Customer Service & Sales Assistant

Overview

Who Are We

At aparto, we're more than just student accommodation, we're a community that acts as a home-away-from-home for students across Europe. We understand that university life is a significant transition for many, often marking the first time they've lived away from their families. That's why we strive to make aparto not just a place to stay, but a vibrant, supportive environment where students can make lifelong friends, discover new possibilities, and have experiences that will shape their futures.

Responsibilities

The Customer Service Assistant is at the heart of the resident experience at aparto, providing a warm, welcoming and professional service to residents, prospective residents, parents, visitors and partners.

As a key member of the property team, the role supports the day-to-day operation of the property across customer service, leasing, administration, community engagement and property standards. Customer Service Assistants are often the first point of contact for our residents and play an important role in creating a safe, welcoming community where students feel at home.

The role also contributes directly to the commercial success of the property by responding to enquiries, conducting viewings, supporting the leasing journey and ensuring every prospective resident receives an excellent experience.

Customer Service & Resident Experience

• Provide a warm, welcoming and professional front-of-house experience for residents, prospective residents, parents, visitors and partners.

• Act as a first point of contact for resident enquiries, requests and concerns, taking ownership where possible and escalating appropriately when required.

• Respond to enquiries across reception, telephone, email and other communication channels in a timely and professional manner.

• Build positive relationships with residents and develop a strong understanding of their needs.

• Support residents throughout their journey with aparto, including arrival, living experience, rebooking and departure.

• Support the handling of complaints and sensitive resident matters, escalating to the Assistant Manager or General Manager where appropriate.

• Maintain a welcoming, professional and well-presented reception and customer-facing environment.

Leasing & Commercial Performance

• Respond promptly to prospective resident enquiries and proactively follow up opportunities to support occupancy and revenue targets.

• Conduct engaging property tours and viewings, showcasing the property, aparto experience and local area.

• Support the resident booking and leasing journey, ensuring information and documentation are accurate and completed within agreed timescales.

• Support rebooking and renewal activity and actively promote available accommodation.

• Participate in open days, accommodation fairs, university activity and local marketing initiatives as required.

• Maintain accurate prospect and leasing information within aparto systems.

• Develop awareness of the local student market, universities and competitor activity and share relevant insight with the property team.

• Identify appropriate opportunities to promote additional services and revenue streams.

Community & Engagement

• Support the planning, promotion and delivery of resident events, wellbeing initiatives and community activities.

• Encourage resident participation and help create an inclusive community aligned with Service, Belonging & Community.

• Support property communications and appropriate digital and social content as required.

• Represent aparto positively within the property and local community.

Property Operations

• Support the smooth day-to-day operation of the property and assist the wider team during busy operational periods.

• Record resident maintenance requests accurately and ensure they are communicated, tracked and escalated appropriately.

• Liaise with maintenance colleagues, contractors and suppliers as required and keep residents informed about progress.

• Support property inspections and ensure identified issues are recorded and escalated.

• Support move-in, move-out, summer turnaround and other key operational periods.

• Help maintain high standards of presentation across reception, communal areas, show rooms and other customer-facing spaces.

• Support parcel, key/access and other resident services in accordance with local property procedures.

Administration & Financial Support

• Maintain accurate resident, booking and property information across aparto systems.

• Support resident administration, documentation and correspondence throughout the customer journey.

• Assist with rent collection and outstanding balances, escalating arrears or payment issues appropriately.

• Support property financial administration including resident charges, purchase orders, invoices and other transactions as required.

• Prepare and maintain accurate records and information to support property reporting.

• Ensure personal and resident information is handled securely and in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Support the property team in maintaining a safe environment for residents, colleagues and visitors.

• Complete required operational and safety checks as trained and directed.

• Identify and report hazards, incidents, accidents, near misses and other safety concerns promptly.

• Follow aparto health and safety procedures, emergency arrangements and local regulatory requirements.

• Support property inspections, audits and compliance activity as required.

• Ensure security and access procedures are followed and escalate concerns appropriately.

Team & Continuous Improvement

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the property to deliver an excellent resident experience.

• Support the Assistant Manager and General Manager with operational priorities as required.

• Take ownership of assigned tasks and follow through to completion.

• Actively contribute ideas and feedback to improve customer experience, processes and property performance.

• Participate in training and development and maintain required mandatory training.

• Demonstrate aparto's values of Service, Belonging & Community in day-to-day interactions and decisions.

Qualifications

Person Specification

• Previous experience in customer service, hospitality, student accommodation, residential, retail or another customer-focused environment.

• A genuine passion for delivering excellent customer service and creating positive experiences.

• Friendly, approachable and confident communicating with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Commercial awareness and confidence supporting sales, viewings and prospective customers.

• Good organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a busy environment.

• Comfortable using IT systems and digital communication tools.

• Good attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records.

• Proactive and solutions-focused, with the confidence to use initiative while knowing when to escalate.

• Able to handle sensitive or challenging situations professionally and with empathy.

• Collaborative team player who is willing to support colleagues and contribute to the wider property operation.

• Flexible approach to working hours, including evenings or weekends where required during key operational periods.

Closing

At Hines, we strive for excellence as a leading global real estate investment manager, driven by our by our belief that real estate is fundamentally about people. Our diverse portfolio spans $93.2 billion¹ of assets across such property types as living, office, retail, mixed-use, logistics and life science projects – all designed to enhance value, connection and inspiration. Our strategic approach integrates local expertise with global knowledge, taking calculated risks aligned with our convictions to exceed expectations and tailor solutions to our clients' needs.

While our projects are renowned for enhancing cities and pioneering sustainable practices, we recognize that the true driving force behind Hines' success is our 5,000 dedicated employees in 30 countries who draw on our 65-year history to build the world forward. This is why we prioritize investing in our people, offering comprehensive training, competitive compensation, robust benefits and generous vacation packages. By centering our focus on the growth and wellbeing of our team, we cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone, including our clients, can thrive.

Hines is proud to be named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024. ¹Includes both the global Hines organization and RIA AUM as of December 31, 2023.

We are an equal opportunity employer and support workforce diversity.

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