Customer Operations Team Leader

As a Customer Operations Team Leader at Lendable, your key responsibilities include leading and managing your team's performance, coaching colleagues to enhance their skills, ensuring quality assurance for customer interactions, and utilizing reporting to identify opportunities for improvement. Additionally, you’ll engage directly with customers to manage their queries effectively and gather feedback to develop strategies for enhancing team performance.

To be considered for the Customer Operations Team Leader role at Lendable, you should have a minimum of six months of experience in a financial services background, specifically in loans, cards, or motor finance. Previous coaching or training experience is desirable but not essential, along with prior people management skills that could enhance your leadership capabilities.

Essential skills for a Customer Operations Team Leader at Lendable include a strong understanding of coaching principles, excellent communication skills, logical problem-solving abilities, and strong prioritization capabilities. You should also be resilient, calm under pressure, and possess the ability to adapt your communication style to meet individual needs, ensuring effective interaction with both colleagues and customers.

The working pattern for the Customer Operations Team Leader position at Lendable is typically Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm, with a requirement to work one in four weekends. The role provides flexibility with the ability to work from home every Monday and Friday, while encouraging collaboration and team-building at the office in Chatham and the London location on other weekdays.

At Lendable, you'll experience a culture that promotes inclusivity, employee well-being, and innovation. The company values input from all levels, and you will be encouraged to share your ideas to enhance processes. With a focus on maintaining a supportive work environment, Lendable is committed to making its workspace open and engaging for all team members.

In managing the performance of my team, I would set clear expectations and goals, regularly monitor progress, and provide constructive feedback. Utilizing one-on-one coaching sessions, I would focus on identifying individual strengths and areas for improvement, helping each team member to reach their full potential and ensuring we consistently achieve our customer service targets.

My approach to coaching in a fast-paced environment involves being proactive and adaptable. I would create tailored training sessions that reflect real-time challenges faced by the team. I believe in leading by example and facilitating open discussions where team members feel comfortable sharing their experiences and solutions. This promotes continuous learning and enables the team to thrive even under pressure.

To ensure an excellent customer experience, I would emphasize the importance of active listening and empathy among the team members. I would encourage quick resolution of queries at the first point of contact and train the team on effective communication techniques to build rapport with customers. Gathering and analyzing feedback would also allow us to consistently enhance our service delivery.

I would utilize management information reports alongside regular performance reviews to identify patterns in customer interactions and team outcomes. By analyzing this data, I can pinpoint recurring issues or areas needing attention, thus equipping the team with insights to focus on continual improvement and strategic training.

I believe the most important qualities for a Customer Operations Team Leader include strong leadership skills, effective communication, problem-solving abilities, and emotional intelligence. A successful leader should understand team dynamics, provide support and motivation, and maintain a calm demeanor in challenging situations while fostering an inclusive environment for everyone.

If a team member is struggling, I would first have a private, supportive conversation to understand their challenges. I would assess if they require additional training or resources and work together to set achievable goals for improvement. Regular check-ins would provide accountability and encouragement, helping them feel valued while striving to meet expectations.

I would use a combination of anonymous surveys, regular one-on-one discussions, and team meetings to gather feedback. This allows team members to express their thoughts in a comfortable setting. I would also encourage open dialogue where constructive feedback is welcomed, fostering an atmosphere of trust and collaboration.

To promote engagement and morale, I would implement recognition programs to celebrate individual and team achievements. Additionally, I would facilitate team bonding activities, open forums for sharing ideas, and encourage professional development opportunities. Creating a positive and inclusive culture helps everyone feel connected and valued at work.

I recognize that each individual has unique communication preferences. I would pay attention to their styles, adapting mine to ensure clarity and understanding. For some, this might mean using more visual aids, while others might prefer verbal discussions. Being attuned to these differences promotes effective communications and better collaboration.

In my previous role, I had a customer who was frustrated due to a billing discrepancy. I listened actively to their concerns and showed empathy. I gathered the necessary information, investigated the issue promptly, and provided a solution with an apology for the inconvenience. This not only resolved their immediate concern but also helped to rebuild their trust in our services.