Who are we?
South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people.
We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England and the Isle of Wight.
Join our team and help us continue to improve quality of life by bringing people together to get the most out of life.
SWR is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London.
FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier.
FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.
About the job: As our customer base grows so does our customer's expectation of us.
To meet this challenge and exceed customer expectations, South Western Railway have introduced a cutting edge customer contact centre.
This unique service will be delivered 24/7 from our brand new facility in Basingstoke, where you will be surrounded by modern technology and have access to the latest network information.
Building on your existing customer facing skills, you will become an expert in brand new information and video technology, allowing you to provide next generation customer service.
This is an Innovative contact centre and South Western Railway are the only train company looking to the future in this way.
A business as busy as ours needs people who can be dynamic in responding to a wide range of customer enquiries so some details about us are: South Western Railway operates around 1,600 trains a day on a network encompassing routes through Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Devon, Somerset, and Greater London.
Over 4,500 employees help our customers make over half-a-million journeys every day to more than 200 stations on our network.
A modern railway requires a modern approach, and we are constantly looking for the brightest talent to help make the difference to our customers.
As a minimum, you will need to have: Strong customer service skills Proven experience in a call centre / contact centre environment Excellent verbal communication skills A willingness to learn new technologies Able to work within a team of like-minded people on a 24 hour 7 days per week roster About the location: The location for our Video Contact Centre is a modern and impressive office in Basingstoke Campus, a large and innovative training facility shared with Network Rail.
Working Pattern: An a verage of 37 hours per week, across varied shifts.
Monday to Saturday covering absence/annual leave, shifts can include: 0600-1400 0700-1500 0900-1700 1200-2000 1430-2230 2145-0615 Please note flexibility is key and due to the nature of this general purpose relief role you will need to be able to cover a variety of shifts at short notice.
The Reward: £20,971 per annum plus £451 regional allowance per annum Rising to: £23,475 per annum plus £451 regional allowance per annum (after 6 months, provided you have passed probation and a competency assessment) We also offer many other great benefits: Excellent pension scheme Free rail travel Free on-site parking First class training and development, that will inspire you to achieve Unique career opportunities On-site gym On-site canteen Applicants requiring a visa must have at least 6 months remaining at the time of appointment Interviews will be held week commencing 16th December.
We all belong at SWR.
FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.
We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability.
We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.
We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.
We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.
If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.
We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.
https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/ https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity