Overview
The Customer Service Buyer is a senior operational role that combines product buying, stock management and commercial decision making with hands-on customer service excellence and escalation ownership.
This role is responsible for ensuring the business has the right products, at the right time, at the right margin, while also delivering a premium, high-touch customer experience across all channels.
The Customer Service Buyer acts as the bridge between product and customer, ensuring that buying decisions, stock levels, product quality and pricing directly support customer satisfaction, conversion and retention.
This is a hands-on role, not a managerial one. The successful candidate will take ownership of both commercial performance and customer outcomes, working closely with warehouse, marketing and the wider customer service function.
This role reports directly to the Customer Service Manager.
Key Responsibilities
Product Buying and Procurement
- Manage buying across new and used saddles, accessories and related products
- Accurately quote second hand items based on brand, condition, demand and margin
- Source new product opportunities and build strong supplier relationships
- Negotiate pricing, terms and lead times to maximise profitability
- Act quickly on deals, promotions and time sensitive buying opportunities
- Place purchase orders and maintain optimal stock levels
Customer Service Delivery and Ownership
- Deliver exceptional customer service across:
- Phone
- Email
- Live chat
- Social media
- Take full ownership of customer journeys from enquiry to resolution
- Handle complex queries relating to product suitability, fit and condition
- Resolve complaints quickly and professionally, protecting brand reputation
- Maintain a warm, clear and premium tone of communication at all times
- Support the wider customer service team during busy periods
Customer & Product Alignment
- Act as the key link between customer demand and buying decisions
- Use customer insights to inform product selection, pricing and stock levels
- Support the team with:
- Product advice
- Technical queries
- Identify gaps in product range based on customer enquiries and trends
Stock Management and Product Accuracy
- Ensure all deliveries match purchase orders and meet quality standards
- Work closely with the warehouse on:
- Booking in accuracy
- Product condition
- Organisation and storage
- Maintain accurate online listings including:
- Measurements
- Images
- Descriptions
- Pricing
- Conduct stock checks and resolve discrepancies quickly
Budgeting, Forecasting and Financial Control
- Build and manage buying budgets across all product categories
- Forecast demand using sales data, trends and seasonality
- Monitor margins and adjust buying strategies accordingly
- Protect cash flow through disciplined purchasing
- Track:
- Stock value
- Aged inventory
- Slow moving items
Product Portfolio and Commercial Strategy
- Maintain a balanced and profitable product range
- Monitor market trends, competitor pricing and demand shifts
- Recommend pricing and positioning strategies
- Support marketing with:
- Promotions
- Campaigns
- Product focus
Discontinued and Clearance Management
- Manage clearance stock and end-of-line products
- Recommend strategies to reduce aged inventory
- Work with marketing to execute clearance campaigns
Customer Service Performance and KPIs
- Support and contribute to KPIs including:
- Response times
- Customer satisfaction
- Complaint reduction
- Accuracy and zero-error standards
- Ensure all communication is fast, complete and accurate
- Maintain strong inbox management and workflow discipline
Issue Resolution and Escalation Handling
- Take ownership of complex or high-value customer issues
- Handle escalations confidently and professionally
- Escalate only when outside policy (e.g. legal or exceptional cases)
- Maintain clear documentation on all escalations
Reporting and Insight
Produce regular reports covering:
- Stock levels and values
- Sales by product category
- Margin performance
- Aged stock
- Supplier performance
- Customer trends and complaints
- Quote conversion rates
Provide clear recommendations on:
- Buying strategy
- Stock planning
- Customer experience improvements
Process Improvement
- Improve workflows between:
- Buying
- Warehouse
- Customer service
- Marketing
- Identify inefficiencies and implement improvements
- Contribute to better SOPs, templates and communication processes
What Success Looks Like
- Stock is accurate, well balanced and aligned with demand
- Margins improve through smart, disciplined buying
- Customers receive consistently 5-star service
- Product advice is accurate, confident and trusted
- Complaints are handled quickly with positive outcomes
- Customer insights directly influence buying decisions
- Warehouse and listings remain organised and error-free
- Reports are clear, actionable and commercially valuable
- The business maintains a strong, premium reputation
- You are a brand expert, and have strong knowledge across a range of brands/models
Required Skills and Experience
Essential Skills
- Strong commercial awareness and financial understanding
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
- Confident handling calls, email and live chat
- Strong negotiation and supplier management ability
- Analytical mindset with forecasting capability
- High attention to detail and accuracy
- Strong problem solving and decision making skills
- Ability to manage workload across multiple priorities
- Confident using spreadsheets and reporting tools
- Ability to work independently and proactively
- A keen learner, and someone who is able to learn fast (i.e learning the brands/models)
Personal Qualities
- Strong ownership mentality and accountability
- Customer-first mindset with commercial awareness
- Calm, logical and solutions-focused
- Warm, empathetic and professional communicator
- Highly reliable and consistent
- Fast-paced and action-oriented
- Detail-focused with high standards
- Ethical and professional in all interactions
- Curious and motivated to learn products and market trends
- Resilient under pressure with strong prioritisation skills
Desirable Experience
- Buying, procurement or product management experience (ideal but not essential)
- Senior customer service experience handling complex cases
- Stock control or ecommerce background (ideal but not essential)
- KPI-driven environment experience
- Equestrian background / knowledge
Role Type
- Full time
- Office based at The Saddle Bank HQ, PE7
- Reports to Customer Service Manager
- Salary: £30,000 – £34,000 depending on experience
This role will remain open until we find the right candidate. We are committed to hiring the best fit and are not working to a deadline.
To apply, please include a cover letter
Your cover letter must include
- Why you believe you are a strong fit for this senior Customer Service Buyer position
- A clear explanation of your relevant experience
- One example of a complex customer service issue you have handled such as a complaint, escalation or high pressure service situation
To confirm you have read this job description in full, please include the word BUYERFIRST at the very end of your cover letter.
We take accuracy, attention to detail and communication quality seriously. These are essential for success in this role.
Pay: £30,000.00-£34,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
