Customer service advisor Review

My role at Santander is to answer any queries that any customers may have regarding their bank account. This could be by transferring money, sending out a chequebook, blocking a debit card if the customer has lost it or to simply give a balance. I can also provide information on the customers account such as when payments have left and what funds have been put in.

The skills I have learnt on the apprenticeship so far is mainly based on communication skills, this is based on knowing your customer. Another skill I have learnt is to have empathy for the customers, this could include in putting yourself into their shoes to understand how they are feeling and figure out what needs to be done to solve the problem.

So far I have enjoyed the programme and have enjoyed meeting new people and learning new skills. I have also learnt a lot about banking in general which helps a lot in everyday life and helps to manage my own bank account. I have also enjoyed coming into work and learning new things on a daily basis.

The programme with Santander is good and well structured by classroom training and call listening to ensure that you fully understand the job role you are entering, then you will move onto grad bay where you take calls with mentors to give you support and the you go on your own. Overall, the programme is well structured however it was for a long period of time which could be improved.

My employer (Tony) is very supportive and always looks for ways to better me and the other colleagues in his team. He does this by listening to our calls with/without us and providing feedback that we can all work on in order to improve on our calls. He also gives us good feedback and tells us when we are doing things right.

My training provider (zuleka) was very supportive throughout our training period. She always looked for ways to help us and organised activities that we can do in order to fully understand certain tasks. She was also always there if we had any questions about anything or was unsure about certain things.

After training with zuleka I have developed a lot of skills that I can apply in my job role. She helped develop my confidence and pushed me to do better in order to be the best I can be. She also taught me a lot about the job I am now doing which meant I already knew most things when coming out of training.

Santander prepares social activities for teams to take part in to raise money for different charities. They also do 'dress down' days where you can wear your own clothes to work with a small donation (also to charity) - we also have a charity of the year which is Alzheimer society.

Yes

I would recommend Santander to a friend as it is a great and happy place to work. Everybody is so friendly and helpful and you learn so many skills that apply to your job role and your personal life. The pay is good and the hours are flexible which can be beneficial as you can have a personal life on the outside of work.

The tips I would give to somebody applying for a job at Santander would be to show all the right behaviours - Speak up, Talk straight, Show respect, Bring passion, Actively collaborate, Keep promises, Truly listen, Embrace change and Give support. By showing the right behaviours you will come far in Santander and have a great journey here.