Customer Service and Loyalty Manager - HEAD OFFICE (CAPE TOWN CBD)

We are seeking an experienced head of Loyalty, Customer service and research to drive our journey to becoming a customer-led, digital-first and data driven organisation that can effectively build on the success of the 1^st year of the loyalty programme and a well-established customer service department. Inspire and lead these teams to new hights. The incumbent will be wholly responsible to ensure growth and monetization of the loyalty program and ensure that we create meaningful customer experience for omnichannel customers.

You will be working across divisions such as IT, Bi and e-Commerce to better harness data and make customer-centric decisions to create meaningful customer experiences. The role requires the incumbent to lead and inspire both loyalty and customer service teams while collaborating with our brand, digital, e-Commerce and merchandise teams to initiate and support the company’s strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and managing the loyalty program to enhance customer retention and increase frequency. This includes strategizing the structure of the loyalty program, setting rewards, and analysing data to optimize its effectiveness.
• Continuously evolve the loyalty programme to create newness and keep it attractive for customers to feel valued.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Implementing CRM systems and strategies to build and maintain strong relationships with customers. This involves capturing customer data, analyzing customer behavior, and using insights to personalize marketing efforts and improve overall customer experience.
• Partner with Brand teams to identify priority analyses to improve results of future marketing activations. Inform Business Units on how to leverage marketing Direct Marketing to help meet growth targets.
• Customer Service Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive customer service strategy that aligns with the company's values and goals. This includes establishing service standards, empowering team members through internal and external training programs, and continuously evaluating and improving customer service processes.
• Complaint Resolution: Handling customer complaints and escalations effectively and efficiently. This involves ensuring that customers' concerns are addressed promptly and satisfactorily to maintain their loyalty.
• Feedback Management: Gathering customer feedback through various channels (e.g., surveys, research, etc) and using this feedback to identify areas for improvement in products, services, and customer experience.
• Performance Tracking and Analysis: Monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) related to customer loyalty and satisfaction, such as customer retention rate, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and customer lifetime value (CLV). Analysing data to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
• Analyse customer data & formulate campaigns to understand how marketing channels can better drive conversion as well as lifetime value.
• Utilize analysis to inform and influence business and marketing teams in catalysing eCommerce & in store marketing performance.
• Innovation and Adaptation: Staying abreast of industry trends and best practices in loyalty programs and customer service. Continuously innovating and adapting strategies to meet evolving customer needs and preferences.
• Team Leadership: Leading and motivating a team of customer service representatives and loyalty program managers to ensure they are equipped with the necessary skills and resources to deliver exceptional service and drive loyalty.
• Compliance and Ethics: Ensuring that all loyalty program activities and customer service practices comply with relevant laws, regulations, and ethical standards. This includes safeguarding customer privacy and maintaining transparency in program terms and conditions.
• Contribute to the development of the marketing analytics capability with a focus on finding creative solutions to analysis and measurement, including tool customization.
• Follow industry and emerging best practices in shaping the marketing analytics capability including a focus on data organization, data quality, documentation, and ongoing process improvement.

Requirements

Experience && Qualifications

• An Undergraduate Degree (minimum)
• At least 5 year’s experience in working with data, loyalty and customer service teams as a means to generate marketing and business insights
• At least 5 years’ experience in Retail

Requirements

• Strong Analytical abilities & Cross-channel customer data analysis
• Experience in customer journey mapping and insight generation as applied to direct marketing campaigns
• Experience in Customer Experience & Loyalty Strategy development & implementation. The ideal background will include direct to consumer-focused experience in these areas.
• Experience in Customer segmentation – Strategy, Reporting & Business application
• Should have a sound understanding of Salesforce (CRM)
• Strong project management skills
• An agile leadership approach with strategic thinking and innovative problem-solving skills
• In-depth knowledge and experience of optimizing social /digital media platforms, including setting and performance targets and budget management
• Team player, with strong relationship building management (both internal and external) and the confidence to take the lead and guide the team and other departments as well as change management experience
• Ability to effectively communicate information and ideas in written and verbal format.
• Good technical understanding with the appetite and ability to learn and adapt to new tools quickly
• Experience in driving content & customer strategies from the fore
• Research, recommend, and implement new opportunities to advertise and promote the company and its products through digital marketing channels and other related technologies and media

Personal Skills/Attributes

• An emotionally intelligent, inspiring leader
• A strategic mind-set
• An effective public speaker
• An affinity for data-driven customer insights
• Customer obsessed

Please note: The Cape Union Mart Group is committed to transformation. Appointments and promotions will be made based on candidates who best meet the requirements for the position. Preference will be given to candidates who will enhance the diversity of the team, aligned to our Employment Equity plan.