This month’s CHIC BLOG is to showcase the role of the Member Services Team and how our fully managed services help support our members.
CHIC decided to regionalise the Members Services Team as we recognise that a member’s requirements can differ between regions. As we have members spread across the whole of the UK it seemed like the right decision, to ensure we continue to deliver the high level of service we strive to offer
As Head of Member Services for the North and North Wales, we asked Joanne Heyes to run through this exciting role:
I joined CHIC in August 2021 and what an exciting few years it has been, meeting new and existing members has been a pleasure. It’s my aim to ensure that CHIC is the “GO TO” consortium for Northern Housing Associations and with the full support of the CHIC team and the service we offer, we are well on the way.
A typical day can be quite difficult to explain as each day differs, which is a positive in my eyes. One of my main roles is to support our members post contract. Offering support through mobilisation, service reviews and demobilisation. With the assistance of the whole CHIC team, our managed service approach is a great asset to our members who rely on our experience and expertise to support their call off contracts. It is a key feature within my role.
It’s essential that as part of the role I understand the CHIC products and services to ensure that when I am meeting new or existing members, I can propose the most appropriate and suitable solution for them. Whether that be a Direct Award through one of our Frameworks, supported by a robust business case, or a mini competition through a Framework or DPS. Each member and their particular requirements are different so it’s essential we listen, learn and gather accurate information from the member so the right proposal and solution is achieved.
Spreading the word that CHIC products and services can be used by Northern members is a key part of my role and I do this in many ways. Attending key events either as a delegate or speaker, or even organising our own ‘meet the consortium’ event, it really depends upon the region. But CHIC’s amazing marketing team is on hand to support all this.
Of course, the role isn’t just about support and business development, there are day to day tasks that need to be completed such as updating our pipeline, reports to management and following up on meeting actions, but with our internal management systems and good working practices, these tasks are becoming more and more efficient.
We also get together every 6 weeks for our team meeting. This is a chance to catch up with the full CHIC team, learn about how the business is going and meet any colleagues who I haven’t managed to catch up with via teams. It’s great to see the full team together, in person.
In summary, the role is about offering a great service to our members, being open and honest about what we can do to help and then ensuring the service offered is delivered through the life span of their membership.
We are currently recruiting for a Head of Member Services (East). If you would like more information, please visit our website: https://www.chicltd.co.uk/recruitment/chic-head-of-member-services-east/
