Apprentice - Customer Relations

Earn while you learn with our award winning training team  

This is an exciting apprenticeship opportunity within our Customer Relations team. The Customer Relations Department is dedicated to resolving all customer complaints effectively and empathetically, ensuring customers maintain a positive view of Hays Travel. Our goal is to encourage customers to continue booking with us and recommending our services to others.

We handle sensitive issues, so a mature and understanding attitude is essential. However, this is also a fun and collaborative team where every day brings new challenges and opportunities to grow. It’s an ideal role for someone who can think creatively, solve problems, and enjoys working with others to overcome obstacles.

Role Summary

The Customer Relations Department is here to resolve all customer complaints satisfactorily, ensuring customers continue to have a positive opinion of Hays Travel. We also aim to ensure customers would continue to book with us and recommend our services to others.

Key Responsibilities:

• Listening actively and empathetically to customers, ensuring their concerns are fully understood.
• Problem-solving and negotiating to resolve complaints across various company divisions.
• Recording, maintaining, and updating documentation related to complaints in compliance with GDPR.
• Keeping clients informed about the progress of their complaints through both verbal and written communication.
• Coordinating with Tour Operators regarding complaints and queries in line with ABTA’s Code of Conduct.
• Ensuring timely receipt of documentation from relevant parties.
• Liaising with ABTA and Legal Representatives
• Generating relevant reports for management
• Adhering to Customer Excellence Standards.

Competencies Required

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills to find effective solutions.
• Exceptional listening and communication skills to build trust and rapport with customers.
• Collaboration skills, working effectively as part of a dynamic and vibrant team.
• Empathy and understanding to handle sensitive issues with care and maturity.
• Ability to prioritise and organise workloads effectively.
• A clear and effective communicator with the ability to liaise with internal and external customers.
• Ability to build relationships with customers, providing exceptional service at all times.
• Negotiation skills to achieve satisfactory outcomes for all parties.
• An enthusiastic and positive approach to learning and progression within the company.

Technical Skills Required

• Knowledge of computer systems i.e. Microsoft Word and Excel with the ability to utilise its key functionalities
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy skills
• File management skills
• Web Navigation Skills

Qualifications/Experience required

• English & Maths grade 4 or above

General

• To be committed and dedicated to completing the customer service Apprenticeship programme within the 12 month timescale, attending all relevant training workshops
• To undertake any other duties that may fall into the job criteria
• To conform with all company policies and procedures including Health and Safety
• To treat all employees, customer and suppliers with dignity and respect

About Hays Travel

As the UK’s largest independent travel agency, Hays Travel specialise in providing good value, quality holidays alongside excellent customer service. We work with all leading suppliers and can package holidays that include hotels, flights, cruises, tours, attraction tickets, and more. We have over 470 Branches throughout the UK and our Head Office based in Sunderland, is home to tour operator teams, finance, marketing, people/HR and IT, plus many more. We have been operating since 1980, and continue to grow each year.

Our values

Our SMILE values are embedded into our Company and ensures our teams work strongly together. You and all of our colleagues will ensure that the Hays Travel values are demonstrated at all times.

• Supportive
• Motivational
• Innovative
• Loyal
• Excellent

What it’s like to work for us?

Whichever location or department you work in, our people are always at the heart of everything we do. We offer a range of training programmes to help you progress personally and professionally, as we know the benefits of promoting and rewarding our hardworking colleagues are extremely important.

This job description is not intended as an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of the post but simply reflects the key areas involved

Hays Travel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all colleagues. As an accredited employer provider of apprenticeships, we undertake basic checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to ensure the safety of our apprentices for relevant roles.