Senior Customer Service Officer

Position Purpose

The position's primary purpose is to be a customer advocate, guiding and inspiring them to get outdoors and enjoy the world.

You will lead the Customer Service team to support both retail and online customers by resolving a wide range of queries—from tracking orders and addressing store-related issues to advising on product care, such as jacket repairs. They ensure every enquiry is handled promptly and professionally, delivering a seamless and positive experience for every customer.

This role involves a balanced focus on supervising and coaching the Customer Service team in partnership with the Customer Service Centre (CSC) Manager. It also includes contributing to the development and refinement of business processes, procedures, and reporting frameworks to ensure the consistent delivery of agreed service levels across all designated contact channels and marketplaces.

Continuous improvement is a critical component of this role, driving business change through insights gained from customer experience and feedback to enhance overall satisfaction. The role also involves ensuring optimal daily scheduling of work via our Workforce Management (WFM) and Contact Centre systems, in collaboration with team members. Additionally, it includes analysing team performance metrics on a day-to-day basis and reporting key insights to the Customer Service Centre (CSC) Manager to support informed decision-making and service excellence.

You will use your high level of communication skills to deal with contacts, establishing issues and arriving at satisfactory outcomes for our customers. You will be the point of escalation for your team and will be required to routinely make customer impacting decisions daily, as part of the management team.

Role Accountabilities
Decision Making Authority /Financial Accountability:

• Ensure team members are adhering to policy/guidelines and maintaining SOP's.
• Advise team members, offer support and guidance as called upon.
• First point of escalation for customer complaints.
• Manage fraud risk, review chargebacks from financial institutions and payments
  disputes

Accountability: Leadership

You will help recruit, develop, motivate, reward, retain, and lead a high performing Customer Service workforce that:

• Delivers the CSC strategy, tactics, and plans as part of the wider Digital team.
• Models and promotes the desired Kathmandu culture and values within the team.
• Delivers on our customer-centric promise to stakeholders and customers.
• Exhibits innovative approaches where required whilst delivering customer-centric outcomes.

Accountability: Customer Service

You will contribute as a Team Member to the delivery of excellent customer service and sales results, to ensure:

• All customers are dealt with professionally and courteously.
• All customer contacts are responded to promptly.
• Establishment of customer's needs and recommendation of suitable products and add-ons with aligned features and benefits.
• All appropriate customers are made aware of our loyalty programme and benefits.
  
• Customers are aware of current promotions and marketing.
• Customers are aware of out of stocks or delays and an appropriate solution is reached.
• On-going support for internal and external customer enquiries. Follow up with appropriate contacts internally for support, when you do not know the answer yourself.
• Customer complaints are dealt with in a professional manner and ensure feedback is given to the appropriate department in a timely manner.
• Contacts/issues are escalated as appropriate.

Accountability: Systems and Procedures
You will adhere to all processes and procedures ensuring:

• All systems can be accessed as required.
• Actively logged in to manage contacts on demand and tagged/categorised on completion.
  
• Correct procedures are always followed.
• Feedback is provided to Manager if current procedures require clarification or
  updating. 
• Notes are kept on customer order records where possible
• Comprehensive records of all transactions are kept.
  
• Order risk assessment processes are carried out and issues are identified with systems or processes that require attention.
• Any issues and/or concerns are escalated to the CSC Manager.

Accountability: Security
You will adhere to all security processes and procedures ensuring:

• A financial risk assessment process is carried out for orders flagged as unusual; and assess the validity of the order and/or the customer.
• You are always alert to credit card fraud and procedures are followed for mitigating risk by seeking further advice
• Any items of value belonging to KMD Brands are always kept secure.
  
• Feedback to CSC Manager is provided if current procedures require clarification or updating.
• Adherence to the Company's confidentiality agreement.
• Orders identified as a potential security risk to the Company are escalated to the
  CSC Manager.

Accountability: Training and Development
You will lead and develop your area of expertise (e.g. product, process, system, etc.) in
collaboration with the CSC Manager and team SME's to ensure:

• All team members are up to date with and complete assigned training modules.
• Understanding, articulation, and implementation of best practices related to the area of expertise.
• Feedback and coaching are provided to team members on the area of expertise.
• Training is undertaken as required by the CSC Manager.
  

Essential Qualities

• High attention to detail, strong computer skills, excellent communication and high energy levels.
• Highly proficient with Microsoft 365 suite and cloud-based systems/apps.
• Conflict resolution, problem solving and interpersonal skills and an ability to look at the "big picture:
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills (including spelling)
  
• Ability to perform well in a self-directed and fast-paced environment, work well under pressure; enthusiastic, self-motivated with a "can do" attitude.
• Use AI capabilities to help enhance agent productivity, customer sentiment and
  satisfaction.

Qualification & Experience Requirements

• Experience in a fast-paced customer contact environment, using multi-media channels, preferably retail, planning and rostering team member duties.
  
• Experience with internet-based ordering, customer management tools and browser-based applications
• Familiar or interested in outdoor pursuits, travel and/or adventure.
  
• Experience in coaching and inducting team members to train and develop their Customer Service skills and technical knowledge.