Customer Services Manager

at  Inspired Pet Nutrition

COMPANY

IPN is an innovative, well-established, and award-winning pet food manufacturer, employing over 850 people across our 4 UK manufacturing sites. Our family of brands include Harringtons, Wagg, Barking Heads & Meowing Heads, AATU, Blink, Butchers, Classic Cat and a selection of partner brands that trust us to produce food on their behalf. Our kitchens in Thirsk, Kinmel and Crick produce dry, wet, and baked foods which are enjoyed by dogs and cats all over the world.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Proven experience in a branded / FMCG business
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive relationships with customers.
• Experience in managing teams of people, including hiring, training and performance evaluation.
• Familiarity with the pet food industry.
• Capability to identify root causes of problems and implement solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Strong organisational skills to manage multiple tasks, prioritise responsibilities to meet deadlines.
• Basic analytic skills.
• Degree calibre or extensive practical experience in FMCG customer services.

ROLE

To lead the IPN customer services team, ensuring our customers’ needs are met by managing orders, addressing queries and resolving concerns.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Customer relationship management - Develop and maintain strong relationships with our key retail and export customers, understanding their needs and expectations. Serve as an escalation point of contact for customer inquiries, concerns, and feedback.
• Order management - Ensure customer orders are received, processed, and managed accurately and efficiently. Adress any discrepancies, changes or delays promptly and effectively.
• Issue Resolution - investigate and resolve customer complaints, issues and concerns in a timely manner. Collaborate with crossfunctional teams to identify root causes of problems and implement corrective actions. Ensure proper communication of resolution outcomes to customers.
• Collaboration and cross-functional alignment - Work closely with production, logistics, sales and technical teams to ensure seamless customer service and order fulfilment. Participate in cross-functional change projects and meeting to discuss customer-related matters and coordinate actions.
• Team Management - Supervise and lead the customer service team, providing coaching, guidance and training as needed. Allocate tasks and responsibilities effectively to ensure smooth workflow and optimal customer service levels. Foster a positive and collaborative team environment.
• Process Improvement - Continuously assess and enhance customer service processes to streamline operations and improve customer experience. Identify and implement opportunities for automation, system improvements and efficiency enhancements.
• Data Analysis and Reporting - Collect, analyse and report key order processing and customer service metrics. Use data-driven insights to make informed decisions and drive improvements in customer service performance.