Student Finance Client Service Consultant at Stellenbosch University

Duties  

The role of the student finance client service consultant is to handle all student finance client queries according to the set standards of excellence to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction. The student finance client service consultant also provides administrative support to the senior administrative officers to ensure timely delivery of other services to students and funders. 

Providing a professional and welcoming experience for walk-in, telephone, and email enquiries;
Keeping informed about all relevant information pertaining to student fees, undergraduate bursaries, and current student affairs to ensure that accurate information is provided;
Building the reputation and brand of the University by ensuring a positive customer experience;
Adhering to all quality assurance benchmarks and standard operating procedures to ensure an excellent and consistent customer experience;
Meeting the set targets in terms of contacts handled;
Effective handling and escalation of sensitive queries as per the provided guidelines;
Maintaining effective and constructive professional relationships with the University's internal stakeholders to identify trends in customer queries;
Providing administrative assistance to other staff members to ensure that information and documentation reach funders and students in a timely manner;
Troubleshooting, investigating, and resolving complex student queries by proactively interacting with other colleagues and seeking information;
Providing input and suggesting improvements based on the trend of queries addressed in the Centre. 

Job Requirements      

• A relevant post-school qualification, such as a national certificate or diploma in administration or office management;
• Excellent and professional verbal and written communication skills in English and Afrikaans; OR
• Excellent and professional written and verbal communication skills in English as well as verbal skills in anther official South African language;
• At least one year's client service experience in a service delivery call centre environment (not marketing or sales);
• Excellent customer service skills (including questioning/clarifying, probing, listening, and building good relationships);
• Knowledge and understanding of the customer engagement needs of students and their parents;
• The ability to effectively handle calls, emails, webchats, social media posts, and walk-in clients with professionalism, accuracy, and empathy;
• Strong focus on quality;
• Excellent teamwork ability;
• The ability to function independently and meet the daily set targets;
• The ability to work effectively under pressure and keep to strict deadlines;
• Flexibility and the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities;
• Excellent interpersonal and relation-building skills;
• The ability to work with challenging customers and resolve conflict;
• A high level of computer literacy;
• Willingness and availability to work outside normal office hours on own initiative if operationally required.

Recommendation

• Experience in or working knowledge of the financial aid environment.