Customer Service Apprentice

SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY LIMITED

Recruiting nationally

Closes in 30 days (Friday 31 October 2025)

Posted on 30 September 2025

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Summary

To provide the skills, knowledge and behaviours to be able to provide all of our customers with a quality end to end customer experience and make a positive contribution to the communities we serve. Our Apprenticeship provides the perfect way to earn while you gain paramount work experience and nationally recognised qualifications.

Wage

Competitive

Competitive wage offered

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salary increase on successful completion of first year

Training course
Customer service practitioner (level 2)
Hours
Monday to Friday - with some flexibility, working hours TBC

37 hours a week

Start date

Monday 14 September 2026

Duration

2 years

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

  • Know the purpose of the business and what SWR ‘brand values and promises are and proudly showcase them
  • Help deliver improvements for our customers
  • Understand the different needs and priorities of our customers
  • Whenever possible anticipate our customers' needs
  • Build trust with our customers
  • Treat internal and external customers as individuals to provide a personalised customer service experience
  • Proactively promote our products and services

Where you'll work

Successful applicant will work at one of the station across the South Western Railway Network closest to home.

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

SOUTH HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE GROUP

Training course

Customer service practitioner (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Use a range of questioning skills, including listening and responding in a way that builds rapport, determines customer needs and expectations and achieves positive engagement and delivery.
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication skills, along with summarising language during face-to-face communications; and/or
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use appropriate communication skills, along with reinforcement techniques (to confirm understanding) during non-facing customer interactions.
  • Depending on your job role and work environment: Use an appropriate ‘tone of voice’ in all communications, including written and digital, that reflect the organisation’s brand.
  • Provide clear explanations and offer options in order to help customers make choices that are mutually beneficial to both the customer and your organisation.
  • Be able to organise yourself, prioritise your own workload/activity and work to meet deadlines.
  • Demonstrate patience and calmness.
  • Show you understand the customer’s point of view.
  • Use appropriate sign-posting or resolution to meet your customers needs and manage expectations.
  • Maintain informative communication during service recovery.

Training schedule

Customer Service Practitioner Level 2.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4)
  • Maths (grade 4)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Organisation skills
  • Customer care skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Team working
  • Flexibility

About this employer

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

https://careers.southwesternrailway.com (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent) 75% discount on many other train operating companies Excellent pension scheme

Disability Confident

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Multiple opportunities for career progression on successful completion of this apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

SOUTH HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE GROUP

swrapprenticeships@swrailway.com

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000344335.

Apply now

Closes in 30 days (Friday 31 October 2025)

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