Course overview

The Customer Service Specialist Apprenticeship is designed to support those in or looking for employment with training, to gain professional competency in an expert customer service role.

The main purpose of a customer service specialist is to be a ‘professional’ for direct customer support within all sectors and organisation types.

In this role you are an advocate of Customer Service who acts as a referral point for dealing with more complex or technical customer requests, complaints, and queries. You are often an escalation point for complicated or ongoing customer problems.

As an expert in your organisation’s products and/or services, you share knowledge with your wider team and colleagues.

You gather and analyse data and customer information that influences change and improvements in service. You utilise both organisational and generic IT systems to carry out your role, with an awareness of other digital technologies.

This could be in many types of environments including contact centres, retail, webchat, service industry or any customer service point.

This course will be delivered in various parts. Learners are expected to attend knowledge and skills delivery via online training with their dedicated tutor. Your employer and tutor will guide you through the on the job and off the job requirements of becoming competent in your job role prior to End Point Assessment.

This course leads on from the 16-19 Career Pathways, Pre-Apprenticeship courses and other Level 2 Apprenticeships that SS&L offer.

This course is ideal for someone leading a team in a customer focused environment.

Course assessment

As a competence Apprenticeship it will need the support of an employer. It’s anticipated that it will take 15-18 months to complete this Apprenticeship, but this will be discussed with you when you start. It’s a rolling programme so you can start at any time of the year.

Learning will be varied and will include workplace learning and fortnightly training workshops run by our expert tutors with PowerPoints, videos, tutor led group discussions and group work, so you will get to meet other people on a similar journey to you.

There is also a requirement of individual study and there may be the requirement of witness testimonies from the workplace. Your tutor will regularly visit the workplace to observe you carrying out the job to complete the competence element and to give you training and feedback. An e-portfolio will be used for collection of evidence.

Course progression

You could progress to become a Team Leader or Supervisor with your current employer, or study another Apprenticeship or a qualification like ILM Diploma in Leadership & Management.

Your dedicated personal tutor will offer you careers advice and guidance throughout your course, supporting you to find wider learning activities to improve your future / ongoing employment prospects.

Speak to you tutor and employer about your next steps.