📍 Job Overview

• Job Title: Customer Support Team Lead
• Company: Karri
• Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
• Job Type: On-site
• Category: Customer Support & Service
• Date Posted: June 20, 2025
• Experience Level: 2-5 years

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and develop a high-performing customer support team, driving service excellence and performance.
• Oversee daily operations, manage escalations, and collaborate with internal departments to ensure seamless issue resolution.
• Foster a positive work culture, coach team members, and deliver exceptional customer support experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a balance of strong leadership, empathy, and problem-solving skills to excel in a fast-paced environment and drive customer satisfaction.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Development:

  • Lead, motivate, and coach team members to consistently meet and exceed targets.
  • Identify training needs and provide ongoing development opportunities.
  • Monitor team performance, implement performance improvement plans, and celebrate wins.

• Customer Support & Escalation Management:

  • Manage daily operations, assist with escalations, and support the team in complex or sensitive queries.
  • Collaborate closely with internal departments to ensure seamless issue resolution.
  • Identify system and workflow improvements to enhance team efficiency.

• Relationship Management & Stakeholder Communication:

  • Manage relationships with internal and external clients of Karri.
  • Communicate clearly, constructively, and confidently with stakeholders at all levels.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role involves a high degree of multitasking, prioritization, and adaptability to manage workflow, escalations, and stakeholder communications effectively.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Relevant degree or diploma in a related field (e.g., Business, Marketing, or Customer Service) or equivalent experience.

Experience: Minimum 3 years of previous experience in a customer support supervisory or team lead role.

Required Skills:

• Proven leadership, coaching, and mentoring skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and active listening skills.
• Strong organizational, time management, and prioritization skills.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Proactive, solution-oriented mindset with a calm demeanor under pressure.
• Knowledge of financial services or payment processing (a plus).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with customer support software and tools.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies and project management.
• Bilingual or multilingual skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should possess a strong customer focus, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others, as these qualities are crucial for success in this role.

📊 Performance Metrics & KPIs

• Team Performance:

  • Average customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
  • First response time (FRT)
  • Average handle time (AHT)
  • Team and individual target achievement

• Personal Performance:

  • Individual customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
  • Personal first response time (FRT)
  • Personal average handle time (AHT)
  • Successful resolution rate

📝 Enhancement Note: Regularly tracking and analyzing these metrics will help the team lead identify trends, address performance gaps, and make data-driven decisions to improve overall customer support quality.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements (N/A for this role)

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The salary range for this role in Cape Town, South Africa, typically falls between ZAR 35,000 to ZAR 50,000 per annum, based on experience and qualifications. This estimate is derived from regional market data and industry standards for customer support team lead roles.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary package.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• A dynamic and supportive work environment.
• Alternative Saturdays and public holidays as part of the working schedule.

Working Hours: Typical working hours are 7 am - 4 pm, 8 am - 5 pm, or 10 am - 7 pm, with alternative Saturdays and public holidays.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the salary range provided is an estimate, the actual salary offer may vary based on the candidate's experience, skills, and the company's internal salary structure.

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture: Karri is a leading South African fintech platform focused on making school payments easy, safe, and efficient. The company values innovation, customer-centricity, and collaboration, fostering a dynamic and supportive work environment.

Team Structure: The customer support team consists of dedicated professionals working together to deliver exceptional customer experiences. The team lead will report directly to the Head of Customer Support or a relevant manager.

Development Methodology: Karri follows Agile methodologies to drive continuous improvement and innovation in its products and services. The customer support team works closely with other departments to ensure seamless issue resolution and customer satisfaction.

Company Website: Karri Official Website

📝 Enhancement Note: Karri's customer-centric culture and focus on innovation make it an attractive employer for customer support professionals seeking to grow their careers in the fintech industry.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Customer Support Career Level: This role is an intermediate-level position within the customer support career path. It offers opportunities for professional growth, skill development, and potential progression into senior leadership or management roles.

Reporting Structure: The team lead will report directly to the Head of Customer Support or a relevant manager, collaborating closely with internal departments to ensure seamless issue resolution.

Technical Impact: The customer support team lead plays a crucial role in driving customer satisfaction, identifying system and workflow improvements, and contributing to the overall success of Karri's products and services.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Leadership & Development: Expand leadership skills by coaching, mentoring, and developing team members, fostering a positive work culture, and driving team performance.
• Process Improvement: Identify and implement system and workflow enhancements to improve team efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Stakeholder Management: Develop strong relationships with internal and external clients, communicating effectively and collaborating closely to ensure seamless issue resolution.
• Career Progression: Demonstrate strong performance and leadership potential to progress into senior leadership or management roles within the customer support or broader organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Success in this role depends on the candidate's ability to balance leadership, empathy, and problem-solving skills, driving customer satisfaction and team performance while fostering a positive work culture.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Karri's office is a dynamic, collaborative workspace designed to foster innovation, creativity, and teamwork.

