Complaints Investigator (housing background)

at  Sage Homes

ABOUT SAGE HOMES

Sage Homes is an innovative Blackstone and Regis business addressing the housing crisis in England by making good homes affordable for people across the country who need them.
Since 2017 we have delivered around 17,000 new homes across affordable rent, shared ownership and social rent for individuals and families. In 2021 Sage Homes became the largest provider of new affordable housing in England, and we continue to deliver high quality affordable homes across the country.
We have invested more than £3 billion into high-quality affordable housing. Our entrepreneurial spirit combined with our technical expertise has got us to where we are today and will enable future sustainable growth.

KEY SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Proven experience in a customer service role within Social Housing or private sector development.
• Understanding of the Housing Ombudsman complaint handling code.
• Experience in handling and resolving complex, multi-faceted complaints.
• Proficiency in using CRM and complaints systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience in negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Ability to use IT systems (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams) to manage data and track complaints.
• Highly organised, self-motivated, and able to manage priorities and deadlines.
• A proactive problem-solver with a customer-first mindset.
• Resilient, tenacious, and adaptable, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong relationship-building skills and a collaborative approach.
• A passion for delivering exceptional customer service and making a positive impact.
  We are committed to ensuring you have the best career here at Sage. As well as regular support and guidance from your manager you can expect to receive a variety of learning and development opportunities to support you as you grow within our business. This includes internally and externally delivered development programmes and opportunities to study for professional accreditations and qualifications.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are looking for a hands-on, customer-focused professional to join our team as a Complaints Investigator. In this role, you’ll be the main point of contact for feedback and complaints, working closely with the Complaints Manager to deliver a top-tier complaints service that exceeds customer expectations.
You will play a key role in the end-to-end complaints process, liaising with various teams, customers, and complaint owners to ensure issues are resolved efficiently and in line with service standards. The goal is to resolve complaints at the first stage whenever possible, keeping customers informed and ensuring all feedback is handled with care and urgency. Your role will include administrative tasks, investigation support, and reporting, while recommending improvements to enhance the customer experience.
This is a hybrid position, with three days a week based in our Northampton office.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Act as the primary point of contact for customers, gathering information and addressing their complaints.
• Conduct thorough investigations into complaints, ensuring resolution at the earliest possible stage.
• Respond to formal complaints and Member Enquiries, ensuring prompt and accurate communication.
• Assist with enquiries from external bodies such as the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Housing Ombudsman, and New Homes Ombudsman.
• Manage inbound communication via phone, email, and letters, responding to customers, stakeholders, and colleagues in a timely and professional manner.
• Use relevant IT systems (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics, Outlook, Excel, PowerBI, SharePoint, Teams) to track, record, and monitor complaints and feedback.
• Support reporting and analysis of complaints data, identifying trends and offering recommendations for service improvements.
• Collaborate with internal teams and stakeholders to ensure responses are provided in line with agreed timescales.
• Foster positive relationships with customers, delivering a proactive, customer-centric service at every touchpoint.
• Champion a ‘customer-first’ culture, promoting collaboration, a can-do attitude, and a positive approach to problem-solving.
• Provide guidance to colleagues on handling complaints in line with policies and procedures.
• Assist in monitoring and ensuring compliance with customer service standards, escalating issues as necessary.
• Identify recurring issues, trends, and insights to drive improvements in customer satisfaction.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with both internal and external partners, aligned with Sage’s strategic priorities.
• Work closely with colleagues to suggest and implement process improvements to enhance the customer experience.
• Ensure that Sage’s policies, procedures, and service standards are upheld in all interactions.