Local Government customer services officerBill Bates is a customer services officer with Liverpool City Council. He is the first point of contact that many people have with the council, so it is part of his job to make a good first impression. Can you describe your role? I work in a one-stop shop where I deal with all kinds of enquiries from the local community about council services. I help with answering problems in all areas including social services, housing, planning and benefits. What happens when a customer comes to your desk? I log into the ‘meet and greet’ system on my computer which tells me the name and address of the next customer, how long they have been waiting, and gives a brief description of their enquiry. All visits to the shop have to log in details of their enquiry first with reception. The aim is to solve all their problems about council-related issues at one visit. I deal with enquiries on subjects as wide ranging as student loans, school means and uniform grants, blocked drains, applications for council housing and electoral registration. However, about two thirds of the enquiries are about council tax and housing benefits. How do you help people? That depends on the problem. For those I cannot answer, I make a record of the work that needs doing and send it to the appropriate department to deal with. I help people to complete application forms, for example, to claim housing benefits. Very often, people come to the one-stop shop because they don’t understand letters that have been sent to them by the council as English is not their first language. In that case, I use a telephone translation service and we have a three-way conversation using a speakerphone in a private room. What hours do you work? Monday to Wednesday I work from 8 am to 5.30 pm and Thursday 9 am to 7.30 pm. I also work one Saturday in eight. What is your office like? We work in a large open-plan room that is light and well decorated, with attractive pictures of Liverpool on the walls. There are small groups of seats and tables for customers to use while they are waiting to be seen. I wear a uniform of a suit, shirt and tie, with a Liverpool City Council logo on the suit pockets. Do you do a lot of training? I went on a thirteen-week intensive training course, when I first started work. I go on other training courses as needed and I’m hoping to start working towards my NVQ Level 3 or NVQ Level 4 in Customer Service in the near future.
What skills do you need? You must be patient with good listening skills. Good communication skills are necessary to explain complicated council documents to customers. You should be prepared to deal with people from many different backgrounds and make each customer feel that their query really matters. What do you like most about your work? I feel as though I am making a difference to people’s lives. It’s great to see them leave my desk smiling when I have helped them to sort out a problem. Related jobs Civil Service junior manager Salary information - £ New entrants may start at around £11,000 although graduates can start from around £13,000. Senior officers with particular skills can earn more than £19,000. Getting in
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