Office Location(s): Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office encourages open communication and collaboration among team members, fostering a supportive and inclusive work culture.
• Modern Workspace: The workspace is equipped with ergonomic furniture, high-speed internet, and state-of-the-art technology to support productivity and comfort.
• Flexible Working Hours: Alternative Saturdays and public holidays are part of the working schedule, allowing team members to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Work Schedule: Typical working hours are 7 am - 4 pm, 8 am - 5 pm, or 10 am - 7 pm, with alternative Saturdays and public holidays.

📝 Enhancement Note: Karri's collaborative work environment and flexible working hours contribute to a positive work-life balance and support the well-being of its employees.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

1. Phone/Video Screen: A brief conversation to assess communication skills, cultural fit, and initial qualifications for the role.
2. Behavioral & Situational Interview: A deeper dive into the candidate's problem-solving skills, leadership style, and ability to handle challenging customer support scenarios.
3. Role-Play & Case Study: A practical exercise to evaluate the candidate's ability to manage escalations, coach team members, and make data-driven decisions.
4. Final Interview: A meeting with key stakeholders to discuss the candidate's fit for the role, team, and company culture.

Portfolio Review Tips (N/A for this role)

Technical Challenge Preparation (N/A for this role)

ATS Keywords: Customer Support, Team Lead, Leadership, Coaching, Mentoring, Problem Solving, Multi-tasking, Communication, Organization, Proactivity, Tech Savvy, Excel Skills, Financial Services, Payment Processing, Agile Methodologies, Project Management, Customer Satisfaction, First Response Time, Average Handle Time, Performance Metrics, KPIs, Stakeholder Management, Collaboration, Innovation, Customer-centricity.

📝 Enhancement Note: Applicants should tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight relevant customer support, leadership, and problem-solving skills, as well as any experience with financial services or payment processing.

🛠 Team & Company Values

Customer Support Values:

• Empathy: Understand and address customer needs with genuine care and concern.
• Professionalism: Maintain a high standard of service, communication, and conduct at all times.
• Adaptability: Quickly learn and apply new skills and knowledge to resolve customer issues effectively.
• Proactivity: Anticipate customer needs and take initiative to address concerns before they escalate.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Work closely with internal departments to ensure seamless issue resolution and customer satisfaction.
• Code Review Culture: Regularly review and discuss customer support cases to identify trends, address performance gaps, and improve overall team performance.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encourage team members to share their expertise and experiences to foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Karri's customer-centric culture and focus on collaboration enable the customer support team to deliver exceptional service and drive customer satisfaction.

🛠 Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

• High Volume & Variety of Customer Inquiries: Manage a high volume of customer inquiries, ranging from simple to complex issues, and ensure timely and effective resolution.
• Escalation Management: Handle escalated cases with empathy, professionalism, and a solution-oriented mindset, often under time constraints.
• System & Workflow Improvements: Identify and implement system and workflow enhancements to improve team efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Customer Support Skills Development: Enhance customer support skills through ongoing training, coaching, and mentoring opportunities.
• Leadership & Management Skills: Develop leadership and management skills by coaching, mentoring, and managing team members, fostering a positive work culture, and driving team performance.
• Product & Service Knowledge: Deepen understanding of Karri's products and services, as well as the broader fintech industry, to provide informed and effective customer support.

📝 Enhancement Note: Success in this role requires a candidate who is highly organized, proactive, and solution-oriented, with strong communication, interpersonal, and active listening skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

• Customer Support Scenario: Describe a challenging customer support scenario you've faced and how you handled it, demonstrating your problem-solving skills, empathy, and professionalism.
• Team Leadership & Development: Explain your approach to coaching, mentoring, and developing team members, and provide an example of a successful initiative you've led.
• Process Improvement: Discuss a time when you identified and implemented a system or workflow improvement, highlighting the positive impact on team efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Customer-centricity: How do you ensure that customer needs are always at the forefront of your decision-making and actions?
• Innovation: Describe a time when you drove innovation or improvement in a customer support process or product.
• Collaboration: Share an example of a successful cross-functional collaboration, and how you contributed to its success.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy (N/A for this role)

📝 Enhancement Note: Applicants should research Karri's products, services, and customer support processes to demonstrate their understanding of the company and its values during the interview.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this customer support team lead position:

1. Submit your application through the Karri careers portal.
2. Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant customer support, leadership, and problem-solving skills, as well as any experience with financial services or payment processing.
3. Prepare for the interview process by researching Karri's products, services, and customer support processes, and practicing your responses to common customer support and leadership scenarios.
4. Familiarize yourself with Karri's company culture, values, and mission to ensure a strong cultural fit and alignment with the organization's goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and customer support industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.