Dispute Resolutions Specialist

We are hiring! Here at Wickes we are recruiting Dispute Resolution Specialists to be responsible for managing and resolving high-level, multifaceted customer complaints that require thorough investigation and personalised solutions. This role involves acting as a liaison between the customer and internal teams, ensuring timely resolution, and improving the overall customer experience through detailed analysis and follow-up.

This role is based in our office in Northampton where you will have the opportunity to work from home two days a week.

Shift pattern: 8am - 5pm and 10am - 7pm with the expectation to work 1 in 4 Saturdays 8am - 5pm and then have a day off in the week

The Dispute Resolution Specialist handles and resolves complex customer complaints. This involves investigating issues, finding personalised solutions, and working with both customers and internal teams to ensure a timely resolution. The Specialist will need strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills to effectively address customer concerns and ensure satisfaction in the following areas:

• Ombudsman Support: Assist customers who have escalated complaints to the Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman, ensuring a fair resolution.
• Financial Disputes: Manage customer cases involving Section 75 and expiring finance to reach a satisfactory resolution.
• High-Impact Cases: Handle press complaints, PR issues, and cases with significant financial or reputational implications.

Other Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and resolve complex disputes raised by customers, partners, or third parties, ensuring resolutions that align with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Provide clear, customised solutions and resolutions within defined service level agreements (SLAs), ensuring a satisfactory outcome for both the customer and the company.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including legal, technical support, operations, and management, to resolve issues that affect multiple areas of the business. Manage Section 75, FHIO, or FOS complaints as required when customers escalate through third parties, helping to facilitate the resolution process. Represent Wickes by providing clear, accurate information regarding the issue and offering support to ensure a timely and effective solution for the customer.
• Press complaints, court claims, letters before action, PR issues, and cases with significant impact or high associated costs.
• Manage escalated cases with diplomacy and professionalism, ensuring a swift and fair outcome.
• Maintain open, empathetic, and professional communication with customers throughout the complaint resolution process, keeping them informed of progress and next steps.
• Accurately log all complaints, investigations, actions taken, and outcomes in the company's customer management system.
• Ensure that all complaint handling follows company policies, industry regulations, and legal requirements.
• Fully understand Wickes workmanship guarantees, product warranties and work within compensation framework to provide consistent resolution for customers, preventing unnecessary escalations and additional costs
• Identify underlying issues and trends from recurring complaints, providing insights and feedback to improve internal processes and prevent future complaints.
• Ensure Compensation limits are adhered to and compensation framework is used effectively to reduce Cost to Resolve.

What are we looking for:

• 1-2 years of experience in dispute resolution, conflict management, or customer service, with a track record of handling complex cases (Preferred)
• Familiarity with dispute resolution processes, customer service best practices, and retail industry regulations (Preferred)
• Experience using CRM software and Google.
• Ability to identify root causes and think creatively to deliver tailored solutions.
• Clear, professional, and empathetic written and verbal communication with both internal teams and customers.
• Focused on ensuring positive outcomes and customer satisfaction.
• Ability to manage complex cases with a high level of accuracy and diligence.
• Skilled in managing difficult conversations and negotiating successful outcomes.

What can we offer you:

You’ll be supported with fantastic learning and development and have the opportunity to grow and develop your career with us.

We’ll also equip you with a benefits package that includes

• Competitive bonus
• Save-as-you-earn scheme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Colleague discount
• Discount platform including savings and cash back at numerous retailers, savings on gym membership, cycle to work scheme

Our widely recognised wellbeing strategy is something we’re proud of at Wickes. As part of this, we offer a range of health and wellbeing benefits and support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, financial education & loans, and access to parental, menopause and fertility support.

By giving you the support you need to do well at work, and the flexibility to make life work for you. We are giving you a career that doesn’t put your life on hold. Where you can be yourself, do your best work, and make a positive difference every day.

We recognise the value of bringing our teams together to collaborate, support each other and build on our amazing culture. We are also encouraging our teams to work flexibly, with a blend of remote / office working.

About Us:

Wickes is a multi-channel retailer operating in the home improvement market. With 50 years in industry, Wickes now generates revenue in excess of £1.6bn across 230 stores delivered by 8,000+ colleagues.

But it is the Wickes culture that we are really proud of. It's a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home.