Customer Relations Manager

**Company description**The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. We do this by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. We operate in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines - and have an ambitious expansion plan to bring a little bit of Sweden to new markets in the region. We are part of the Ikano Group of companies and the only IKEA franchisee owned by the Kamprad family that founded IKEA.We also develop, own and operate Shopping Centres that are anchored by IKEA and create walkable communities by including residential, office and other types of real estate in our development plans.We work towards making sustainability a natural part of our everyday work. We are active in our communities, driving and supporting social initiatives that benefit children, women and the environment.**Job description**PURPOSE OF FUNCTION:To build and retain a long-lasting relationship with new and existing customers in a multichannel retail environment by:- Valuing and fulfilling customer needs and expectations thereby stimulating more and more frequent visits.- Understanding customer motivation and expectations, and play an active role in turning them into commercial opportunities.- Ensuring a positive shopping experience that creates trust in the IKEA Brand before, during and after their visit. This shall happen by working in partnership with all business functions to contribute to commercial growth.PURPOSE OF JOB:To ensure a positive and joyful shopping experience for all IKEA visitors and customers. This includes in particular:- Ensuring an overall customer easy buying process and a positive shopping experience.- Ensuring that the appropriate customer relations' processes and tools are implemented.- Ensuring the related strategies are translated into action.ASSIGNMENT:Ensure the customer focus and relevant business plans relate and come together in a local action plan that is operationally implemented and fulfilled.Drive a customer-focused culture throughout the complete market and secure an overall inspiring shopping experience where it is always for customers easy to shop.Ensure the building of business competence by supporting managers and team leaders in setting and working on relevant goals and agreed development plans.Influence the unit management team with customer insights that will allow it to base business decisions on customer expectations.Responsible for identifying and removing hindrances in order to secure an easy buying experience, a positive shopping experience and easy payment and after-sales fulfilment.Support commercial initiatives and priorities before, during and after the shopping experience.Identify and develop the many talents in the unit and within the department to secure succession planning.Establish and maintain service agreements with internal stakeholders (including customer support) and external partners in order to protect operational standards and help safeguard the IKEA culture.Plan and determine which departmental resources and investments are required in order to achieve operational excellence in balance with customer expectations.Secure and monitor the department is working according to internal, global and national rules and policies, IKEA best practise and in accordance with local legislation**Qualification**JOB-SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE:Solid understanding of the easy buying experience.Cost and budget management.Proven leadership skills in a people-centric organisation.Talent management, i.e. recruitment and development.Change management.IKEA Brand, IKEA culture and values.Retail market customer insights, including sources.Relevant customer relations processes, tools and working methods.Legal requirements and third-party contracts.MOTIVATION:Be passionate about customers and act to ensure a positive shopping experience.The IKEA values truly reflect personal values.Passionate about leading business through people.Enjoy working in a fast-paced and future-oriented retail environment.Passionate about home furnishing, people's life at home and the IKEA range of products and services.CAPABILITIES:Ability to align customer needs and expectations with business needs.Good communication, negotiation and influencing skills.Ability to find solutions for customer and operational issues.Good social skills with a high level of accessibility.Ability to make things happen with flexibility, speed and simplicityPREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:Sound understanding of business and a background gained from working in a customer-focused, fast-paced and multichannel retail environment.Experienced in creating and implementing mid-term plans, setting budgets and following up goals.Proven experience of being a valuable contributor to customer satisfaction and business unit results.Self-reliant