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Post Office customer service assistant

Alternative titles for this job include Post Office counter clerk

Post Office customer service assistants help customers in post offices and at counters in shops.

Average salary (a year)

£19,000 Starter

to

£27,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

30 to 37

You could work

weekends on a rota

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • applying directly

College

You could do a college course to learn some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Courses include:

  • customer service
  • principles of customer service
  • retail skills

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply to do an apprenticeship with a Post Office shop or counter service. Options include:

  • Customer Services Practitioner Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Retailer Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship

These can take around a year to complete and combine on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

More Information

Direct Application

You'll need a good standard of education with numeracy and literacy skills, alongside good customer service skills, to apply for jobs.

You will be given training in Post Office products, services and computer systems by your employer when you start.

Many post offices are run as a franchise and are part of shops selling other goods and services. Each franchise will have its own recruitment and selection methods.

More Information

Career tips

Customer service experience in retail, banking or hospitality will be helpful when applying for jobs.

Further information

You can find out more about working as a counter assistant from the Post Office.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • the ability to work well with others
  • persuading and negotiating skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to sell products and services
  • good maths skills
  • active listening skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As a Post Office customer service assistant, you could:

  • serve customers and deal with parcels, letters and stamps
  • sell financial and retail products and services to meet targets
  • pay out pensions and benefits
  • accept bill payments
  • deal with vehicle registrations and car tax
  • check passport and driving licence applications
  • sell travel insurance and foreign currency
  • carry out stock checks and order supplies
  • complete admin tasks and follow security rules

Working environment

You could work at a store.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could progress to a position in a larger branch, or become an assistant branch manager or branch manager.

You might also open up your own Post Office franchise.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Customer Service/Administrative Apprentice

  • Wage: £13,741 a year Annually
  • Location: BRIT HOUSE, HIGH STREET EAST, SCUNTHORPE

Customer Experience Specialist Service Advisor Apprentice

  • Wage: £15,704 a year Annually
  • Location: Cambridge

Courses In England

Are you interested in becoming a post office customer service assistant?

Search for training courses near you.

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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Skills assessment

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