Customer Service Advisor

Abound

About Abound We’re redefining consumer lending in the UK, and beyond. Using advanced AI and Open Banking data, we make fair, affordable personal finance available to more people. While traditional lenders rely almost entirely on credit scores, we look at the full financial picture - how much you spend, and what you can afford to repay to build a deeper, more accurate understanding of each customer's unique financial situation. And we've shown it works at scale. We’ve issued over £1.3bn in loans directly to customers while delivering market-leading credit performance - for every 10 defaults the industry expects, we see only 3. We also reached profitability just 2.5 years after launch. Backed by £2bn+ of funding from top-tier investors including Citi, GSR Ventures, and Deutsche Bank, we’re recognised as one of Europe’s fastest-growing fintechs (Sifted, CNBC). Now, we’re expanding into new markets and product lines - and we’re looking for ambitious people who want to learn fast, take ownership, and grow with us. What you'll be doing: The operations team support our customers throughout the entire customer journey, assisting with queries as they apply for a loan all the way to arranging a suitable repayment plan should they fall into financial difficulty. As a Customer Service Specialist you'll be expected to offer exceptional service at all times and provide tailored support to our customers, if and when they need it. At Abound we put our customers at the heart of what we do so it’s important that you do too. We're looking for individuals who consistently go the extra mile, exhibit strong work ethic, and treat colleagues and customers respectfully. You’ll work from our Central Milton Keynes office 3 days a week with the ability to work from home for the remaining two. Who you are * Extensive customer service experience within financial services (preferably personal loans but any lending experience would be considered). * In depth knowledge and awareness of the financial services industry and regulations. E.g. FCA Guidelines, experience of KYC/TCF principles. * The ability to handle and resolve complex customer queries and complaints efficiently and independently. * Strong attention to detail with a high regard for accuracy. * Ability to work confidently individually or as part of a team, you’ll be self-motivated, being able to  recognise your own strengths and weaknesses, being committed to your own personal development and actively seeking opportunities to maximise contribution. * A proactive mindset, with the ability to identify problems that may arise and suggest solutions. * Excellent communication skills whilst liaising with colleagues and other areas of the business. * Exceptional customer service skills being able to listen, communicate effectively and manage expectations. You’ll be expected to take ownership and accountability of your work on a daily basis. * Communicate with customers through multiple channels at one time. * Be results driven and have the ability to work well under pressure. * You should possess the ability to be flexible, being able to adapt quickly to changing requirements and business demands. * The ability to work with other members of the team to eliminate process waste which does not add value to the borrower or the business and provide clear and concise rationale for the changes. * The desire to progress and development their skill set. Joining a FinTech startup is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your expertise. The success of the business relies directly on your actions. * Experience working with vulnerable customers, complaints and financial difficulty. What skills you'll need * Minimum 2 years customer service experience in financial services. * Experience of handling customer queries and providing an exceptional level of service. * Excellent communication skills with the ability handle difficult conversations if required. * Innovative and creating thinking, you’ll be expected to solve problems and think analytically. * Strong self-management skills – use your own initiative, be flexible and open to any changes whilst working in a fast paced environment. * Contribute regularly to improve processes and ensure they remain up to date. * Good standard of education including excellent computer literacy skills. * Experience logging, investigating and resolving complaints. * You may be expected to support other areas if the business if required, this is a good opportunity to expand your knowledge in the consumer lending sector. * Multi-channel experience is preferred, telephony and email communication experience is essential. What we offer * Everyone owns a piece of the company - equity * Hybrid with 3 days a week in the office * 25 days’ holiday a year, plus 8 bank holidays * 2 paid volunteering days per year * One month paid sabbatical after 4 years * Employee loan * Free gym membership through WellHub * Team wellness budget to be active together - set up a yoga class, a tennis lesson or go bouldering

