PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The Customer Service Manager is responsible for managing and overseeing the organizations customer service operations, ensuring that policyholders, beneficiaries, brokers, intermediaries, and other customers receive timely, professional, accurate, and consistent service throughout the insurance lifecycle.

The role is responsible for establishing and maintaining high service standards, managing customer enquiries and requests, overseeing complaints and escalations, and ensuring that agreed service levels and regulatory requirements are consistently met.

Operating within a regulated international financial centre environment, the Customer Service Manager will ensure that customer-facing activities are conducted in accordance with applicable regulatory, compliance, conduct, data protection, and internal policy requirements. The role will also drive operational improvements to enhance service efficiency, customer satisfaction, and service quality.

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Manage the day-to-day customer service function and ensure efficient delivery of customer-facing services.
- Establish, implement, and monitor customer service standards, procedures, SLAs, and performance targets.
- Oversee customer enquiries and requests relating to policies, premiums, payments, endorsements, renewals, documentation, claims, and general policy servicing.
- Ensure customer enquiries are handled accurately, professionally, and within agreed turnaround times.
- Manage 360 service channels including telephone, email, online platforms, written correspondence, and intermediary channels.
- Lead and develop the customer service team, including resource planning, workload allocation, performance management, coaching, and training.
- Monitor team productivity, service levels, quality scores, turnaround times, response times, and customer satisfaction.
- Establish effective escalation procedures for complex, sensitive, or high-priority customer matters.
- Oversee the management and resolution of customer complaints in accordance with internal procedures and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Ensure complaints are appropriately recorded, investigated, resolved, and reported within required timelines.
- Coordinate with Claims, Underwriting, Policy Administration, Finance, Compliance, Risk, Legal, IT, and Distribution teams to resolve customer issues efficiently.
- Act as an escalation point for high-value, complex, or sensitive customer and intermediary cases.
- Ensure customers receive clear, accurate, and timely information regarding their policies, coverage, claims, payments, and service requests.
- Ensure customer communications and service practices are consistent with approved policies, procedures, regulatory requirements,



and customer conduct standards.
- Monitor service failures, recurring customer issues, and operational bottlenecks and implement corrective and preventive actions.
- Develop and maintain customer service procedures, knowledge guides, FAQs, scripts, templates, and escalation matrices.
- Ensure appropriate customer records, correspondence, case notes, and supporting documentation are maintained.
- Monitor adherence to data protection, confidentiality, information security, and record-retention requirements.
- Prepare regular customer service performance reports and dashboards for management, highlighting KPIs, trends, complaints, risks, and improvement opportunities.
- Analyze customer service data to identify recurring issues and recommend process improvements.
- Work with the Customer Experience function to translate customer feedback and insights into operational service improvements.
- Support the implementation of digital and self-service solutions designed to improve service accessibility and efficiency.
- Participate in internal audits, regulatory reviews, compliance assessments, and management reviews relating to customer service activities.
- Ensure appropriate business continuity and contingency arrangements are in place for critical customer service activities.
- Maintain awareness of changes in insurance regulations, customer conduct expectations, and industry practices affecting customer service operations.
- Promote a skilled, customer-focused, compliant, and service-oriented culture within the team.

KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

- Strong knowledge of customer service operations within the insurance or financial services industry.
- Good understanding of the insurance policy lifecycle, including quotation, onboarding, underwriting, policy issuance, endorsements, renewals, payments, claims, and policy closure.
- Understanding of insurance products, policy terms, coverage, exclusions, and general servicing requirements.
- Knowledge of customer complaint handling, escalation, investigation, and resolution processes.
- Good understanding of service-level management, operational KPIs, quality assurance, and performance management.
- Knowledge of customer conduct and fair-treatment principles applicable to regulated insurance businesses.




- Understanding of the regulatory and compliance environment applicable to insurers operating within an international financial centre.
- Awareness of regulatory expectations relating to customer communications, complaints, transparency, disclosure, and customer outcomes.
- Knowledge of CRM, case management, contact centre, ticketing, and customer service systems.
- Understanding of data protection, confidentiality, information security, and appropriate handling of customer information.
- Knowledge of operational risk, internal controls, and business continuity principles.
- Good understanding of broker and intermediary servicing requirements.
- Awareness of digital and omnichannel customer service practices.
- Knowledge of continuous improvement and service quality methodologies

SKILLS REQUIRED

- Strong customer service and customer relationship management skills.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Strong leadership and people-management capabilities.
- Ability to manage, motivate, coach, and develop customer service teams.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Excellent complaint handling, conflict resolution, and escalation management skills.
- Ability to remain calm and professional when dealing with difficult, sensitive, or high-priority customer situations.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to manage high volumes of customer enquiries while maintaining accuracy and service quality.
- Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Ability to interpret operational and customer service data and convert findings into practical actions.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
- Ability to work within defined policies, procedures, controls, and regulatory requirements.
- Strong commercial awareness and understanding of the relationship between service quality, customer retention, reputation, and business performance.
- Strong written documentation and report-writing skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and relevant CRM, customer service, case management, and reporting systems.
- Ability to operate effectively in a multicultural and internationally focused environment.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

- 5–8 years of relevant professional experience, preferably within insurance, banking, financial services, or another regulated industry.
- Minimum 2–3 years of experience in a customer service supervisory or management role.
- Proven experience managing customer service teams and day-to-day customer-facing operations.

EDUCATION / PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS / CERTIFICATIONS

Master’s degree in Business Administration, Insurance, Finance, Marketing, Customer Experience, Communications, or a related discipline.

📌 Customer Service Manager (Gandhinagar)
🏢 HDFC Life
📍 Gandhinagar