Position Profile
3138 – Customer Contact Officer – Customer Relations
About Council
The Sunshine Coast Council is one of the largest local governments in Australia – serving a
community of more than 280,000 residents across an area of approximately 2,291 square kilometres.
Sunshine Coast Council aims to be a public sector leader and an employer of choice. We value the diversity
of skills and experience that people bring to the organisation and which they deploy in servicing the
community on a daily basis. Our employees’ passion and commitment to the region and their willingness to
go above and beyond, coupled with a great place to work, is what sets Sunshine Coast Council apart in local
government.
Our
Vision
To be Australia’s most sustainable region – vibrant, green, diverse.
Our
Purpose
To serve the community well and position the region for the future.
Branch
Role
Deliver customer focussed information and activities that keep the community informed, positively
enhance council’s reputation, clarify council’s role in the community and celebrate community life.
Position
Focus
To provide excellent customer service at first point of contact for internal and external customers
seeking advice, assistance or information regarding council.
Our Values
Everything council does is underpinned by its values which define the culture of the organisation and the
behaviours that shape our interaction with the community and each other.
Respect for each other in our working relationships
Being our best by continuing to learn, grow, challenge and change
Working as one team across the organisation and with our community
High standards in our conduct, service and governance
Service excellence for our customers and each other
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Position Summary
Position title
Customer Contact Officer
Position number
3138
Reports to
Customer Contact Supervisor
Position type
Permanent Full Time
Position classification
Award Based – Qld LG Officers Award – Level 3
Department
Community Services
Branch
Customer Relations
Team
Customer Contact
Employment area
Sunshine Coast
Team leadership/
supervision
Not Applicable
Delegations
As per Council’s Delegations of Authority relating to financial, administrative,
human resource management, Workplace Health & Safety (WH&S) and
environmental management responsibilities.
Date last reviewed
November 2011
Current Location Caloundra
Key Responsibilities

Provide accurate and timely information and assistance to customers regarding council operations, by
telephone, email and in person, using all available resources

Understand and apply council policies, procedures and guidelines, when responding to customer
requests.

Effectively and efficiently manage service requests, complaints, compliments, general enquiries and
transactions.

Provide front line counter customer services including receiving and processing applications, accept and
receipt monies, carry out daily balances and assist with preparation of bank deposits.

Maintain confidentiality of customer information at all times.

Provide one on one coaching and mentoring to Customer Contact Officers as required.

Provide procedural training to Customer Contact Officers as required.

Participate in the Contact Centre’s Monitoring Analysing and Coaching Program (MAC)

Contribute to the Contact Centre’s Key Performance indicators, achieving both unit and individual
performance targets and service level agreements.

Work effectively as a member of the Customer Contact team and ensuring the provision of quality
customer service at all times.

Ensuring personal safety and the safety of others by following council policies and procedures,
cooperating with all reasonable instructions and actively participating in all health & safety training and
consultation.

Such other relevant duties as required from time to time which would generally fall within the scope of
this position.
Key Requirements
Mandatory Requirements / Experience

Completion of year 12 studies

Certificate III in Customer Contact, Business Administration / Local Government, other relevant
disciplines or equivalent experience

Employees are required to wear the council uniform, where provided, and adhere to uniform guidelines
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Desirable Requirements / Experience

Customer contact centre experience

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Corporate Requirements

Commitment to the agreed Sunshine Coast Council values and behaviours

Compliance and adherence to Code of Conduct

Commitment to Zero Harm – Great Health

Participation in Performance Review and Planning

Availability to work across council work locations
Recruitment process
3138 – Customer Contact Officer
Vacancy number
V3434
Closing date
Contact person
Contact details
1 June 2014
Roxy Brown
07 3333 4444
What to include in your application
Your written application should include:

a covering letter detailing your suitability for the role in Council including your ability to fulfil the key
responsibilities and requirements of the position, including and details of any specific or mandatory
qualifications – 2-3 pages maximum; and

