Ian Benjamin

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Business Support Assistant

Ref #: Business Support Assistant
Ian Benjamin 14/02/2022
Location: Hemel Hempstead Not Disclosed Hemel Hempstead
Salary: £25K £
Type: Permanent
Date: 14/02/2022
Business Support Assistant

Role overview

My client has been supplying the top 5 Star hotels for the last thirty years plus, with the very best in bed linen, duvets, pillows, towels and robes.

You will be responsible for assisting the Head of Key Accounts in ensuring that their customer’s expectations are met both on existing placed orders and new order enquires. You will smoothly manage the order process from pre ordering to successful delivery. You will have a high attention to detail and accuracy. You will be responsible for building customer relationships, ensuring both internal and external personnel are kept up to date with relevant information. You will be accountable for maintaining accurate customer records (CRM) and timelines by liaising with all internal departments.

Role Objectives:

Customer/Internal Communication

  • Manage the e-mail correspondence across several in-boxes and assessing which enquiries require attention and by whom.
  • Provide administrative support for the Head of Key Accounts.
  • Manage the flow of customer communications.
  • Be responsible for ensuring that customers are kept updated throughout the order placement process through to order placement and delivery.
  • Liaise with the relevant people internally to ensure the smooth processing of customer requests and orders.
  • Prepare regular and ad hoc stock update reports for their customers. Highlight any delays to the Head of Key Accounts and suggest a course of action.
  • Take responsibility for ensuring that customers’ expectations are being exceeded and a positive customer experience is always maintained.

Pre Order Process/Quoting

  • Managing the sampling process efficiently and effectively.
  • Liaising with the factories to obtain prices, lead times and samples.
  • Ensure samples are prepared and packaged with correct and clear information and courier despatched.
  • Ensure samples kept in the office are labelled and orderly.
  • Support the Head of Key Accounts with creating quotes within the agreed margin guidelines and customer pricing matrix.
  • Submitting quotes, keeping track of what’s been sent and when, chasing feedback.

Order process

  • Ensure that all customer orders are processed quickly and accurately, keeping the customer updated throughout.
  • Create and maintain all customer files.
  • Produce ad hoc reports or analysis as required, using Orderwise and Excel.
  • Ensure Orderwise is up to date with accurate customer data at all times.
  • Raise sales orders ensuring that the customer purchase order prices are in line with those quoted.
  • Communicate agreed cost prices with the procurement team to ensure supplier purchase orders are raised where necessary.
  • Allocate stock to sales orders once the purchase order has been raised.
  • Check daily on incoming stock and push orders to pick with the warehouse in communication with the Head of Key Accounts.
  • Process retail orders for any contract customers for whom we provide white label retail stock.
  • Be accountable for any stock required to go to 3rd parties such as for embroidery or tags and ensure the stock is tracked and managed back in a timely manner.
  • Invoice filing
  • Keep delivery schedules on Excel up to date and communicate to the team.
  • Be responsible for keeping the forward orders report up to date on Orderwise.

Customer Service

  • Monitor the shipping dates and where changes occur work with the Head of Key Accounts to manage customer expectations.
  • Discuss any issues arising from delays to orders within the team and agree and action communication with the relevant customer.
  • Monitor and respond to all inbound enquiries via phone or email to maximize sales opportunities.
  • Arrange and track customer collections and ensure stock is correctly booked back into the warehouse.
  • Be the point of contact with the warehouse to resolve any delivery queries and keep the customer, Head of Key Accounts, BDM and Director up to date on progress.

New Business/New Products

  • Work with the wider sales and procurement team to support any NPD New Product Development.
  • Keep up to date with market and customer trends through trade publications, social media, Sales meetings and interaction with customers and colleagues.

Competencies

  • Being confident with a positive ‘can do’ attitude.
  • Customer focused, a logical thinker and a confident communicator with excellent admin skills.
  • Able to work independently and prioritise tasks.
  • Excellent communicator (written and verbal) with good interpersonal skills.
  • Relationship Building – ability to build relationships at all levels.
  • Must have experience in a commercial environment (Sales related).
  • Highly analytical & numerical skills as well as great attention to detail.
  • Maintaining excellent attendance and time keeping standards.
  • Core Information Technology skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) Be familiar with database/order processing systems.

If you have the skills, experiences as required above please get in touch at the earliest opportunity so we can discuss the role and start the process for you immediately.

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