Customer Service Advisor Review

So far, my brand new journey as a customer service advisor has taught me many new lessons which school had never taught me. At first, getting used to the expectations of the job role was something I was finding quite difficult. However, with the amazing support provided by Santander, talking to complete strangers on a daily basis about their finances is almost like second nature to me. The most amazing aspect is that I have got much more to learn about this job role and my customer service skills are only going to improve.

This job has taught me an abundance of new skills which I have gained naturally over the duration of the apprenticeship. Firstly, I have significantly improved on my time-management skills due to having set times for breaks and lunch which is a target of mine (set by managers) to adhere to. Another set of skill (which is practically the main aspect of my call) that I have improved on exponentially are my linguistic skills. Using specific words to make the call shorter and simpler for the customer is my main goal and I am continuously improving on this.

In my opinion, I enjoy the apprenticeship to the extent that I have the friendliest people who I can talk to and helping out people with their finances. In terms of the hours that I do, it can be hard at times but with the positive and welcoming environment that Santander provides, spending my whole day here is not really much of an issue.

In terms of the structure of the programme, I believe that it is set out in the best way possible. This is because we started off in a classroom where we would learn what the job role requires and all of the processes that are involved. Once the classroom phase had ended, we were able to do the job while being closely mentored by colleagues who are already well-versed in the job role and can provide any support that we need. Then we arrive to where I am now, doing the job individually and awaiting future training late in the year which allows me to complete certain processes which I am not currently trained in.

Personally, I believe that I receive the best support possible by Santander. This is because I am always supported in every way possible, when I am on the job and also with how I am doing it. If I am ever in doubt with what I am doing or if I believe that I have done something wrong, I know where I will receive the relevant support.

At this current moment of time, I do not really feel as if I can confidently say that I feel supported by my training provider. Maybe I will feel more supported later in the year when the apprenticeship becomes more focused on the coursework side rather than getting used to the job role itself.

At this current moment in time, I have not completed enough of the apprenticeship to say that the qualification delivered through my training provider has helped me enough to affect my apprenticeship in any way. Maybe at a future date, I will be able to confidently say whether it has or if it has not.

At Santander, there are many activities to part-take in other than the job role itself. One option could potentially be to join a network which promote an individual positive message that a group of people represent. Examples of these networks include embrace which promote LGBTQ+ rights and the enable network which promotes rights in the workplace for people with disabilities.

Yes

Absolutely! This is because it is a great opportunity to kick-start ones career. The skills learned in this job role are mostly transferable to other job roles so even if a person does not want to remain in the financial services once the apprenticeship has come to an end, they can move onto almost anything else form this experience alone.

Tips that I would provide to others looking to apply to Santander would be to remain vigilant at all times. This job role does come with its fair share of risks as you are dealing with people's money. Also, there are a variety of paths you can take if you choose to stay in Santander and many you can take outside of Santander. Thanks for reading!!!