Complaints Specialist

Main Purpose of the Role
Our goal is to deliver a first-class service to our customers throughout the customer journey. The Operations Team is responsible for dealing with customers effectively and efficiently, managing expectations appropriately, and achieving positive customer outcomes. The Complaints Specialist plays a critical role in investigating, resolving, and reporting on customer complaints, ensuring that all cases are handled fairly, consistently, and in line with company procedures and regulatory requirements. The role requires the individual to spend the majority of their time performing specialist complaints activity, while also supporting the wider Operations Team by completing Customer Services Representative duties for part of their working time, helping to ensure service continuity and a seamless customer experience.

Key Responsibilities
The Complaints Specialist will investigate customer complaints thoroughly, gathering information from customers, internal teams, suppliers, and systems to establish root cause. They will communicate with customers via phone, email, and written correspondence in a calm, empathetic, and professional manner, resolve complaints by identifying fair, proportionate, and compliant outcomes in line with company procedures and regulatory expectations, including Treating Customers Fairly principles, and manage complaints within required timescales while keeping customers informed throughout the process. The role requires accurate documentation of all complaint activity, decisions, and outcomes, maintaining complete and confidential records. The Complaints Specialist will liaise with internal stakeholders, including senior management and operational teams, and engage with external bodies such as the Energy Ombudsman Service where required. They will review and respond to customer feedback received through online review platforms including Trustpilot and Google Reviews, produce insight and reporting on complaint trends, root causes, and potential process gaps, and identify opportunities for service, process, product, or training improvements, supporting implementation where appropriate.

In addition, the role includes Customer Services responsibilities, supporting the wider team by handling customer and client enquiries across phone, email, webchat, and social media channels in a professional and timely manner. This includes assisting customers with account queries, appointments, and general service requests, ensuring ownership from start to finish, supporting first-time resolution wherever possible, and escalating issues appropriately when required. When acting in a customer service capacity, the Complaints Specialist will log and escalate complaints in line with current policy and timescales, promote digital self-service options and new functionality to improve the overall customer experience, manage workloads effectively to meet KPIs and ensure accuracy and timeliness, and complete additional operational support activities as required in a flexible environment where priorities can change frequently.

Key Skills and Behaviours Required
The role requires excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage confidently with customers, clients, engineers, and internal stakeholders. A strong customer focus is essential, with the ability to balance empathy, fairness, and business requirements. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, particularly when dealing with complex or sensitive situations, along with resilience, patience, and professionalism when handling upset or dissatisfied customers. Attention to detail and accuracy in documentation and reporting are critical, as is the ability to work independently while contributing positively as part of a collaborative team. Proficiency in CRM systems, databases, Microsoft Office, and the ability to navigate and respond via social media platforms are also required.

Knowledge, Training, and Experience
Previous experience in customer service or contact centre environments is essential, along with in-depth working knowledge of Switch2 Operations Procedures. An understanding of relevant regulatory frameworks and legislation, including data protection and complaint handling guidelines, is required. The role requires education to GCSE ‘O’ level standard or NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Customer Service or Administration, or equivalent experience.