“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises; they are not dependent on us. We are dependent on them. They are not an interruption to our work. They are the purpose of it.” – Mahatma Gandhi 1890
Karen Cowell has worked at Warrington Housing Association in the Customer Service Department since 2012. Here she talks about the role and how making the customer the priority is a paramount part of the role.
“My name is Karen and I am part of the Customer Service department here at Warrington Housing Association.
I think the rest of my team would agree and say that there is no one day that is the same in the Customer Service team; it all depends on what that day throws at you. The most important aspect of the job is our customers and ensuring that we deliver a good customer experience to them, both on the phone or during a visit to the office.
As a Customer Service Assistant you are at the heart of the business. We are the first point of contact for our customers, and it is WHA’s policy that we deal with all customers in a polite, caring and timely manner, always taking ownership and trying to resolve our customers’ issues ourselves before sign posting them on to another department. That is always the last resort but sometimes unavoidable if we want to resolve the issue.
I have to say that, yes, some days are more challenging than others, but I believe it is how you deal with these that makes all the difference. Fortunately, for me, I like a challenge and enjoy trying to resolve whatever I am faced with.
Being a part of the Customer Service team is really great – we all work well together as a team distributing the different tasks between us. We often put our heads together when we need to determine the best solution to a problem that might be a little different to the norm. Essentially, we all have each other’s backs and we all want to get it right.
If I had to describe a typical day for a Customer Service Advisor it would involve taking calls from our customers regarding such things as repairs that need sorting, rent queries or maybe questions around the housing waiting list.
In my role I also deal with allocations and lettings – so, when we have a vacant property, it will be my responsibility to interview the prospective tenants from the waiting list and subsequently offer the property to them if they fit the bill and they wish to accept the property.
I have worked at WHA for 9 years and have seen many changes but the one consistent element that remains to this day is the experience our customers take away with them. There is no better feeling than when you have helped a customer and resolved their issue, going home at the end of the day and feeling that you have made a difference to them. The customer may not always remember you, but they will always remember the experience they took away!”
If you are interested in working for Warrington Housing Association please visit our website for current opportunities.
