Customer Service Assistant

**This is a permanent, 37 hrs week position including weekends.**

**You will be based at Loughton Library however you will be asked to travel any Epping Forest area including Ongar.**

**Nondrivers are advised to explore the public transport options available to them.**

**You are advised to see what Essex libraries deliver as a service.**

**Job Purpose**:
The Customer Services Assistant will ensure a high level of customer service at Face to Face front-line locations across the County, working with a wide range of customers, volunteers, stakeholders and partners.

The role will welcome and interact with all customers and identify their individual needs, actively seeking to meet those needs to provide a quality service and enable customers to make full use of the facilities available.

As part of Customer Operations, the Face to Face Service provides a customer focused service through library locations across Essex. Face to Face Services also specifically includes Registration, Library and Coroners Service responsibilities.

The Customer Services Assistant role within the library service encompasses all this and more. Working at the heart of the community, you will enjoy daily interaction with a wide range of people and have the rewarding opportunity to make a real differenceto their lives.

**Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities**:

- Effective communication skills are a necessity together with good listening skills to ensure that you can deal with customer enquiries and queries appropriately.
- You will be required to carry out a range of clerical tasks and library routines, so the ability to learn and to work quickly and accurately under pressure is essential. You will need to be able to adapt and respond to a complex, ever-changing environment,taking opportunities to improve the way things are done, whilst considering best value for money for the customer and the organisation.
- Part of your role also includes being a key holder so you may be required at times to open or close the library, therefore being punctual and reliable is essential.
- Library work is varied and can involve working on your own, as well as working with teams both locally and across the county, so you need the ability to motivate yourself for both types of work.
- Above all, we are looking for people who genuinely enjoy operating in a customer-focused organisation.

**Knowledge, Skills and Experience**:

- Ability to work with a high level of speed and accuracy including experience of handling confidential and sensitive information.
- Experience of working with the public in a customer-orientated service. Understand the need to deliver a service that has our customers as the focus of activities.
- Ability to communicate in a manner which is easily understood and tailored to meet the needs of the audience.
- Experience in working in a busy customer facing environment and delivery high quality customer services across a large organisation.
- IT literate in MS office programmes and ability to learn to use in-house IT systems and processes quickly.
- Using own initiative and working effectively as part of a team to resolve problems and meet desired outcomes.
- Awareness of the services which public libraries, registration and coroners service currently offer to customers.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
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