Smith+Nephew Customer Service Graduate – Johannesburg – Open Until Filled
Company: Smith+Nephew
Position: Customer Service Graduate
Job Requisition ID: R92734
Location: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Department: Customer Service Division
Employment Type: Full-Time
Experience Level: Graduate / Entry-Level
Qualification: Commercial Degree or Diploma
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Overview
Smith+Nephew is offering an exciting Customer Service Graduate opportunity in Johannesburg for a suitably qualified graduate interested in developing practical experience within a global medical technology company.
The successful candidate will join the Customer Service Division and report to the Customer Services Manager.
The primary focus of the position is to ensure the effective, efficient and accurate receipt and processing of customer orders received telephonically and through other channels. The graduate will also assist with customer enquiries, order management, document control and coordination with departments such as Sales and Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Logistics and Warehouse.
This opportunity is suitable for candidates who have completed Matric together with a Commercial Degree or Diploma and want to develop their careers in customer service and business operations.
Key Responsibilities
The Customer Service Graduate will be responsible for:
– Managing customer emails and telephone calls within required response times.
– Processing customer orders within 24 hours to meet service-level agreements and customer expectations.
– Accurately capturing transactions and order information.
– Helping ensure products are delivered within customer-required timeframes.
– Planning and prioritising daily workloads.
– Maintaining accurate customer and order documentation.
– Following applicable document control requirements.
– Building professional relationships with customers.
– Providing positive and professional customer service.
– Responding to customer enquiries.
– Managing customer disputes within required response times.
- Taking initiative to resolve customer queries promptly.
- Escalating queries to the Team Lead when assistance is required.
- Using relevant customer and third-party systems and portals.
- Working closely with Sales and Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Logistics and Warehouse teams.
- Collaborating with colleagues and supporting cross-skilling.
- Sharing best practices within the team.
- Assisting with data required for daily, weekly and monthly management reports.
- Maintaining a professional image on behalf of the Customer Service department and Smith+Nephew.
- Attending relevant training sessions.
- Continuously developing job-related knowledge and skills.
Minimum Requirements
Applicants must have:
- Matric qualification.
- Commercial Degree or Diploma.
The supplied advertisement does not specify a particular commercial field of study or a minimum amount of previous work experience.
Requirements and Skills
Based on the responsibilities of the position, candidates should be able to demonstrate:
- Strong customer service skills.
- Professional verbal and written communication.
- Accuracy and attention to detail.
- Good organisational ability.
- Ability to prioritise tasks.
- Time-management skills.
- Ability to work within deadlines.
- Customer relationship-building ability.
- Problem-solving skills.
- Initiative and a proactive approach.
- Ability to work collaboratively with different departments.
- Ability to learn and use customer systems and online portals.
- Professionalism when handling customer enquiries and disputes.
- Willingness to learn and participate in training.
Customer Service and Order Management
A significant part of the role involves ensuring customer orders are handled accurately and efficiently.
The successful graduate will be expected to:
- Receive customer orders.
- Accurately capture order information.
- Process orders within the required turnaround times.
- Follow up on customer requirements.
- Respond to enquiries.
- Assist with disputes.
- Help ensure customer expectations are met.
Accuracy is particularly important because the role requires transactions to be entered correctly the first time.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
The Customer Service Graduate will work with several areas of the business, including:
- Sales and Marketing.
- Finance.
- Supply Chain.
- Logistics.
- Warehouse.
- Customer Service colleagues.
The ability to communicate professionally and maintain effective working relationships across different departments will therefore be important.
Training and Development
Smith+Nephew indicates that employees can benefit from development opportunities including:
- Hands-on training.
- Team-customised training.
- Mentorship.
- Relevant workplace training sessions.
- Continuous development of skills and knowledge.
The graduate will be expected to attend relevant training and continue developing the knowledge required to perform effectively within the Customer Service Division.
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity may be suitable for candidates who:
- Have completed Matric.
- Have completed a Commercial Degree or Diploma.
- Want to start or develop a career in customer service.
- Are interested in working within a global medical technology company.
- Have strong communication skills.
- Are organised and attentive to detail.
- Enjoy solving customer problems.
- Can work effectively with different departments.
- Are comfortable learning new systems and processes.
- Can manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
- Are committed to professional customer service.
Possible Interview Questions
Candidates preparing for the Smith+Nephew Customer Service Graduate position may consider questions such as:
- Why are you interested in joining Smith+Nephew?
- Why are you interested in customer service?
- How has your Commercial Degree or Diploma prepared you for this position?
- What does excellent customer service mean to you?
- How would you handle an unhappy customer?
- What would you do if a customer’s order had not arrived within the expected timeframe?
- How would you prioritise several urgent customer requests?
- Tell us about a time you solved a difficult problem.
- How do you ensure accuracy when capturing information?
- How would you deal with a mistake you made when processing an order?
- How do you manage deadlines?
- Tell us about a time you worked effectively as part of a team.
- How would you communicate with another department to resolve a customer problem?
- How comfortable are you learning new computer systems?
- What would you like to learn from this graduate opportunity?
These are suggested preparation questions and are not confirmed Smith+Nephew interview questions.
CV Tips for Applicants
Highlight Your Commercial Qualification
Clearly state your completed Degree or Diploma near the beginning of your CV.
For example:
Bachelor of Commerce
[University Name]
Completed: 2026
or
Diploma in [Commercial Field]
[Institution Name]
Completed: 2026
Highlight Customer-Facing Experience
If applicable, include experience involving:
- Customer service.
- Retail.
- Call centres.
- Administration.
- Sales.
- Order processing.
- Customer enquiries.
The supplied vacancy does not state that previous experience is mandatory, so graduates should also highlight relevant academic, volunteer or practical experience.
Highlight Administrative and Computer Skills
Where applicable, include genuine experience with:
- Data capturing.
- Email communication.
- Microsoft Office.
- Order processing.
- Reporting.
- Document management.
- Customer management systems.
Demonstrate Attention to Detail
Because the position involves accurate order and transaction processing, highlight examples showing your ability to work accurately and follow procedures.
Employee Benefits and Development
Smith+Nephew highlights several aspects of its employee offering, including:
- Flexible vacation and time off.
- Paid holidays.
- Paid volunteering hours.
- Employee wellness support.
- Hands-on training.
- Team-customised development.
- Mentorship.
Specific eligibility and conditions for these benefits may depend on the employment arrangement and company policies.
APPLICATION PROCESS
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