Customer Service Specialist

About Avoca

Avoca is one of Ireland's most exciting retail and lifestyle brands, renowned for our heritage, food markets, fashion, cafes, and e-commerce store. We are committed to delivering exceptional experiences both online and in-store, and our Customer Service team plays a vital role in ensuring every interaction reflects the warmth, quality, and care of the Avoca brand.

Role Purpose

The Customer Service Specialist will be the first point of contact for Avoca customers across our digital and retail channels. They will manage enquiries, resolve complaints, and ensure that every customer feels valued. The role requires excellent communication skills, empathy, and the ability to triage a wide range of issues, from e-commerce orders to in-store feedback, and food quality & safety queries.

Key Responsibilities

Handle customer enquiries and complaints across email, phone, and live chat, ensuring timely and empathetic responses.

Manage customer service tickets within Zendesk, including accurate tagging, categorisation, and escalation where required.

Support both e-commerce customers (orders, delivery, returns, product information) and retail store customers (in-store experiences, product queries).

Triage and route food quality and safety tickets to the appropriate subject matter experts (Food Safety, Operations, or Store GMs).

Investigate and resolve customer complaints, balancing brand reputation with fair and compliant solutions.

Monitor service-level agreements (SLAs), ensuring queries are resolved within agreed timeframes.

Capture and share recurring customer feedback and insights with relevant teams (Buying, Marketing, Operations) to support continuous improvement.

Assist with seasonal demand peaks (e.g. Christmas, Black Friday) to ensure service quality is maintained.

Maintain accurate and up-to-date knowledge of Avoca's products, services, and policies.

Contribute to the development of customer service processes, macros, and knowledge base content.

Skills & Experience

Essential

Minimum 2 years' experience in a customer service or customer-facing role.

Strong communication skills (written and verbal), with excellent attention to detail.

Proven ability to handle complaints and challenging customer interactions with empathy and professionalism.

Experience working across multiple channels (phone, email, live chat).

Organised and able to prioritise tasks effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Strong problem-solving skills with a customer-first mindset.

Desirable

Experience with Zendesk or similar customer service / ticketing platforms.

Previous experience in e-commerce or retail environments.

Familiarity with food quality and safety processes in a retail or hospitality setting.

Ability to interpret customer insights and feedback to inform business improvements.

Personal Attributes

Warm, approachable, and customer-focused.

Calm under pressure and resilient when handling escalations.

Team player, comfortable collaborating with cross-functional colleagues.

Curious and proactive in learning about Avoca's products, services, and heritage.

Why work with us?

We're always on the lookout for like-minded folks to join our merry band of men and women. So, apart from coming to work with your amazing teammates every day, we also offer the following benefits :

Pension Scheme

Professional Development

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee Referral Bonus

Family Friendly Policies

Life Assurance Benefit

Cycle To Work Scheme

Health & Wellness Programmes

Staff Discount

Training on Zendesk, food safety ticket routing, and e-commerce systems

A collaborative and supportive team culture

Opportunity to be part of an iconic Irish brand with a rich heritage

Avoca is an equal opportunities employer