Irish Water - Customer Service & Vendor Performance Manager

The Role:

The Customer Service Manager is responsible for the management of all customer contact operations and customer facing employees, including registration, complaints management, customer administration and vendor management. Reporting directly to the Head of Customer Operations for Irish Water, they will have a critical accountability in running an effective Customer Contact centre and ensuring that customer service is delivered to the highest possible standard.  

Location: Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland On-site. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Manage teams and services for all direct inbound and outbound customer contact for domestic and non-domestic customers
  • Manage teams and track performance levels regarding all inbound contact types including operational issues, registration, billing, connections and complaints
  • Work proactively with Operations and Asset Management to resolve operational issues
  • Manage and continually seek to improve the end-to-end customer complaints capability within Irish Water, including the processes around complaint classification and escalation
  • Define and report on specific KPIs for each customer contact function (channel management, complaints and customer contact)
  • Define and own reporting requirements for Customer service performance levels to the Head of Customer Operations and the wider Irish Water business
  • Scope, develop and take ownership of customer channels/platforms for customer contact (e.g. website, telephony, social media) to support all customer contacts
  • Oversee self-serve functionality across all channel platforms incl. IVR & web and channel capacity and integration
  • Act as process owner for all customer service (contact, channel management, complaints) processes
  • Work with the Customer Experience team to proactively and regularly monitor and analyse customer satisfaction through available escalation/complaint tools and survey results, identify operational improvement opportunities, create business case recommendations and implement approved changes
  • Define and implement KPIs to ensure quality and consistent performance of the Customer service team (e.g. complaints resolution target of >80%)
  • Plan and manage the Customer Service budget (€10-15m per annum) and oversee contact centre forecasting and reporting activities
  • Take responsibility Manage the contractual relationship with the contact centre vendor including contract administration
  • Ensure all contractual amendments, drawdowns and expenditure is completed in line with procurement procedures

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

  • Third level qualification
  • Minimum of 7 years relevant experience and knowledge of call centre business model
  • Experience in Customer Service operations within Utilities, telecoms or Financial Services high desirable
  • Previous experience with initiating and maintaining strategic relationships both internally and externally, using strong influencing skills to achieve business goals
  • Provide coaching in the development of the technical skills and abilities in others
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, coupled with the ability to generate innovative technical solutions as required
  • A good understanding of business operations and the commercial viability and impact of technical / professional decisions on the performance of the organisation
  • Driver of high standards for individual, team and organisational accomplishment and delivering desired results
  • Proven track record with dealing with complex issues, proactively and in a timely fashion, along with the ability to communicate complex information to others
  • Good knowledge of customer /Utility regulatory bodies in Ireland
  • Experience in line management and guiding teams to deliver successful outputs

Applications, including current Curriculum Vitae, should be emailed to the following address stating the job title and reference number in the subject line of your email: careers@water.ie. The closing date for receipt of applications for this vacancy is 1st February 2022. Please note that applications submitted after this closing date will not be accepted.

We are an equal opportunity employer and through our recruitment process we welcome and encourage applications from interested and suitably qualified individuals regardless of gender, age, racial or ethnic origin, membership of the traveller community, religion or beliefs, family or civil status, sexual orientation/gender identity or disability.