Allica Bank

About Allica Bank Allica is the UK’s fastest growing company - and the fastest-growing financial technology (Fintech) firm ever. Our purpose is to help established SMEs, one of the last major underserved opportunities in Fintech. Established SMEs are the backbone of local communities - representing over a third of our economy - yet have been largely neglected both by traditional high street banks and modern fintech providers. Department Description The Operations function is responsible for delivering excellent customer outcomes across Allica's lending and banking products. Lending Servicing plays a critical role in supporting customers throughout the life of their loans, ensuring requests are handled efficiently, accurately and in line with regulatory requirements. The team is committed to delivering operational excellence through outstanding customer service, continuous improvement, effective risk management and the intelligent use of technology and AI. Role Description The Lending Servicing Officer plays a key role in delivering an outstanding in-life servicing experience for Allica's Commercial Lending customers. Responsible for managing a wide range of servicing activities across the customer lifecycle, the role ensures requests are completed accurately, efficiently and in line with regulatory requirements and internal service standards. Working closely with Relationship Managers, Credit Operations and other internal stakeholders, the Lending Servicing Officer takes ownership of customer requests, resolves queries, supports portfolio servicing activity and continually looks for opportunities to improve processes and customer outcomes. This role is suited to someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced operational environment, is passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and committed to continuous improvement. Principal Accountabilities * Deliver an exceptional servicing experience for Commercial Lending customers through timely, accurate and professional handling of all in-life servicing requests. * Take ownership of customer enquiries from receipt through to resolution, ensuring excellent communication throughout. * Complete a broad range of lending servicing activities including (but not limited to): * Early settlements * Redemptions * Product switch requests * Loan restructures * Bank account amendments * Customer maintenance * General loan administration * Review customer requests and supporting documentation, identifying any missing or inconsistent information and obtaining additional evidence where required. * Manage personal workload effectively to achieve agreed service levels, productivity and quality standards. * Work collaboratively with Relationship Managers, Credit Operations and Customer Support teams to deliver positive customer outcomes. * Maintain accurate customer records and ensure all servicing activity is completed in accordance with regulatory requirements, internal policies and procedures. * Identify operational risks, process exceptions and customer issues, escalating where appropriate and recommending improvements. * Support customer reviews and wider portfolio servicing activities by obtaining and validating required information within agreed timescales. * Build trusted relationships with customers and colleagues, taking ownership of issues through to completion. * Contribute to continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to simplify processes, eliminate waste and improve customer experience. * Participate in change initiatives, testing new processes and embedding operational improvements across the team. * Embrace the use of AI-enabled tools and automation to improve productivity, enhance customer responsiveness, streamline operational processes and support high-quality decision making, while ensuring appropriate governance and data security standards are maintained. * Share knowledge, support colleagues and contribute positively to the ongoing development of the Lending Servicing team. Personal Attributes & Experience * Previous experience within Lending Operations, Loan Servicing or Financial Services. * Strong customer service focus with a proven track record of delivering excellent customer outcomes. * Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. * Good commercial awareness and understanding of lending products and servicing activities. * Good understanding of Conduct Risk, Consumer Duty and Treating Customers Fairly principles. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills. * Strong relationship management skills with the ability to work collaboratively across multiple business areas. * Strong IT and systems skills, with confidence using digital platforms and operational systems. * Curious, adaptable and willing to embrace new technologies, automation and AI solutions to continually improve customer and colleague experiences. Working at Allica Bank At Allica Bank we want to ensure our employees have the right tools and environment in which to succeed in their role and in support of our customers. Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, so our benefits are designed with you in mind: * Full onboarding support and continued development opportunities * Options for flexible working * Regular social activities * Pension contributions * Discretionary bonus scheme * Private health cover * Life assurance * Family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity & Paternity leave Don’t tick every box? Don’t worry if you don’t have all the skills or requirements listed on the job description. If you think you’ll be a good fit, we’d still love to hear from you! Flexible working We know the ‘9-to-5’ isn’t right for everyone. That’s why Allica Bank is fully committed to flexible and hybrid working. Please let us know what is best for you and, if we can, we will do our best to accommodate. Diversity We’re a diverse bunch here at Allica, with all kinds of experiences, backgrounds and lifestyles. Our openness and differences make us stronger, and we want everybody to feel comfortable bringing as much of themselves to work with them as they like.

Allica Bank

About Allica Bank Allica is the UK’s fastest growing company - and the fastest-growing financial technology (Fintech) firm ever. Our purpose is to help established SMEs, one of the last major underserved opportunities in Fintech. Established SMEs are the backbone of local communities - representing over a third of our economy - yet have been largely neglected both by traditional high street banks and modern fintech providers. Role Description Sales Support will be responsible for 1st line customer service support for the Bank’s Asset Finance customers, together with Back Office activities to support the smooth running of the function. They will be the focal point for customers (Brokers or direct customers) – delivering exceptional service whilst living our values and speaking a language our customers will understand and understanding the business and banking challenges our customers face. Principal Accountabilities * You’ll be responsible for Asset Finance case management from inception through to maturity and all in-life servicing. * Relationship building and strong engagement with Brokers, and all associated parties to the product. * To proactively identify areas for process improvement and to seek new and innovative ways to better serve the customer. * To live and breathe the Bank’s values, representing the Bank to customers and speaking to customers in a way that resonates. * To support other teams as appropriate, where customer communication or engagement is required. Personal Attributes & Experience * Strong customer service experience, having worked in customer facing and or telephone service roles. * Experience using core banking systems and familiar with the use and application of social media as a form of interaction. * Experience in dealing with complex complaints and in taking ownership of customer concerns through to resolution. * Experience of core processes (e.g. account opening, servicing and closing, payments processing, complaint handling, KYC case referrals, general enquiry management) * Knowledge of financial services rules and guidelines * Excellent oral and written skills as you will be constantly communicating with customers * Being motivated by a need to help people * A problem solver and can create positive customer outcomes in diverse situations * Deliver outstanding customer service as measured through customer satisfaction KPIs * Manage and monitor service providers for customer quality Working at Allica Bank At Allica Bank we want to ensure our employees have the right tools and environment in which to succeed in their role and in support of our customers. Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, so our benefits are designed with you in mind: * Full onboarding support and continued development opportunities * Options for flexible working * Regular social activities * Pension contributions * Discretionary bonus scheme * Private health cover * Life assurance * Family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity & Paternity leave Don’t tick every box? Don’t worry if you don’t have all the skills or requirements listed on the job description. If you think you’ll be a good fit, we’d still love to hear from you! Flexible working We know the ‘9-to-5’ isn’t right for everyone. That’s why Allica Bank is fully committed to flexible and hybrid working. Please let us know what is best for you and, if we can, we will do our best to accommodate. Diversity We’re a diverse bunch here at Allica, with all kinds of experiences, backgrounds and lifestyles. Our openness and differences make us stronger, and we want everybody to feel comfortable bringing as much of themselves to work with them as they like.