Rathbone offers Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships in customer service.

Businesses that deal with the public want their customer service to be first class. In customer service, you’ve got to make every customer feel valued so they come back to your business or recommend you to family or friends.

We’ll provide an employer or placement, all the training, advice, support and guidance you need. The rest is down to you!

What’s in the Apprenticeship?

Most of your learning happens on the job, learning from experienced work colleagues. There’s some time away from work to learn and practice new skills.

You’ll learn how to work with customers face-to-face, on the phone, in writing and by email.

You’ll develop the skill of dealing with customers – including unhappy customers.

You’ll learn to manage difficult situations.

What you need to do:

You’ll need to be smart and well presented.

You’ll need to enjoy working with people – you’ll need lots of patience and to keep calm under pressure.

You need to be on time and to behave in a professional way to make a good impression.

How long does an Apprenticeship last?

It’s about showing that you can do the job to national standards so it depends on how fast you learn.

If you left school with no other experience in customer care, you could achieve your Apprenticeship in around 14 months.

What qualifications can I get?

You can achieve:

• A National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Customer Service at Level 2 for Apprenticeship or Level 3 for Advanced Apprenticeship proving you’re skilled.
• A City and Guilds Certificate in Customer Service.
• Practical work skills in communications, using numbers and ICT.

Which job roles can this Apprenticeship lead to?

This apprenticeship gets you started and can lead to jobs like:

• Front of House Staff
• Receptionists
• Guides and Hosts in the hospitality and service sector
• Call Centre Advisers

How much can I earn when I’m trained?

This depends on where you live and your exact job role. Starting salaries for customer service jobs are about £10,000 a year. To get a better idea, look at vacancies for these kinds of jobs in your local paper.