Universal Bankers - Various Regions at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

Delight the customer by offering a professional, caring, consistent and outstanding level of customer service and grow and sustain the business within the branch/community I serve. Confidently make self-initiated contact with customers across all our segments, deepening relationships with customers by keeping in regular contact to help anticipate and plan for all their needs.The role holder will be required to work flexibly across a variety of different activities (Enquiries - 20%, Solutions - 80%).

Job Description

Accountabilities

Sales and Service:

• Have an understanding of all Retail and Business Banking products that could satisfy customer requirements.
• Plan and co-ordinate any marketing approaches for new business and actively develop existing relationships. Co-ordinate approaches to the portfolio by businesses across the Group.
• Conduct review of customers’ borrowing facilities (and interim review if customer circumstances [risk profile] dictate).
• Actively seek to grow own portfolio and cross sell to ensure delivery of set Targets.
• Consult customer owners/managers on financial/credit issues and general business practice/ideas.  Determine the key messages, e.g. agreed service standards, negotiated pricing, relationship team contact points (including introductions to new personnel) and new product changes. Calculating the most appropriate means of communicating them to customers.
• Deal with, and find resolutions for, customer complaints.
• Determine the products that are most effective in meeting customers needs and be able to sell these, at short notice, both reactively and proactively.
• Monitor and ensure adherence to risk service standards.
• Ensure customers receive exceptional service by identifying and meeting their needs through the provision of a range of products and services.
• Have the ability through cross-sell to provide a full value-added offering to customers utilizing multiple channels, including digital.
• Based on leads referred from within the branch and other sources such as listings, contact potential new customers and offer them packaged financial solutions based on an assessment of their needs.
• Provide effective banking hall management, orchestrate the team and support colleagues to work collaboratively and be empowered to consistently deliver high standards of customer service
• Attempt to resolve customers' enquiries at first point of contact.
• Act as the go-to resource for any complex queries and coach junior Bankers through complex tasks
• Actively drive service excellence by means of adhering to the Service Standards.
• Analyze sales achieved against targets agreed on a daily basis for new and existing clients.
• Include action plans to address any shortfalls in sales.
• Keep up to date on trends in the economy, the local market and social media to utilize this knowledge to educate customers.
• Operationalize campaigns as required with the Branch Manager.
• Have an in-depth understanding of the branches’ cash management policies, processes and procedures to provide cover for cash activities on a needs basis   Maintain counter performance statistics for management information usage
• Identify and evaluate continuous improvements to the counter and banking hall functions
• Achieve individual customer sales and service targets and support the achievement of team targets by working within relevant service level agreements  
• Action any complaints received in accordance with procedures and SLA’s.
• Should only advise the customer to fund the account.
• Should not advise an existing customer to open a similar account in their respective Branches with a view of moving funds between the accounts.
• Should not close an existing account in your Branch/domiciled in another Branch with a view of reopening a similar account.
• For any re-streaming of accounts, refer to Loan Processing and Account Monitoring Procedures Manual. 

Business Management:

• Research, create and follow up on a target list for potential new business.
• Identify priority customers using the Customer Prioritization Guidelines to assess their present and potential contribution.
• Gather all the required information that is needed to prepare and assess credit applications.  Role holder will be expected to input certain key information such as judgmental information.
• Monitor and control the quality of the portfolio using “Condition of Sanction” triggers where possible and in accordance with RM guidelines and Bank policy.
• Manage “Early Warning List” customers to reduce risk, following H.O. and Regional guidance provided. Adhere to procedures and guidelines within the BB RMCD. 

Operational Rigour and Compliance  

• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Barclays Policies and Policy Standards. Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role
• Ensure accuracy of each new account application, loan document, Barclaycard application and bank account mandate change. UB’s will be held personally accountable for accuracy and quality of these and supporting documents that they complete and submit.
• Achieve operational rigour excellence in all aspects of procedures and processes personally undertaken to ensure green audit.
• Follow the end to end account opening ensuring new accounts are authorized and KYC compliant. Escalate any items that exceed the agreed service level time lines or where there are unresolved KYC requirements, to the Branch Manager.
• Comply with all general Barclays operational risk & rigour requirements e.g. KYC and anti-money laundering regulations.
• On occasion, assist the Branch Management to open and close Customer Service Advisor tills at the beginning and end of each day.
• Conduct snap checks as allocated by the Branch Operations Officer. 

Team work and Branch Support 

• Constantly seek to improve ways of working by challenging the status quo and supporting an empowering climate within the team, sharing knowledge, experience, best practice and providing constructive feedback as required.
• Work with the Universal Bankers in the Branch to ensure the achievement of Sales and Service targets.
• Understand the activities of Universal Bankers and assist in providing opportunities to improve performance of the overall branch
• Provide cover for Branch Manager as required.
• Lead the adoption and implementation of change initiatives.
• Participate in local events to support local needs, develop individual and team skills and raise the Barclays profile in the local community.
• Responsible for the reviewing and resolving of all branch complaints and escalating to the Complaints Champion in line with agreed procedures. 

 
Technical skills / Competencies 
Personal Attributes:

• Meeting customers needs                  
• Managing relationships      
• Personal organization                      
• Self development        
• Adaptability      
• Working with others
• Decisiveness
• Active listening
• Analytical thinking
• Judgment
• Entrepreneurial mindset

Skills required to undertake the role:

• Relationship skills
• Risk skills
• General Corporate skills
• Leadership and team skills
• Product skills
• Communication skills 

Knowledge of the bank’s products, services and policies required to undertake the role:

• The jobholder will be required to have a detailed knowledge of the core set of Business Banking products.
• For Complex products, a good knowledge will be required sufficient to:- Recognize the changing needs of the customer. - Identify products/service that best satisfies customer need. - Introduce the product/service. - Co-ordinate the introduction of the relevant Group product specialist. - Deal with customers directly as required.
• A good knowledge of the products & services available in the Personal Sector is also required to satisfy the individual financial needs of business owners/key individuals.
• The jobholder will require a broad understanding of policies and strategies across the Group as they relate to the demands of the customer base. 

 
Knowledge, Expertise and Experience

Education

• Business degree preferred 

 
Training likely to assist effectiveness in the role, and which may have been completed prior to undertaking this role:

• Risk assessment and management
• Presentation, influencing and negotiating
• Communication 

 
Additional details of exceptional aspects of the demands of the role:

• Required to form relationships with customers, therefore minimum tenure will be 2 years.
• The jobholder will need to be able to communicate in such as way as to ensure their ongoing credibility when dealing with financial controllers of companies, in addition to owner-managers.
• The jobholder’s portfolio will consist of a full range of Business Banking customers, including the more challenging customers, who will often be subject to competitive approaches from other banks.
• Business development activity will be similarly demanding

Education

Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC): Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)