a current resume or curriculum vitae.
NOTE: A range of assessment methods may be used to assist selection, including psychometric testing and
competency based testing.
Submit your application online at www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
Both PDF and Word documents are accepted file formats, with a preference for PDF.
Additional information for applicants is available at www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
Sunshine Coast Council is an equal opportunity employer that values cultural and physical diversity.
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COVERING LETTER SAMPLE
Isabelle Gosling
42 Aragon Street
MOOLOOLA QLD 4557
1 June 2014
Roxy Brown
c/- Human Resources Branch
Sunshine Coast Council
Locked Bag 72
SUNSHINE COAST MAIL CENTRE LD 4560
Dear Ms Brown
RE: Vacancy 3434 – Customer Contact Officer
I am writing to express my interest in applying for the above position recently advertised on your
website. Please also find attached my resume.
I have over six years work experience in various customer service roles and am currently
employed as a senior member of the customer service team at BMR Hotel Group in Townsville. In
my current position, I am required to deal with clients at all levels both face-to-face and over the
telephone. I am also responsible for the supervision, mentoring and training of other members of
the customer service team.
I am relocating to the Sunshine Coast and am seeking full time employment in a customer service
position. I am interested in obtaining employment in local government and believe I have the
necessary qualifications, skills, motivation and commitment for the role.
In response to the key responsibilities for this role I submit the following information for your
consideration:
Provide accurate and timely information
As a Senior Customer Service Officer with BMR Hotel Group, I always like to show my initiative
and display my energy and dedication to achieving set tasks and corporate goals. I action all hotel
reservations accurately according to the Reservations Policy and use my initiative to ensure I am
familiar with changes to hotel packages, room types, rates, facilities and services. If I find an error
with room rates or accounts, I always rectify the error by accessing the rating codes within the
computerised reservation system. Whilst this is not part of my role, I take personal responsibility to
ensure problems are rectified immediately in order to achieve sales targets and business
objectives.
Understand and apply council policies
My work experience at GBR Council gave me invaluable experience with adhering to
organisational policies, processes and guidelines. During this role, I was asked to be the customer
service representative on a broader team that reviewed the GBR Council’s Customer Service
Charter. I provided input into a number of key strategies and initiatives to ensure customer
requests and complains were handled professionally and confidentially. Some of these initiatives
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were implemented across the council and resulted in increased customer satisfaction and greater
awareness amongst employees.
Effectively manage customer service and service requests
In the various roles I have undertaken, I have often had to provide advice to customers and other
employees. I have always provided honest and straightforward professional advice grounded by
my knowledge of the particular issue and/or by any further research I have conducted. This has
meant that I am able to justify the advice I give. I always aim to learn from the mistakes I make,
and seek the guidance of my managers and fellow employees on ways I can improve my skills and
abilities. A specific example is from my time at The Flight Company, where I made an error of
judgement and misinformed a customer. My supervisor assisted me in fixing my error. This
experience showed me the importance of double checking information before providing it to
customers, regardless of time pressures.
I am confident in my ability to build positive and productive relationships with a variety of people.
During my time with Townsville News, I made an effort to build rapport and develop positive
relationships with clients, including suppliers and sales representatives. For example, I always
made a conscious attempt to remember names of clients and suppliers, even if I did not see them
regularly. The result of this action was the noticeable increase in repeat business and compliments
received by the owner of the business.
During my time with The Flight Company, I was required to negotiate with clients on a regular
basis. This involved having a clear understanding of the situation or issue, the desired outcome
and being able to discuss the issue/s professionally and thoughtfully to assist with managing the
customers’ expectations. For example, a passenger who needed to be in Brisbane due to a family
emergency had booked a flight that was subsequently delayed by a day. The passenger was
inconsolable as his mother was dying. I managed to negotiate with the passenger and another
carrier by organising an alternative flight. A few weeks later, the passenger sent a thank you to my
company for my kindness, understanding and assistance.
Maintain confidentiality
Positions undertaken throughout my career have always required professionalism and probity. I
have always been required to adhere to strict codes of conduct, confidentiality, policies and
procedures.
Participate in coaching / mentoring
In my role as a Senior Customer Service Officer at BMR Hotel Group, it is essential for me to
present and display the company’s vision, goals and objectives. Being a senior member of the
team, I consciously set an example for excellent customer service and actively develop team
member skills through formal and informal coaching / mentoring approaches.
In my current position with BMR Hotel Group I supervise four employees. I am required to delegate
daily tasks, make myself available if needed and provide feedback and instruction. I also facilitate
in-house training and offer opportunities for growth and development through mentoring new and
existing team members. I am confident in providing feedback, advice and recognition to the team
and am comfortable to coach when under performance is evident. I recently praised the efforts of
one team member during a team management meeting. This was well received by the team
member and appreciated by higher level management.
Provide procedural training
I am currently completing a Certificate III in Customer Contact with Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE.
During one of my modules, I was required to complete a group assessment with the focus of
conducting a telemarketing campaign. I was selected to be the leader of my group and was
required to identify key capabilities of each team member and assign responsibilities accordingly.
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Through good planning, cooperation and open communication I was able to identify the resources
and capabilities needed for our team to complete the assessment within the allocated timeframe.
The assessment piece was used as an example to others undertaking the course and my team
gained a competency for the module and top comments from the lecturer.
Contribute to key performance indicators
Part of my role as Senior Customer Service Officer at BMR Hotel Group is to guide the Customer
Service Team to fulfil individual and group key performance indicator targets. I developed a plan to
improve customer service satisfaction ratings of hotel clients by designing and implementing a
training and induction program for new employees and refresher training of other members of the
customer service team. This initiative considered internal and broader external factors that were
influencing the performance of the customer service team. The plan was well supported in head
office, and was later translated and implemented across other locations within the BMR Hotel
Group.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely
Isabelle Gosling
M: 0412 343 3433
Email: isabelle.gosling@smail.com
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RESUME SAMPLE
Isabelle Gosling
PERSONAL
Address:
42 Aragon St
Mooloolaba Qld 4557
Mobile:
0412 3456 7890
Email:
isabellegosling@gmail.com
CAREER OBJECTIVE
My aim is to continue to develop my career in customer relations, using the knowledge, skills and
abilities I have gained in both my tertiary education and employment history. I am looking for a
position that offers challenges and the opportunity for professional development and continuous
learning.
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
2010 – Current
Certificate III Customer Contact
Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE – Townsville
2005 – 2007
Bachelor of Arts
James Cook University – Townsville
2000 – 2004
St Patricks College – Townsville
Overall Position (OP) Score of 13
Year 12 Certificate
TRAINING

