Customer Service Assistant

£13.68 per hour. (This rate is inclusive of holiday pay)

Part time. This is a zero-hours contract designed to offer flexibility around your studies. Shift patterns typically comprise of 10 to 15 hours per week during term time.

Who are we?

Located in the heart of Manchester, The Union is part business, part charity, part membership body. Operating independently from Manchester Metropolitan University, our aim is to support and represent each one of our student members. Each year our growing team of around 50 full time and up to 100 part time staff, work alongside elected student leaders to make change, improve lives and help fulfil student potential.

Winner of the 2021 Think Student award for the best campaign supporting diversity, The Union is one of 550 students’ unions across the country. And we’re one of the most exciting - with over 38,000 student members and 100 student groups, a huge range of services and a bold strategy.

What's the job?

As a member of the Customer Service team, you’ll play a key role in delivering excellent customer service and supporting the smooth running of day-to-day operations. Your responsibilities will include welcoming visitors, handling enquiries, managing room bookings, and operating reception equipment.

You’ll also assist with event and meeting setups, cloakroom duties, and the preparation of refreshments for conferences.

The role involves maintaining high standards of health, safety, and data protection, as well as collaborating with other teams to ensure a positive experience for all Union users.

Role specific:

To support the Union Reception function by welcoming and attending to customer enquiries in a friendly and positive manner
To maintain excellent service standards working under the direction of the service manager or supervisor
To undertake tasks and duties in support of the needs of the specific service area under the direction of the service manager or supervisor
To achieve any customer service target levels as directed To operate equipment as necessary to include, but not be limited to, a telephone switchboard and guillotine
To attend to room booking enquiries and maintain the room booking system as required
To take room bookings at the reception desk and over the phone
To ensure compliance with appropriate health and safety/licensing/food safety standards
To deal with disputes and customer complaints in a constructive and positive way
To set-up and pack-down refreshments for conferencing events as and when required
To complete a handover at the end of each shift
To enter availability onto Staff Savvy before midnight every Tuesday Report and follow-up maintenance issues on Planon
To open and close specific areas of the building
To monitor the sign-out of keys to staff and students
To receive and distribute any post including post needing to go to the Post Office
To follow GDPR guidelines when handling personal information
To carry out cloakroom shifts for various events including set-up and pack-down
To provide support to events happening at The Union
To carry out room set-ups for events and meetings

The duties described above are not an exhaustive list but are intended as being illustrative of the level and type of work required. The Job Description may be subject to amendment from time to time after discussion with the post holder. This job description does not constitute part of the contract of employment.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for students with a relevant range of experiences and personal characteristics.

Key person specifications include:

Qualifications

E - A student at Manchester Metropolitan University for the 2025/26/27 academic year

Experience

D - Demonstrable experience of working in a comparable customer facing role

Knowledge and skills

E - Must be willing to complete mandatory Food Safety, Health & Safety and Licensing training ahead of role commencement. This training will be provided and paid for
E - To attend meetings and training events as required.

Personal attributes

E - You’ll be the face of The Union so having a friendly, welcoming and all-round excellent approach to customer service
E - Excellent interpersonal skills, able to build appropriate relationships with people at all levels, and to deal with sensitive topics with tact, diplomacy and positivity at all times
E - Strong problem-solving skills & attention to detail
E - Be adaptable in your approach to tasks and responsibilities, working collaboratively with different departments and supporting activities across The Union

Values and ethics

E - Understanding of and commitment to the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity, and The Union’s values

Apply now

If you feel you have the skills and capacity for this role, please download the attached job and person specification and complete the application form.

Work somewhere professional but different. Build a career with students' unions.