Age UK’s supporters are at the heart of what we do.
By helping to fund services that offer advice, care and friendship to older people across the UK, every supporter has a huge impact – and it’s important for that impact to be recognised.
That’s where Age UK’s Supporter Engagement team comes in. Responsible for responding to queries, listening to feedback, and taking donations, the team is at the forefront of supporter communication. And there’s a lot of communication involved – last year, the team handled nearly 30,000 enquiries, helping thousands of supporters to feel more connected to Age UK’s mission and vital work.
Marie, who works for the Supporter Engagement team and has recently won an award from Age UK for her exceptional performance, tells us more about why the team’s job is so important and how the role has changed her.
I don’t think you could do this job if you didn’t like people and want to help them.
Helping others
Marie has always loved customer service roles. But after several jobs in the hospitality industry – including a stint as a flight attendant – an opportunity to help people in a different way caught her eye.
“I saw a role for the Age UK Advice Line,” Marie recalls. “There was something about the way the staff spoke about the job and Age UK itself that was really interesting. It made me feel like it was something I could get behind.”
Marie joined the Advice Line in 2017 but, while she enjoyed the role, the range of calls experienced by her Supporter Engagement colleagues soon convinced her to switch teams. Ever since, the knowledge she gained from her time with the Advice Line has been called upon time and again by her Supporter Engagement teammates when working out how to best help each caller.
“For me, variety is the spice of life,” says Marie. “And the Supporter Engagement team is the first point of contact for the general public to get in touch with Age UK. That means that whoever’s calling might be making a donation, giving feedback, might need help or might just have the wrong number! You have to be a bit of a detective and build a rapport with them to figure it out.”
Building that rapport is something that comes naturally to Marie and her team members, and which she thinks is essential for doing the job well. “I don’t think you could do this job if you didn’t like people and want to help them. You’ve got to be empathetic, you’ve got to be professional, and you’ve got to listen. Everything else can be taught.”
You might be the only person [the caller] has spoken to all day. It’s important that after their interaction with us they go away thinking, ‘I’m really glad Age UK listened to me’.
Emotional exchanges
While empathy and good listening skills are cornerstones of the job, they’re qualities that can also make conversations more emotionally challenging for Marie and her teammates.
“Sometimes, you get the sense that the person who’s calling is lonely and that you might be the only person they’ve spoken to all day,” Marie explains. “It’s important that after their interaction with us they go away thinking, ‘I’m really glad Age UK listened to me’.
“But some of the most emotional calls are our In Memory donations. It might be the caller’s friend who’s passed away, or a family member and they’re paying in donations that were given at the funeral. Sometimes callers will share a story about the person they’ve lost, or tell you how they grew up together and knew them all their life, and it’s really heartwarming. I always make sure they know how grateful we are that they’ve chosen to donate.”
Every donation is met with gratitude by the Supporter Engagement team – whether it’s the £20,000 so generously given by a donor this Christmas, or a monthly £2 gift from a regular supporter. “Lots of people call and say ‘I can’t afford much’, but still donate time and time again,” says Marie. “One man calls up every year and donates £14. He’s so lovely, and I always thank him so much for continuing to support us. It’s £14 a year that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”
A life-changing role
Marie knows what a difference every bit of support makes, because working at Age UK has opened her eyes to the challenges older people face. “Since I’ve been doing this role, I’m more aware of older people in my community and if I see someone on their own who’s quite vulnerable, I’ll chat with them and check if they want any help. I’ve handed out the Advice Line number quite a few times that way.
“Sometimes I’ll also have a phone call with someone, realise they’re struggling, and then point them to the Advice Line. Every now and again someone will call us back and say, ‘I’ve had a benefits check and now I’m getting Attendance Allowance’. And that’s so rewarding.
“With this job, you can be the good on a bad day. You hear a lot more – if I weren’t working for Age UK, I never would have known anything about the Winter Fuel Payment or how it affects older people. I’m glad that I work for a charity that supports them.”
