Collections Advisor (Vulnerable customers)

Job description

About Barclays


Barclays is a transatlantic consumer, corporate and investment bank offering products and services across personal, corporate and investment banking, credit cards and wealth management, with a strong presence in our two home markets of the UK and the US.

With over 325 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 40 countries and employs approximately 130,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide . Please visit our website here for more information.

About The Specialist Support Team

The specialist support team is responsible for managing customers in vulnerable situations. Our customers' circumstances can be described as ‘life changing'. The team are highly skilled and trained to manage a variation of circumstances from ill health to mental capacity whilst empowered to agree tailored solutions for our customers, providing support and peace of mind.

Overall purpose of role

· Support vulnerable customers who require tailored solutions due to personal circumstances while protecting the reputation of Barclays by getting things right first time every time & giving the customer piece of mind.
· Provide excellent customer service on behalf of Barclaycard.
· Provide high quality responses to all complex referrals to customers & colleagues.
· Agent has an ability to provide constructive feedback and mentor front-line colleagues
· Deliver exceptional customer experience via a variety of media, (eg. Voice, letter, SMS, chat, on-line etc.) to improve the effectiveness of customer engagement.
· Ability to carry out complex income & expenditure discussions & recognising when to refer for external support.
· Working as an individual and part of a team to ensure continuous improvement and best practice.

Key Accountabilities

Inbound / Outbound/Written Customer Contact

· To understand and identify customer needs in order to tailor solutions, while ensuring the right outcome for the customer and the bank at first point of contact for accounts up to £100,000.00.
· Ensure vulnerable customers are identified and supported appropriately.
· Effectively reassure vulnerable customers that Barclaycard do not stigmatise or discriminate.
· Ability to role model exemplary call control and effectively deal with emotions, even in the most extreme of circumstances such as handling suicide calls.
· Displays awareness of a wide range of support available for both customers and colleagues.
· Understand and utilise different tools and techniques such as TEXAS, CARERS, ACCESS and IDEA when supporting our vulnerable customers.
· Ability to demonstrate using the 'Mental Capacity Test' to assess customer capacity.
· Demonstrate an awareness of their increased limits of authority.
· Understand and identify emotional manipulation and can effectively deal with this, escalating where appropriate.
· Adhere to all Company Policies and Procedures including limits of authority.
· Understand and listen to customer concerns. Correctly identify customer complaints to resolve first time ensuring complaint escalation where appropriate.
· Correct use of internal systems to ensure that a customer's records are accurately maintained and are up to date.
· Making Barclays a great place to work by embracing a culture of change; identifying non value adding tasks, through Lean methodology and best practice.
· Undertake a variety of contact roles, when required, based on customer preference, such as; voice, letter, digital contact (e.g. SMS, video chat, on-line chat etc.), etc.
· Proactively, identify fraudulent accounts understanding the complexities of bankruptcy IVA and Trust deed regulations and laws.
· Lead by example by becoming a role model for all colleagues, demonstrating the Barclays Values and contributing to business performance via personal objectives aligned to the 5 C's.

Person Specification

· A background in customer service and disputes would be an advantage.
· High level of quality awareness.
· Excellent one to one communication skills.
· Ability to breakdown complex issues.
· Knowledge of complaint handling procedures, regulatory and risk requirements.
· Competent letter writing skills.
· Experience in handling customers in vulnerable situations.
· Displays initiative.
· Basic level of excel required.
· Industry awareness.
· Passionate about providing outstanding customer service.
· Highly Motivated.
· Team Player – Strives to work collaboratively across all boundaries.


Risk and Control Objective

Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Barclays Policies and Standards

The Benefits: Our customers deserve the best. The same goes for our employees. That's why at Barclays you'll receive a range of benefits that include a competitive salary and all the tools, technology and support you need to succeed.

Our Culture: Everything we do is shaped by the five values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship. The values inform the foundations of our relationships with customers and clients, but they also shape how we measure and reward the performance of our employees. Simply put, success is not just about what you achieve, but about how you achieve it.

Dynamic working gives everyone at Barclays the opportunity to integrate professional and personal lives, if you have a need for flexibility then please discuss this with the hiring manager.

Barclays is an equal opportunity employer and are opposed to discrimination on any grounds. For more detailed information, please visit our dedicated Diversity and Inclusion site here .