Peter Cooper Volkswagen Shirley Service Advisor Apprenticeship
PETER COOPER MOTOR GROUP LIMITED
Southampton (SO15 3JD)
Closes in 17 days (Thursday 12 February 2026)
Posted on 23 January 2026
Contents
Summary
Our Customer Service Advisors are the main point of contact for customers when their vehicles are with us for maintenance or repair.
We are looking for passionate, enthusiastic apprentices to join our team and help us to deliver a customer service experience that will delight our customers and encourage their continued loyalty.
- Wage
-
£15,704 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Customer service practitioner (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday – Friday. 0830 – 1730.
Possibility of Saturday workings and / or shifts.
Working week will be confirmed on application.
40 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 23 March 2026
- Duration
-
1 year
- 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
The Service department is vital to the success of our business. Our Customer Service Advisors play a pivotal role in delighting our customers and encouraging their continued loyalty.
This is a varied role where you will work with all departments, bringing a friendly and energetic approach to your daily work.
Every day is different within the Service Department, so the role will vary. Some duties on a day-to-day basis may include:
- Customer Service: Arranging bookings and appointments, talking to customers both face to face and on the phone, communicating with the customer throughout the time that their vehicle is with us.
- Administration: Completion of relevant paperwork for customer service and centre records, preparation of invoices, processing of warranty claims.
- Teamwork: Liaison with all the relevant departments, including workshop and management, to deliver an amazing customer experience.
- Promotion: Assisting with the sale of accessories and service plans.
Our ideal Customer Service Advisor apprentice will be an outgoing, confident, and approachable problem solver who can deliver excellent customer service.
We are looking for people who are passionate about our industry and our brand. Some of the personal skills that you should think about showing us in your application are:
- Enthusiasm and willingness to learn.
- Teamwork.
- Strong communication.
- Customer Service.
We are looking for an enthusiastic, hardworking individual to join our team and embark on a long-term career, with excellent earning and progression opportunities once you complete your apprenticeship.
Where you'll work
381 Shirley Road
Southampton
SO15 3JD
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
INSPIRO LEARNING LIMITED
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
Training will be delivered using a combination of virtual classroom remote learning and face-to-face block release weeks at our state-of-the-art training centre.
Successful applicants must be prepared to travel to the Volkswagen Group National Learning Centre, in Milton Keynes, to complete their apprenticeship training. All training-related costs are fully covered as part of the programme, including travel, accommodation, and meals.
In the workplace, your personal, dedicated mentor will support your continued learning as you apply the skills and knowledge you have gained through the remote sessions and at the Volkswagen Group National Learning Centre.
This is a fully rounded training experience where you will build life skills that last and gain both apprenticeship qualifications and brand certifications.
On successful completion of the one-year programme, you will receive the following:
- Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner Standard.
- Brand specific certifications.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 9 – 4 (A – C))
- Maths (grade 9 – 4 (A – C))
- Other Subject (grade 9 – 4 (A – C))
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Administrative skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
Other requirements
The latest information on the Apprentice National Minimum Wage can be found at https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice/pay-and-conditions
As part of our commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, all applications are automatically anonymised by our recruitment system. This is with the aim of realising our ambition to have a workforce that is reflective of the community we serve and eliminating unconscious bias, allowing employees to be appointed based on their talent, skills, and experiences regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.
English and Maths guidance from the government changed on 11th February 2025. This employer wishes to support upskilling in both English and Maths by exception and as such the entry grade criteria as advertised still applies.
The closing date for this vacancy is 12th February and interviews are expected to be held 19th February. We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a sufficient number of applications. We therefore advise candidates to submit their applications as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Please do not contact the retailer directly. Inspiro Learning carry out the full recruitment service for this employer. Due to the high number of applications, we cannot provide a timescale on when you are likely to receive a response. As most of our roles are recruited for on an ongoing basis, we will contact you if you are successful at progressing to the next step. It is not possible for us to contact every applicant individually. If you have not heard back on a specific vacancy but find another opportunity that is of interest to you, we welcome an additional application.
About this employer
Throughout Volkswagen we have a rigorous commitment to quality and excellence. Our products are highly acclaimed, our processes for distribution and support services are world class and we have some of the most technologically advanced resources in any industry.
The Volkswagen Apprenticeship Programme is designed to train and develop apprentices to keep pace with advancing technology and high levels of customer service. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity to receive formal qualifications through extensive product training whilst in full-time employment at one of our retailers.
After this apprenticeship
Volkswagen Group (VWG) is one of the UK’s largest car retailers encompassing premium brands such as Audi, Bentley, SEAT, ŠKODA, Volkswagen, TPS, Volkswagen Group Paint and Body and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. This network of retailers spans the UK, providing a wide range of career opportunities.
Once your apprenticeship is complete, you will continue your learning journey, and you will have the opportunity to drive your career forward. Once qualified, the earning potential for a Customer Service Assistant is between £20,000 and £30,000, so it is worth considering the future opportunities beyond the apprenticeship. Some of our apprentices have gone on to become team leaders and managers within the retail network or even joined our team at Head Office in Milton Keynes.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
INSPIRO LEARNING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000010529.
Apply now
Closes in 17 days (Thursday 12 February 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.