Job summary
This is a telephony based role with no face to face patient contact. You will be providing an efficient and effective switchboard operator service to all callers to the trust internal and external, you will deal with emergency situations, responding quickly and have the ability to follow procedures in an efficient and accurate manner, implementing emergency protocols when required. You will provide and constantly deliver a warm, courteous and prompt response to all telephone enquiries in an efficient and professional manner to our patients, staff and other stakeholders. You will be trained to deliver exceptional customer service to the highest standard and will be required to multi-skill across other services within the department as a secondary service.
We are looking for customer service oriented staff to work on our busy Hospital switchboard. We currently host all switchboard services to Guys and St Thomas Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The service is 24/7 and full time vacancies will work to a rolling rota with shift patterns between 08:00 (earliest start time) - 20:00 (latest finish time) covering Monday to Friday, weekends and bank holidays.
Previous Applicants that have applied in the last 6 months need not apply.
Main duties of the job
As a Switchboard Operator you will enjoy working directly with patients and/or customers to identify their needs and signpost them accordingly. You will recognize the importance of first class communication skills to achieve customer satisfaction. The primary objective is to provide:
- A positive experience for each patient and external contact - every call matters.
- Professional and high quality customer service to every caller.
- Effective and timely resolution of all queries received
- Support to patients and external clients, ensuring that they are welcomed to the Trust.
- To support the Trust in providing quality care to its patients.
As the first line of contact for callers the post holder is responsible for providing an efficient and responsive service as our department is the interface for the hospital and will often be the caller's first experience of the Trust.
You will need excellent communication skills and the ability to adapt your call handling methods to suit the variety of callers you will come in to contact with is paramount. You will often be engaging with distressed or vulnerable callers that will look for guidance and signposting.
We provide external organisations with Switchboard Services and out of hour's message handling and call answering services.
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
We are among the UK's busiest, most successful foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients including heart and lung, cancer and renal services as well as a full range of local hospital and community services for people in Lambeth and Southwark.
Our Trust values arePut patients first, Take pride in what we do,Respect others, Strive to be the best,Act withIntegrity
What We Offer
The NHS Pension Scheme - one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK. When you start working for the NHS you automatically become a member and you will get an excellent package of pension benefits.Interest free Season Ticket LoanLong Term Service AwardsSubsidised on-site nurseries and childcare vouchersA comprehensive staff health and well-being programme, '5 ways to a healthier YOU' Ride to work schemeEmployee assistance programmeFree stop smoking service
Job description
Job responsibilities
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Call Handling
- Operate as a Switchboard Operator using Trust technology; identifying and escalating operational issues appropriately
- Provide a consistently high quality of service to all customers, identifying their needs, offer advice and assisting them to access services provided by the Trust and those of our partners.
- Responsible for answering all enquiries pleasantly, efficiently and effectively with patients, staff and public on the telephone in line with departmental standards and deal with problems as they arise.
- Problem solve queries and ensure that each query has been effectively managed and responded to in a timely manner.
- To use advanced listening, probing and facilitative skills across a wide range of calls, some of which can be highly challenging due to emotive circumstances or caller aggression.
- Deal with a high volume of telephone enquiries and use your own initiative to prioritise workload.
- Pass on information accurately i.e. any changes to personal information requiring entry into the relevant information pages including patient databases
- Deal with any emergency calls as a priority adhering to processes and procedures
- Understand an operators role in Major, significant and critical incidents and to ensure communications cascades are completed in line with agreed procedures.
- Competently use a bleep and/or pager system to contact Trust staff as agreed in standard operating procedures
- To meet daily key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets.
- To work at any hospital site as required including Telephony managed service sites
- Understand the operation of key systems within the department relevant to the query.
- Participate in a rotating shift pattern; to include Public Holidays and weekends; in line with service requirements; unless otherwise agreed.
- Support Trust call centres out of hours providing a message handling service where appropriate and under direction of management.
Administration and System Management
- To record all Incidents and Requests with the appropriate information, prioritisation and classification, and updating of Incident data.
- Using in-house computer applications to facilitate the support services offered by Customer Services to the Trust:
- To co-operate with all others in the Customer Services Team to ensure that it works as an efficient, highly motivated and capable workforce whose prime interest is in helping the Trust staff care for its patients
- Maintain accurate data records of tasks undertaken as directed by a Team Leader
- Carry out any other administrative duties as may be allocated by the Team Leader /Supervisor/manager.
- Keep accurate records of tasks undertaken, ensuring escalation to a team leader / manager as necessary
Other duties
- Once appropriately skilled; support team leaders and managers by participating in buddy system to support and coach new staff in line with training plans and agreed Training and Development framework.
