Apprenticeship training course

Financial services customer adviser (level 3)

There are 8 training providers who offer this course.

Information about Financial services customer adviser (level 3)

provides financial information across a wide range of financial products, supporting customers and resolving queries or issues.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • The structure of the financial services industry including the role of their organisation and relevant financial services professionals and product providers and how they support stakeholders.
  • The impact of external environmental factors on the Financial Services industry, their organisation and their role.
  • The financial services legal and regulatory frameworks and where relevant, how they apply to your role, including the impact and consequences of non-compliance.
  • Professional standards and best practice in financial services and how these are applied through organisational policies and procedures in line with internal policy, environment and regulatory guidelines as appropriate.
  • Approaches to risk and governance in Financial Services and how these impact on their role, such as, the difference between providing customers with information and advice, the difference between regulated and non-regulated products, escalation procedures, conduct risk, training and competence, complaints, and fraud prevention.
  • The principles of customer service, organisational duty to consumers and how to apply this to deliver positive relationships for key stakeholders, such as knowing your customer, treating your customers fairly and dealing with vulnerable customers.
  • Communication techniques including active listening, questioning techniques, identifying and supporting vulnerable customers including when to escalate for further assistance in line with organisational policies and procedures.
  • Financial services digital systems, software, tools and processes, such as digital banking solutions and the use of interactive communication and collaborative tools, used to support customer service and advice.
  • Principles of digital security including obtaining, sharing and storing customer information safely and securely and risks to data from cybercrime.
  • Principles of data protection and the relevance for delivering customer service
  • Workflow management, key performance indicators and their impact on productivity and customer service outcomes.
  • The team strategy and objectives and the roles of different members of the team, including your own role, in delivering those objectives.
  • Green and sustainable policies and practices in the finance sector and how to minimise negative environmental impacts within the role and wider organisation.
  • Principles of equity diversity and inclusion and their relevance for customer service delivery and collaborative relationships with stakeholders.
  • Principles of continuing professional development (CPD) within the financial services industry and the impact of learning to their personal, professional and career development.
  • Emerging technology within financial services and the possible impact to your role, team and organisation.

  Skills

  • Apply organisational or industry practice, in line with regulatory and legal frameworks, to achieve optimal outcomes for stakeholders.
  • Adhere to organisation policies and procedures by working within own authority and escalate where required
  • Identify customer requirements and select appropriate financial services or products to achieve appropriate outcomes for customer.
  • Communicate with customers and colleagues through a variety of channels, using active listening and language that is meaningful to the recipient, for example, written reports, presentations, phone, face-to-face, email or digital channels.
  • Use appropriate questioning techniques to understand customer needs, gain insight and information to inform decision making and suggest solutions.
  • Establish customer relationships applying principles of equity diversity and inclusion to deliver a personalised customer service taking account of vulnerability.
  • Support the resolution of customer dissatisfaction in line with organisational or industry practice, escalating in line with organisational procedures as needed.
  • Coach and assist customers to access and use appropriate digital solutions to meet their financial service’s needs.
  • Comply with current data legislation and organisational policies including when handling sensitive customer data and using digital systems and processes to service customer and organisation needs.
  • Plan and organise workload to meet commitments using recognised time management methods in line with organisation expectations.
  • Build and maintain collaborative working relationships with a range of colleagues and customers to deliver positive outcomes.
  • Identify opportunities for improvement and support activities to improve performance and service
  • Act on feedback to improve personal performance, contribute to team performance and take ownership of own development to build competency.
  • Handle data safely and securely and share information in compliance with data protection legislation and organisation’s policy.

  Behaviours

  • Act in a professional and ethical manner, maintaining confidentiality and acting with due care and diligence by adhering to organisational standards.
  • Display a growth mindset and uses own initiative, takes responsibility for the quality of work, and actively participates in problem solving.
  • Resilience in adapting to change and in challenging situations and demonstrates flexibility in response to shifting work priorities.
  • Demonstrate empathy, consider the reaction of others, ensure fair customer outcomes are central to all decisions including adherence to the organisation's diversity and inclusion policies and an unbiased approach to supporting customers.
  • Take personal responsibility for ongoing professional development opportunities.
  • Acts with due care and diligence to maintain client confidentiality and complies with data protection regulations.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Legal, finance and accounting
• Qualification level: 3; Equal to A level
• Course duration: 18 months
• Funding: £11,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Client service advisor
  • Customer service - personal banker
  • Customer service executive
  • Customer service representative - key accounts
  • Customer service support
  • Finance worker
  • Financial services customer contact centre advisor
  • Senior customer service specialist
  • Senior private client advisor

View more information about Financial services customer adviser (level 3) from Skills England.