Position Description

Position: Enquiry Officer
Reporting to: Enquiry Manager

1. Background

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Ltd (TIO) was established in 1993 to investigate and determine complaints from residential and small business customers about matters relating to service, billing and the manner of charging for telecommunications services.

The mission statement of the TIO is to provide 'free, independent, just, informal, speedy resolution of complaints.' The TIO is an office of "last resort" and complainants are required to take up their complaint with the carrier/service provider before the TIO may become involved.

Under the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999, all eligible carriage service providers, including Internet Service Providers (ISPs), are required to be members of the TIO.

The TIO is a company limited by guarantee and is independent of government and telecommunications carriers and service providers.

2. The Role

The TIO has a 4-tier complaint resolution process, classifying complaints from Level 1 to 4. The various levels of complaint are outlined here.

The TIO receives complaints via its free call telephone and fax numbers, online, in writing and more rarely in person. A vast majority of the complaints are received over the telephone. As Enquiry Officers (EOs) spend an average of 5.5 hours per day handling calls from complainants, an Enquiry Officer (EO) is generally a complainant’s first point of contact at the TIO. EOs handle enquiries and Level 1 complaints, with unresolved complaints handed over to Investigations Officers for further action.

Complainants are often unaware of the processes of the TIO and what is required of them for resolution of their complaint. As the first point of contact it is an EO’s role to educate complainants about the ADR process; the role of the TIO within a co-regulatory environment; and industry practices. Where complainants are unable to articulate their complaint or provide information by reason of disability or language, an EO will take appropriate action, such as using the Interpreter Service, to ensure that the complainant is not denied access to the TIO complaint handling process.

It is an EO’s responsibility to ensure complainants have a realistic expectation of timeframes for resolution and possible outcomes. EOs must be confident that the advice they provide and the decisions they make are in accordance with principles of fairness and reasonableness, industry practice and relevant legislation.

Prior to handing over unresolved complaints for escalation by an Investigations Officer, an EO will perform analysis of available information to decide whether further investigation is warranted.

EOs work closely with Investigations Officers within their workgroup particularly in relation to handover of unresolved complaints.

In order to provide appropriate advice, EOs are required to refer to, use and contribute to the TIO’s knowledge base and keep themselves aware of developments within the telecommunications industry, legislative changes and industry codes.

3. Responsibilities

The successful applicant will be required to perform the following core tasks:

Complaint Management

• Analyse a complaint to determine whether it is within the jurisdiction of the TIO, and provide appropriate referrals where it is not
• Where a complaint is within jurisdiction, provide a company specific referral; outline specific information and documentation that TIO may require for further investigation and provide advice about any interim action that may need to be taken
• Meet current call-taking and email actioning benchmarks
• Enter full details of the customer contact, advice provided and subsequent actions into the TIO complaint management system
• Record potential industry code breaches
• Prepare written correspondence to complainants and member organisations in relation to Level 1 Complaints and Enquiries
• Ensure Level 1 Complaints are actioned and closed within set timeframes
• Analyse unresolved Level 1 complaints to decide whether further action is warranted
• Give clear, concise reasons where a decision is made not to investigate further
• Ensure that a complaint contains all necessary information and/or documentation prior to escalation
• Liaise with IOs about the hand over of complaints

Team & Personal Development

• Participate in regular workgroup meetings and training workshops
• Assist in the induction and training of new staff
• Provide support to other staff members when required
• Contribute to the TIO knowledge base by identifying systemic complaints and providing feedback to the policy group within the TIO
• Draft reports for inclusion in the Annual Report
• Participate in professional development activities to meet identified development goals and achieve personal growth.

4. Selection criteria

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate how they meet the following selection criteria:

4.1 Call handling skills

• Ability to work in a high volume call-based environment under limited supervision
• Pleasant and professional phone manner, with the ability to build rapport with people over the phone
• Ability to recover quickly after a difficult call and maintain customer service professionalism
• Active listening skills to pick-up and understand the nature of the complaint

4.2 Communication skills

• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Ability to communicate complex technical information to non-professionals
• Ability to capture information concisely and accurately in written records
• Ability to handle challenging questions and difficult customers
• Ability to establish a rapport with member organisations and complainants.

4.3 Dispute resolution skills

• Knowledge of alternative dispute resolution principles and methods
• Understanding of and commitment to the concept of independence
• Empathy towards complainants and other parties involved in disputes

4.4 Analytical & decision making skills

• Demonstrated ability to analyse information and identify pertinent issues
• Ability to gather and weigh up evidence
• Sound decision making skills

4.5 Time management skills

• Ability to prioritise work according to conflicting demands
• Ability to ensure that complaints are actioned within set timeframes
• Ability to meet established call taking and case handling benchmarks

4.6 Administrative skills

• Ability to follow detailed record making/keeping and filing procedures

4.7 Computer skills

• PC literacy including the effective use of the following applications: MS Word, E-mail, Internet and Intranet system.

Qualifications/experience

Mandatory

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Accepts personal responsibility and delivers work of a high quality
• Highly developed analytical and investigative skills
• Able to think things through logically and make sound decisions
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• An understanding of the concept of independence and an inherent sense of fairness
• Experience in dealing with people in stressful situations
• Highly organised and able to prioritise tasks and complete work within set timeframes
• Able to type a minimum of 30 words per minute and be computer literate including the effective use MS Word, Email, Internet and Intranet systems

Highly desirable

• An understanding of the importance of accurate record keeping
• Experience in handling call-based and written complaints in a dynamic work environment
• An understanding of alternative dispute resolution principles
• Experience or knowledge of the telecommunications industry
• Tertiary degree or equivalent qualification

6. Equal Opportunity

The office of the TIO is an equal opportunity employer and promotes a harassment free work place.

7. Confidentiality

Enquiry Officers are bound by strict confidentiality requirements and must ensure that the confidentiality and privacy of the individual consumer is respected and maintained at all times. Any breach of confidentiality may result in dismissal.

8. Conditions of employment

Hours of duty	* 37.5 hours per week, rostered between the hours of 8.30am and 5.30pm. * Additional hours may be required on some occasions in order to handle heavy workloads * Flexible hours to cater to study requirements will be considered
Public holidays	The TIO is open on Labour Day and Melbourne Cup Day and EOs are required to work on these days.
Annual leave	28 days per annum
Personal leave	10 days per annum
Probationary period	6 months
Salary	$49,211 plus superannuation at the statutory rate. This salary is subject to annual performance based adjustments.
Nature of work	As a guide, EOs spend most of their work-hours day answering calls, and between 1 & 1.5 hours a day on written work.

Posted: 16 August 2007
Last updated: 20 June 2008