Toni Bates

Results-driven Escalations & Complaints Specialist with over 10 years' experience in high-pressure customer service environments, specialising in end-to-end complaint and claims resolution, complex investigations, and regulated case management. Proven ability to manage high-volume caseloads, de-escalate challenging situations, and deliver fair, compliant, and timely outcomes. Experienced in handling legal escalations, executive-level complaints, and vulnerable customer cases, with a strong focus on accuracy, professionalism, and customer experience.

Escalations & Complaints Support (Remote/Hybrid) at Parcel2Go (2024-07 – Present)

• Manage a high-volume caseload of 50–100+ complaints and claims per week, taking full ownership of each case from initial escalation through to final resolution, typically within 2–3 working days depending on complexity and SLA requirements.
• Responsible for handling end-to-end complaints relating to loss, damage, service failures, and financial disputes, ensuring all cases are investigated thoroughly, resolved fairly, and closed within agreed timeframes.
• Investigate complaints by reviewing evidence across multiple systems, analysing case history, gathering supporting documentation, and identifying root cause to ensure outcomes are accurate, consistent, and defensible.
• Carry out full case management, including logging, categorising, tracking progress, and maintaining detailed and auditable records throughout the complaint lifecycle.
• Operate within a highly regulated environment, adhering to internal policies aligned with consumer rights legislation, contractual terms, and GDPR, ensuring all work is compliant, accurate, and suitable for audit or review.
• Regularly liaise with internal legal teams on complex or escalated matters, including responding to Letter Before Action (LBA) correspondence and pre-litigation complaints.
• Handle senior-level escalations, including CEO complaints (digital and postal), producing clear, structured, and professional written responses suitable for executive and legal review.
• Communicate effectively across multiple channels, including email, formal written letters, telephone, and social media platforms, adapting tone and detail to suit the customer and situation.
• Consistently meet SLA targets while managing competing priorities, maintaining high attention to detail, and ensuring a high standard of customer experience throughout.

Call Handler (Remote) at Brook Street (2024-04 – 2024-06)

• Handled high volumes of inbound calls, supporting vulnerable and elderly customers while ensuring accurate booking and record-keeping.
• Maintained performance against strict call handling KPIs in a fast-paced environment.

Customer Service Assistant (Remote) at Mercer (2023-07 – 2024-05)

• Managed pension and financial queries across multiple channels, delivering accurate, compliant outcomes while supporting vulnerable customers, particularly during bereavement cases.
• Consistently exceeded performance targets.

Customer Service Advisor at BCA (2023-02 – 2023-07)

• Handled customer queries relating to vehicle logistics and payments, working across multiple systems to ensure efficient and accurate resolution in a fast-paced environment.

Customer Service Advisor at The Contact Company (2022-10 – 2022-12)

• Delivered customer support in a target-driven remote role, managing multiple systems simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and high service standards.

Customer Advisor – Escalations & Complaints at Serco (2017-10 – 2022-10)

• Managed escalated complaints and sensitive cases in a high-volume environment, supporting vulnerable customers while maintaining compliance and professionalism.
• Provided mentoring and coaching to team members, contributing to improved performance and consistency across complaint handling processes.

Early Career Experience (Sales and customer-facing roles) at Various (2014 – 2016)

Sales and customer-facing roles across retail, fundraising, and face-to-face environments, developing strong communication, resilience, and customer engagement skills in target-driven settings.

Bachelor's Degree – The Open University

A-Levels in Photography, Media Studies, Art

GCSEs in Mathematics, English & others