Engaging effectively with internal and external customers
This competency applies to AA (Administrative Assistant), AO (Administratiive Officer), EO (Executive Officer), HEO (Higher Executive Officer) and SEO (Senior Executive Officer) careers.
There are three levels for this competency. The job description will tell you which levels apply to that job. Each competency level builds on the previous one:
- if the job description specifies Level 2, you will need to demonstrate evidence of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for both Levels 1 and 2
- if the job description specifies Level 3, you will need to demonstrate evidence of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for Levels 1, 2 and 3.
Level 1 – Delivering customer service
Clarifying customer requirements and expectations
- Treat all customers fairly and equally showing consideration and understanding of their needs
- Actively engage with customers to understand fully the customer circumstances and requirements by asking open questions and actively listening
- Use appropriate communication techniques to make sure the customer understands what the likely result will be
Delivering services to the customer
- Take actions which progress customer enquiries to the next stage in a timely manner
- Provide information and advice to enable customers to help themselves
- Use the knowledge of my business area, information and systems, and my skills to deliver the best possible service
- Respond appropriately to diverse customer needs in line with DWP diversity policies and equality legislation
Providing better services to the customer
- Take action to sort out straightforward customer complaints
- Seek and act on customer feedback
Level 2 – Promoting customer service
Supporting and enabling the team
- Make efforts to ensure that my team have the skills to meet customer service requirements, including a working knowledge and understanding of relevant accessibility factors
- Ensure team members are aware of diversity issues and how they may impact on relationships with customers
- Identify and eliminate barriers to delivering effective customer service
Ensuring delivery of enhanced customer service
- Resolve complex or difficult customer feedback and/or complaints quickly and satisfactorily, drawing on experts when required
- Use diversity management information to support and address key areas for customer service improvements
- Promote outstanding customer service by individuals as examples for others to follow
- Promote new and flexible ways of delivering better services
- Share knowledge of other DWP business areas with my team/colleagues to improve their customer service
Level 3 – Designing and improving service
Promoting the development of enhanced customer services
- Take action to resolve poor quality services
- Support the redefinition of the way services are delivered using learning from customer complaints and feedback
- Promote the sharing of good practices across organisational boundaries within DWP to support customer services
Support the designing of new service ideas
- Support the work to shape services to meet customers’ future needs, based on internal and external trends
- Implement and manage systems for responding to diversity issues amongst customers
- Create working conditions where people and processes enable the business to deliver a high quality service
- Support new ways of exploiting the potential of technology to improve customer service
Other behavioural competencies for Administrative Assistant (AA) to Senior Executive Officer (SEO) careers: