customer's preferred communication channel.
• Provide empathetic, excellent communication, build rapport, and negotiate overdue bill payments via inbound/outbound calls and written correspondence.
• Complete customer service (Res‑Ex) calls and contact customers with previously occupied accounts.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of disengaged customers to arrange appropriate payment plans or highlight non‑payment ramifications.
• Resolve initial queries while proactively identifying future problems, benefits, or requirements.
• Share insights with peers and management to promote a collaborative approach to continuous service improvement.
• Handle incoming/outgoing telephone contacts, written correspondence, non‑contact administration, represent the client with third parties, and maintain accurate CRM records.
• Suggest improvements to collection processes and SOPs, identify fraudulent accounts and refer them to the Collections Team Manager.
• Achieve and maintain individual performance targets and agreed objectives.
• Champion Health wellbeing platform.

Requirements

The ideal candidate is a customer‑focused professional with experience in customer service and debt collection, strong communication skills, and confidence using IT systems. You should be empathetic, proactive, and able to build rapport, negotiate payments, and manage calls to resolution while demonstrating initiative, a positive attitude and a strong work ethic.

• Customer service experience.
• Experience or knowledge of debt collection practices.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Confident telephone communication, making decisions where necessary.
• Proficient with IT systems.
• Ability to direct and manage calls through to resolution.
• Forward thinker who shows initiative and takes ownership.
• Strong work ethic to achieve team goals.

Benefits

We are seeking a Customer Service Specialist for our Bournemouth office on a full‑time, permanent basis, offering a competitive salary of £27,010 per year and a comprehensive benefits package. The role sits within the CARE team, where you will act as the voice of the company, engaging customers about outstanding balances and delivering swift, effective resolutions.

South West Water values diversity, inclusion and its core values of being Rock Solid, Being You and Being the Future, fostering a culture where everyone can belong and contribute. In return, employees enjoy generous holiday entitlement, flexible leave options, a Cycle‑to‑Work scheme, free parking, parental leave flexibility, employee share schemes, health and wellbeing support, discounts through Perkbox, a discretionary bonus and a contributory pension.

• Competitive salary of £27,010 per annum plus excellent benefits.
• Generous holiday allowance plus bank holidays, with the option to buy or sell annual leave.
• Cycle‑to‑Work scheme offering tax‑free bike and safety equipment.
• Free car parking at most sites.
• Up to 26 weeks additional maternity leave and flexible parental leave sharing.
• Employee share schemes in Pennon Group plc.
• Confidential Employee Assistance Programme.
• Free eye tests and discounts at Specsavers.
• Access to Perkbox deals and discounts on shopping, travel, gyms, and more.
• Group discounts such as Dell Advantage, Virgin Media, and Vodafone.
• Discretionary bonus.
• Competitive contributory pension.

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance