Customer Relations Assistant

Overview

Job Title: Customer Relations Assistant - General Purpose Relief
Business Function: Customer & Commercial
Salary: £23,970 during your first 6 months of training, rising to £29,139, plus overtime opportunities and mileage allowance where applicable
Grade: RSA
Role Type: Customer Service
Location: Blackpool - covering Morecambe, St Annes, Kirkham & Wesham and Poulton Le Fylde
Hours: Full Time

Are you passionate about people and love helping others? We’re on the lookout for a Customer Relations Assistant at Blackpool (GPR) to join our dedicated Station Teams across the West Region. As the face of Northern, you’ll provide essential support and information to our customers, ensuring their journey is smooth from start to finish. If you thrive in a role where every day is different, love solving problems, and enjoy being part of a friendly and supportive team — we’d love to hear from you!

• Be the go-to person for customer advice on journey times, service delays, tickets, fares, and reservations
• Ensure our stations remain safe, clean, and welcoming at all times
• Handle challenging or complex customer queries with confidence and care
• Maintain compliance through internal checks and procedures
• Passenger assistance support
• Oversee ticketing, stores, and leaflet stock levels
• Manage station finances, including cash handling and preparing for banking
• Provide vital support during service disruption to minimise customer impact
• Ensure all station promotional materials are accurate and up to date

• A genuine passion for delivering exceptional customer service
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong IT literacy and the ability to learn new systems
• Confidence to work independently and handle responsibility
• Willingness to work shifts, including evenings and weekends, with flexibility around rosters that can change up to 48 hours prior (including location)
• Commitment to working as part of a General Purpose Relief (GPR) team — covering multiple stations
• A Guaranteed Sunday Rest Day (GPR) – unless rostered to work that day

• Free Travel:
  Unlimited free travel for you, your partner, and your dependents on Northern services. Plus up to 75% discount on other networks in the UK and Europe.
• Generous Pension Scheme:
  We top up your contributions by 1.5 times.
• Enhanced Family Benefits: 9 months of full pay for maternity leave and 2 weeks for paternity leave.
• Cycle to Work Scheme:
  Save up to 42% on a bike and spread the cost.
• Electric Car Scheme:
  Lease a brand new electric or plug-in hybrid car.
• Exclusive Discounts:
  From shopping to wellbeing, Northern Perks has you covered.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support for family, lifestyle, and more.
• Training and Career Development:
  Tailored training and opportunities to gain recognised qualifications; enhanced career pathways across the business.
• Recognition:
  Northern Lights and Northern Sparks Awards to recognise and celebrate excellence.

We may close this role early if we receive high volumes of applications, so don’t delay — apply today! However, if you miss the application window for this particular role, please keep checking back for other opportunities. We are always on the lookout for great people to join the Northern Team!

We’re more than just a train operator. We’re the heartbeat of the North—connecting communities, creating opportunities, and driving sustainable growth. With 2,500 trains running daily, we’re on a mission to improve rail travel and enhance the customer experience while protecting the environment. Back in 1825, the first passenger train set off in the North of England, after which rail quickly spread across the globe — and this year, we’re celebrating 200 years of the modern railway.

As we look back on the historic events that led us here, we also look towards the future as we move into the era of Great British Rail. Join us at this pivotal moment in rail history and play your part in our journey.

A place for everyone:
The best journeys happen when everyone feels welcome on board. At Northern, we don’t just move people from A to B—we’re building a team where everyone feels they belong. Our talent team can make reasonable adjustments to the process if that’s something you need. We’re also a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, so if you meet the minimum criteria for the role, we’ll always offer an interview.

We automate parts of our screening process to remove unconscious bias and to ensure every application is treated fairly. All successful offers will be subject to a DBS check and a medical assessment. No matter your background or location, there’s a place for you here in the railway.