- Attend training sessions to ensure knowledge regarding department and trust systems is up to date and knowledge of associated policies and documentation are kept current.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement within your team to help increase customer satisfaction and more effective working processes.
- Adhere to departmental standards.
- Follow and adhere to Trust Policies and Processes
- Assist Trust call centres where appropriate with out of hours message handling
Job description
Job responsibilities
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Call Handling
- Operate as a Switchboard Operator using Trust technology; identifying and escalating operational issues appropriately
- Provide a consistently high quality of service to all customers, identifying their needs, offer advice and assisting them to access services provided by the Trust and those of our partners.
- Responsible for answering all enquiries pleasantly, efficiently and effectively with patients, staff and public on the telephone in line with departmental standards and deal with problems as they arise.
- Problem solve queries and ensure that each query has been effectively managed and responded to in a timely manner.
- To use advanced listening, probing and facilitative skills across a wide range of calls, some of which can be highly challenging due to emotive circumstances or caller aggression.
- Deal with a high volume of telephone enquiries and use your own initiative to prioritise workload.
- Pass on information accurately i.e. any changes to personal information requiring entry into the relevant information pages including patient databases
- Deal with any emergency calls as a priority adhering to processes and procedures
- Understand an operators role in Major, significant and critical incidents and to ensure communications cascades are completed in line with agreed procedures.
- Competently use a bleep and/or pager system to contact Trust staff as agreed in standard operating procedures
- To meet daily key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets.
- To work at any hospital site as required including Telephony managed service sites
- Understand the operation of key systems within the department relevant to the query.
- Participate in a rotating shift pattern; to include Public Holidays and weekends; in line with service requirements; unless otherwise agreed.
- Support Trust call centres out of hours providing a message handling service where appropriate and under direction of management.
Administration and System Management
- To record all Incidents and Requests with the appropriate information, prioritisation and classification, and updating of Incident data.
- Using in-house computer applications to facilitate the support services offered by Customer Services to the Trust:
- To co-operate with all others in the Customer Services Team to ensure that it works as an efficient, highly motivated and capable workforce whose prime interest is in helping the Trust staff care for its patients
- Maintain accurate data records of tasks undertaken as directed by a Team Leader
- Carry out any other administrative duties as may be allocated by the Team Leader /Supervisor/manager.
- Keep accurate records of tasks undertaken, ensuring escalation to a team leader / manager as necessary
Other duties
- Once appropriately skilled; support team leaders and managers by participating in buddy system to support and coach new staff in line with training plans and agreed Training and Development framework.
- Attend training sessions to ensure knowledge regarding department and trust systems is up to date and knowledge of associated policies and documentation are kept current.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement within your team to help increase customer satisfaction and more effective working processes.
- Adhere to departmental standards.
- Follow and adhere to Trust Policies and Processes
- Assist Trust call centres where appropriate with out of hours message handling
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE in English and mathematics or equivalent
- NVQ in Customer Service
Exper
Essential
- Significant experience of working within a contact centre or busy / large switchboard environment
- First class customer services skills and/or Call Centre Experience
Desirable
- Significant experience of dealing directly with the general public in a customer focused environment in a large organisation.
Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent verbal & written communications skills with the ability to communicate effectively by phone, in writing, and in person.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office packages competently and numerious applications/systems to support all service
- Ability to make effective decisions within established procedures and Capable of following procedures and systematic processes
- Able and willing to deal effectively with a diverse range of customer enquiries
- Take ownership for resolution of enquiries and complaints and resolve using own iniative
- Evidence of delivering a first class service to a diverse range of customers from initial point of contact
- Ability to cope with a high volume, pressured environment
- Effective team player
Desirable
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE in English and mathematics or equivalent
- NVQ in Customer Service
Exper
Essential
- Significant experience of working within a contact centre or busy / large switchboard environment
- First class customer services skills and/or Call Centre Experience
Desirable
- Significant experience of dealing directly with the general public in a customer focused environment in a large organisation.
Knowledge
Essential
- Excellent verbal & written communications skills with the ability to communicate effectively by phone, in writing, and in person.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office packages competently and numerious applications/systems to support all service
- Ability to make effective decisions within established procedures and Capable of following procedures and systematic processes
- Able and willing to deal effectively with a diverse range of customer enquiries
- Take ownership for resolution of enquiries and complaints and resolve using own iniative
- Evidence of delivering a first class service to a diverse range of customers from initial point of contact
- Ability to cope with a high volume, pressured environment
- Effective team player
Desirable
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
