Senior Complaints Handler

**Company description**:
**Role**:Senior Complaints Handler

**Location**: Tunbridge Wells/Working from home options

**Salary**: up to £30,000 per annum DOE

**Contract**:Full time, Permanent

You will be part of an ambitious but warm, friendly and outgoing team, where everyone works together and supports one another. It’s also one of the fastest growing areas in our business; starting out with a group of 4, the newly refurbished offices are now home to more than 200 employees in just 4 years and despite these unusual times we are anticipating continued growth into next year and beyond.

Previous Complaints experience is essential but don’t worry if you’ve not worked in a contact centre before, as we provide all the training and support you will need. What is important is your passion for providing excellent customer service.

**This is the job**:
The successful applicant will display a comprehensive knowledge of AA products and services and will have complaint handling skills covering the full range of complaint types that may arise in relation to all product and service areas, including complex cases.

**What will I be doing?**:

- Handling Media sensitive complaints which require in-depth analysis across multiple departments - Liaise with Public Relations to ensure that all queries from the media are dealt with appropriately and in the best interest of the AA, its members and customers.
- Handling Executive complaints - Minimise damage to the AA brand and avoid costs relating to adverse media exposure by retaining and resolving all written complaints, including serious and high-profile complaints within the organisation.
- Assist the complaints teams with their caseload where required, taking ownership of the complex complaint cases when appropriate.
- Take ownership of the FOS activity, ensuring case files are produced within 14 days of receipt, challenging decisions only where appropriate and necessary, ensuring management information is kept up to date, liaising with the FOS relationship manager and also the AAUICL Risk and Compliance Team
- Answers team member technical questions on claims process, complaint process and system issues
- Provides feedback on the team audit performance and coaching plans
- Responsible for new team member training
- Work with the senior management team to identify root causes for complaints and identify service improvements to address these.
- Supports Governance and Complaints Manager and performs management duties when absent or out of office

**What do I need?**:

- **Previous complaints handling experience is essential, without exception, along with knowledge of the FOS working practices and be Media savvy.**:

- Ability to influence and persuade effectively.
- Ability to converse clearly, good diction, and good standard of spoken English.
- Excellent standard of written English, including spelling and grammar. Ability to write clear, concise business letters.
- Ability to gather data logically while paying attention to detail. A methodical, diligent and robust approach displayed to ensure that all data is gathered, and cases are dealt with appropriately.
- Analytical, logical and sensible approach to problem solving.
- Displays ability to work as part of a team - flexible and willing to pitch in to help others.
- Understands the brand values, and the importance of protecting the brand and doing the right thing by the customer.

**Additional Information**:
As a valued employee of the AA, you’ll have access to a range of benefits, as well as learning and development opportunities including:

- Contributory pension scheme
- 33 days holiday
- 50% discount on AA membership in the first year and free thereafter
- Discounts on the wider AA products and services incl. car insurance, home insurance etc.
- Flexible working options
- Onsite parking
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
- Extra Mile - our Reward and Recognition scheme
- Discounted shopping vouchers, cinema vouchers, gym membership, days out, holidays and more
- Opportunities in our internal development programme for Emerging Talent

We also offer a range of fully supported programmes to help to progress your career with the AA whether that’s to be the best you can be in your current role, to growing new skills and taking on extra responsibilities to prepare you for a different position or promotion.

Good conduct matters at the AA. It's very important that you act with honesty & integrity, are respectful of others and have a consistent desire to do the right thing. Everyone at the AA lives these behaviours, so we are all able to support the delivery of good outcomes for our customers.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.