Customer Improvement Specialist

We’re First Central Insurance & Technology Group (First Central for short), an innovative, market-leading insurance company. We protect the things customers love so they can get on with what matters to them in life. 

Data drives us. It fuels our outstanding distribution, finance, technology and legal services. Our underwriting skills are built on data expertise; it creates the insights we need to give the right cover to the right customers at the right price. But, it’s the people inside and outside our business that power us. They make us stand out, help us succeed. We’re ambitious. We’re growing. We’ve won awards.  

Ready to make a difference? Join our friendly Customer Improvement as a Customer Improvement Specialist, you’ll support both customers and First Central stakeholders, ensuring our operations run smoothly.

We offer both part-time (3 days) and full-time (5 days) options—so you can choose what suits you best! Just highlight on your CV or cover letter what's best for you!

You’ll tackle important issues across new business, renewals, cancellations, and premium finance, using your knowledge of the Focus platform to analyse, suggest, and implement improvements. Collaborating with Product Owners, you’ll help drive positive changes for the team.

You’ll also review new customer-facing processes, identify potential risks, and manage escalations to keep our service top-notch. Join us to make an impact and help deliver an outstanding customer experience!

Core skills we’re looking for to succeed in the role:

• Communication: Keep all stakeholders informed and engaged throughout any improvement process changes
• Research: Gathering data and information from various sources to understand a topic or problem better
• Data analysis: Interpreting data to identify patterns, trends, and insights is key
• Root cause analysis: You’ll identify the underlying causes of problems to prevent recurrence

So, if you' re looking for a flexible role within a commutable distance to Haywards Heath, West Sussex? As a Customer Improvement Specialist, you’ll kick off with a couple of weeks in the office for training and support. After that, we’ll switch to a hybrid setup—2 to 3 days in the office (pro rata for part time colleagues) and the rest working from home. Prefer to be in the office more often? That works for us too!

Join a friendly team that’s all about supporting our customers and stakeholders while keeping a great work-life balance.

What’s involved:

• Complete essential monthly/weekly/daily production monitoring through control checks across required core processes and where necessary, help address issues by taking appropriate action. Add recommendations to the end of month control reporting 
• Identify operational risks and implement the correct post live checking control
• Complete business user acceptance testing as required and resolution of live production issues; track and ensure that the relevant fixes are applied. 
• Practice continuous improvement principles within the team and wider business, using data to identify solutions and ensuring outcomes are documented in line with the end-to end process and customer requirements.
• Ensure departmental monthly management reporting is completed in a timely manner with recommendations for change
• Ensure all customer impacts are clearly communicated and tailored to the Contact Centre, using feedback tools such as the Agent Feedback tool and eGain.
• Develop your understanding of exception reporting within the Premium Finance Controls (BACS) and Renewals process, to identify issues. Take ownership and work with the wider Customer Management team to create awareness of daily repetitive issues and propose changes to the relevant Product Owner for consideration. 
• Review and action all daybooks related to the BACS and Renewals processes.
• Actively engage in cross training to gain a wider understanding of the Chargeback, Direct Debit Indemnity and BAC’s processes to ensure we are adhering to First Central and Barclays SLA’s and procedures.
• Work collaboratively within the team to ensure that all refunds are validated and processed within SLA and in accordance with the AML policy. Identify issues and recommend improvement opportunities. Develop your understanding of the accounting entries and how they impact Finance and the customer
• Respond to enquiries and maintain all email inboxes within agreed SLAs, by applying your knowledge of the Focus Accounting platform to resolve incorrect balances within Focus and identify any software defects, ensuring impacts are escalated. Respond to the internal customer in a timely manner, ensuring your actions are captured in the noting
• Undertake data analysis, identify process improvements and assess change impacts
• Ensure issues are communicated clearly and confidently to stakeholders (attending meetings as necessary), supported by data analysis and follow the escalation processes as appropriate
• Comply with the requirements, and act in accordance with, the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times
• Ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times

Experience & knowledge:

• Good understanding of the Focus platform (Focus Agent, Finance and Accounting) and the operational functions within the business
• Experience of working within a continuous improvement environment 
• Good interpersonal communication skills and experience in dealing with customers
• Experience of managing competing priorities and deadlines 
• An understanding of how to resolve live defects, their impact on the customer and the operational business risk posed
• An awareness of working within the Operation Excellence Framework
• Experience of data gathering and analysis (desirable)
• Experience of process definition and mapping (desirable)
• An awareness of managing and implementing change and an awareness of operational first line risk management (desirable)
•  Experience of working within a customer improvement environment (desirable)

Skills & qualifications:

• Good communication skills, both verbal and written
• Good time management and organisation skills
• Good knowledge of Microsoft applications, particularly Excel and Visio
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently and own work items and deliverables
• Qualified to Yellow belt Lean or Six Sigma (desirable)

Behaviours:

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic
• An organised, agile and proactive approach
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business
• A willingness to develop skills and knowledge around operational excellence procedures and continuous improvement methodology

What can we do for you?

People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full here. 

Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.