Manager Customer Affairs

Job Purpose

At Emirates, our customers are our priority. Our Customer Affairs and Service Audit teams work diligently to effectively manage customer complaints, promote customer loyalty, protect and generate company revenue and help mitigate any negative impression of Emirates. We are committed to continuous improvement through monitoring and auditing our customer service standards and consistently enhancing our processes to ensure the success of our organisation and brand!

Customer Affairs is looking for a seasoned people-manager who has a proven track record of leading large groups of employees. This exciting role focusses on implementing our global service recovery strategy in order to retain customers, drive new business and serve as a business portal for internal stakeholders.

This role requires a laser-sharp focus on customers, with an ability to lead with facts when things go wrong, and the ability to say no when required. The incumbent will advocate for customers, whilst balancing the needs of the airline, particularly with regards to lawsuits and national enforcement bodies/regulators across the globe. This managerial role requires a deep understanding of all airline customer touchpoints, such as reservations/ticketing, service delivery, baggage and airport services. Our Manager Customer Affairs must have a highly-tuned sense of human psychology and language, in a cross-cultural/international environment, with an ability to tenaciously drive change by partnering with stakeholders across a variety of operating departments, including senior executives.

The use of timely reporting, data analytics and pointed communication skills will all be success factors. The MCA must be available 24/7.

The Manager Customer Affairs will be responsible for the direction and management of the Customer Affairs Hub unit managing customer complaints, from investigation to conclusion in a timely and cost-effective manner. Work with operational divisions, Group Legal, Group Insurance and where required appoint legal counsel at outstations for legal cases. Investigate and respond to cases from countries National Enforcement Boards. The objective is to provide expert guidance, timely and effective service recovery, improved customer loyalty and retention, reduction of potential revenue loss and cost avoidance by thorough preparation of legal cases.

In This Role, You Will

• Plan and implement effective strategies and tactics in the management of the Customer Affairs unit, ensuring customer complaints are responded to in a substantive, timely and cost-effective manner and in line with CASA Global and the company objectives. Ensure that customer confidence, loyalty and goodwill is restored to retain customers, minimise revenue loss and to protect future revenue. Particular focus must be on the Arabic community as a key market segment.
• Ensure customer satisfaction is achieved through prudent budgetary management whilst maintaining the reputation of the Emirates Group for providing quality products and services. Manage the service recovery budget within own area of responsibility, achieving a year on year cost reduction per complaint file settled. Raise manpower requirements for projected growth and corresponding increases in workload with a solid business case.
• Manage, motivate and develop a team of Customer Affairs Officer's (CAO) and Customer Affairs Supervisors to respond to complaints across all customer touchpoints. Plan, distribute and monitor workload. Monitor individual team members performance and productivity against KPIs and take corrective action where required.
• Offer advice, guidance and support to team members, create individualised development plans and facilitate access to various training channels (e.g. OTJ, CBT, classroom, familiarisation visits etc.). Ensure all team members knowledge of new and changed consumer protection legislation remains current and the impact and penalties of non-compliance are understood.
• Monitor complaint responses and customer compensation to ensure the investigation was thorough, the response included all customer concerns and departmental standards are met i.e. response timelines, number of comebacks and quality standards (i.e. factual accuracy, content, grammar, tone and style) to ensure a favourable customer reaction.
• Reinvestigate cases where passengers are not satisfied with our initial response, service recovery or compensatory offer and bring the case to a successful conclusion. Proactively work with Commercial, Service Delivery, Airport Services and other key internal stakeholders to
• Undertake research and benchmarking projects in the airline and other customer service industries in the area of customer complaint handling. Identify methods of service recovery and effective performance measures, customer score methodologies. Present findings and make recommendations to CASA management.
• Manage highly sensitive legal cases ensuring the investigation is thorough and the documentation is prepared. Work with Group Legal and appoint and brief legal counsel at outstations globally and follow the case through to conclusion. Respond to cases of customer complaints from countries National Enforcement Boards e.g. US DOT, UK CAA, European NEB etc. ensuring compliance to stipulated timelines and work towards a satisfactory outcome.
• Identify areas of improvement in our customer products and service delivery processes through analysis of customer complaints and feedback. Identify trends and undertake regular meetings with Service Audit and product/process owner operational departments to improve services and reduce customer complaints.
• Support UAE Sales [and Outstations where required] to successfully recover valuable corporate clients who have withdrawn their business from Emirates due to customer dissatisfaction issues. Joint visits to high profile customers in association with UAE sales [and Country Managers] to effectively service recover and protect future revenues. Conduct visits to high profile customers (especially high profile Arab community customers) and cases of serious gravity and complexity to regain customer confidence and loyalty.
  
  

Qualification

To be considered for the role, you must meet the below requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree or Honours with 12+ years' experience in Sociology/Psychology/ Commerce or Business-related subjects
• Experience in Customer facing or customer relations or complaint management role
  
  

Knowledge/skills

• Expert knowledge of one or more customer touchpoints e.g. sales, contact centre, airport operations, inflight services, baggage, loyalty programme etc.
• Must be fully conversant with Warsaw, Montreal and other IATA conventions and consumer protection legislation related to commercial airlines
• Proven track record in team leadership and motivational skills
• Excellent negotiation skills in volatile situations and should also be an arbitrator in disputes between the airline service delivery areas and the customer
• Must be able to represent Emirates and the department at the highest levels e.g. VIPs, legal firms, consumer protection agencies
  
  

AtEmirates, we're committed to providing our employees with opportunities to growand develop their careers. So if you're looking for a challenging and rewardingopportunity, apply today and join our team!

Salary & benefits

Join us in a management role and enjoy an attractive tax-free salary. On top of our generous travel benefits, including discounted flights and hotel stays around the world, this managerial role also has an excellent leave and healthcare package. That’s on top of transport benefits, life insurance and more. Find out what it’s like to live and work in our fast-paced, cosmopolitan home city in the Dubai Lifestyle section of our website www.emirates.com/careers

The Emirates Groupoffers an extensive range of diverse careers. Browse our current jobs atEmirates Careers and find out which vacancy is suitable for you.