Customer Relationship and Stakeholder Engagement Manager

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

This role will act as the SWR Subject Matter Expert on Complaint Handling, owning the updating and adherence to the SWR Complaints Handling Procedure, whilst working with other TOC colleagues and external stakeholders to ensure SWR is aligned to the industry approach and ORR obligations.

This role is responsible for representing SWR and leading engagement with high profile external stakeholders on activities across the CCC, including the ORR, RDG, Transport Focus & London Travel Watch.

This role is responsible for reducing repeat contacts into the CCC through effective reviewing of customer contacts, identifying trends and implementing change where required.  

This role is responsible for representing the customer view, following feedback received, through actively engaging with internal stakeholders from across the business driving improvements in customer service.

This role is responsible for providing an exceptionally high-quality response to all SWR MD and SWR Exec team complaints, and contacts received from the ORR, Transport Focus, LTW.

This role is responsible for the creation, communicating and updating of all the templated responses for the CCC team to use enabling a consistent high quality customer service. 

This role is responsible for the development, review and optimisation of all working processes to ensure it is running at maximum efficiency and effectiveness delivering high levels of customer satisfaction throughout the CCC.   

This role is accountable for the line management of the Executive & Escalations team, ensuring all colleagues have regular touchpoints. Working collaboratively with the Training, Quality and Competency Manager ensuring Training & Development plans are in place.

The holder of the role will work with the Business Technical & Performance Manager to ensure that the teams resources are fully utilised, and in times of disruption contingency plans are available and implemented as swiftly as possible.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Management responsibility for a direct team of 5 Escalation Team Members.
• Responsibility for collaboration across key functions to identify root cause of complaints. The successful applicant will use this information to be the voice of the customer & to then create and deliver an action plan with the Head of Functions and relevant areas to reduce complaint volumes and increase First Contact Resolution.
• Accountable for the review of the Complaints Handling Procedure to ensure it is compliant with current standards and reflective of SWR strategic direction.
• Accountable for the day-to-day performance of the Complaints Team. Ensure their adherence to contingency plans during disruption. Ensure high level correspondence is responded to within a 24hr time period, this includes the draft written responses and reply to direct Customer Contact,
• Where required, talk to our customers, understand their needs, and effectively resolve escalated issues.
• Represent SWR with external stakeholders, demonstrating our ability to identify opportunities to improve our customers' experience and build the brand of SWR
• Develop, implement, and maintain positive scripting for front line teams to manage customer complaints including regular updating of Templates used for Customer Contact.
• Specialise in an industry, keeps current on the activities, and needs of that industry by attending regular meetings including Rail Delivery Group Working Groups.
• Consult with Senior Leaders enhancing the reputation of the Complaints Team. Build relationships to help you identify opportunities within the business to reduce complaints within their areas as well as being the voice of the customer to our Head of Functions.
• Working with the Quality team to take on board the feedback and turn this into plans and results. Ensuring QA scores remain at 100% within the direct team and taking action to remedy any areas of improvement.
• Demonstrate an understanding of Commercial challenges and how the Complaints teams can work within those parameters
• Financial oversight of the complaints team spending, including but not restricted to GOG payments & Ombudsman resolution costs.
• Work with key stakeholders to drive efficiencies without creating a negative impact to the customer
• Responsible for the delivery of relevant Business Plan Commitments and SLA's
• Assist with the delivery of CSAT Improvement Plan
• Experience with (phone and in-person) interviews, candidate screening and evaluation
• Understands how to link training and quality with improving Customer Satisfaction and our CSAT scores
• Be able to support the Business Technology and Performance Manager in the creation of the new function and onboarding of new systems and technology to support with the improvements in customer complaints.
• Accountable for the mapping and upkeep of all processes related to Complaints and customer correspondence.
• Always ensure your own personal safety and that of others.
• Provide On Call cover for the CCC as required

You'll need to be:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of proven practical experience of front-line customer service and in the rail industry is highly desirable, coupled with some experience of working in a dynamic call centre environment.
• 2 - 3 Years' experience in the operation of multi-channel contact centers and a background in Complaints/Team management to a high level is essential
• A drive for customer service transformation and a desire to develop a continuous change culture
• Demonstrates the ability to take the initiative and ownership with a focus on constant improvement
• Excellent Written and Verbal Communication is essential as you will be required to respond to high profile complaints received by the SWR Managing Director and SWR Exec Team
• An ability to communicate effectively with Directors/Senior Managers and external stakeholders is essential, as you will be responsible for maintaining the reputation of SWR.
• Should possess the personality to create a change environment and drive to challenge and change practice where necessary.
• You will need to be naturally inquisitive and eager to analyse and investigate new and improved ways of delivering for our customers.
• A real team player, who can work under pressure, while also challenging the status-quo.
• Ability to motivate and engage your team to deliver outstanding results in a challenging industry
• Sound people management skills are essential and an ability to work with minimal direction is required.
• Exceptional Influencing skills
• Able to collaborate with different teams across SWR at all levels
• Attention to detail with excellent presentation skills
• Able to analyse and interrogate data and produce clear reports to internal and external stakeholders
• Experienced in managing resource to maximize efficiency to meet the departmental budget
• Excellent knowledge of current contact centre technologies and techniques
• Solid understanding of the organisation business operations and industry. Demonstrated business acumen

Working pattern

You will work an average of 37 hours across 5 days per week.

This role will have an on-call responsibility.

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees

Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)

75% discount on many other train operating companies

Full training and support with development

Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/