Microsoft Office Proficiency Training – Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE (2011)

Performance Management – ABM Pty Ltd (2011)

Being an Effective Mentor – ABM Pty Ltd (2011)

Customer Service in Action – Customer Service Institute of Australia (2010)

Customer Service Intensive Training Program – BMR Hotel Group (2009)

Conflict Resolution – The Flight Company (2007)

Responsible Service of Alcohol – Far North Queensland Institute of TAFE (2007)

Cash Handling – Townsville News (2005)
WORK HISTORY
Jul 2009 – Current

Senior Customer Liaison Officer
BMR Hotel Group, Townsville
Duties:
Providing a high level of customer service to hotel guests, internal and
external clients seeking information, advice and assistance

Managing requests, tour bookings, complaints, general enquiries and
transactions

Facilitating in-house training to customer service employees
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
Employee supervision (4 employees)

Mentoring new members of the customer service team

Clerical and administrative duties
Mar 2008 – Jun 2009 Call Centre Operator
Happy Healthy Families Health Insurance Company, Townsville
Duties:
 First point of contact for customers seeking insurance policy information

Dealing with customer enquiries, requests and complaints over the phone

Processing insurance applications

Liaising between customers and insurance officers

General administration
Jan 2007 – Jun 2007 Customer Service Officer (Work Experience)
GBR Council, Townsville
Duties:
 Providing information and assistance to internal and external customers via
telephone, face-to-face and email contact

Responding to enquiries and complaints by referring to council policies,
procedures and guidelines

General administration
Sept 2006 – Dec 2007 Assistant Duty Manager
Sandwiches R Us, Townsville
Duties:
 Daily store operations including staff rostering, supervision and training

Supervising food preparation in accordance with food safety regulations

Cash handling and stock control

Inventory management including stocktakes, development of sales reports
and end of day processing

Banking and general administration
Dec 2004 – Sept 2006 Shift Supervisor
Townsville News, Townsville
Duties:
 Processing newspaper and magazine deliveries

Inventory management including checking and removing out-of-date stock
and stock reordering

Providing a high level of customer service to newsagency patrons and
suppliers

Supervision and training of employees (up to 4 employees per shift)

Ensuring sales targets are achieved and areas of opportunity to increase
sales identified

Ensuring premises and displays are well maintained

Dealing with customer enquiries and complaints

Cash handling, general administration and banking
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SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

High achievement and performance motivation

Well-organised with effective time management skills

Ability to analyse problems and develop and evaluate solutions

Capable of working as an individual or as part of a team

Able to lead and motivate others to perform

Have a strong honest work ethic and set high expectations

Goal oriented

Flexible and willing to learn new skills and competencies

Able to communicate effectively with people in various situations, both orally and in written
communication

Proven ability to interact and respond to customers in various business situations.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
 Current Member – Customer Service Institute of Australia

Current Collegiate Member – Customer Contact Management Association
INTERESTS
 Health and Fitness – regular exercise, health activities, and attending sports events

Ballet and the performing arts

Travel – exploring new places and cultures

Volunteering for organisations such as the Salvation Army, Lions, Rotary, and local community
groups.
PROFESSIONAL REFEREES
Tom Smith
Customer Service Manager
BMR Hotel Group
(07) 4712 3456
Johan Gillespie
Call Centre Manager
Happy Healthy Families Health Insurance
Company
(07) 4712 3456
Sylvia Austen
Customer Service Team Leader
The Flight Company
(07) 4012 3456
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