Katie McHugh followed in her family's footsteps when she joined Bradford Council.

Her mother works in admin and her father with the benefits section, so the 20-year-old from Cleckheaton says she knew it was a good place to work.

It's a year since Katie joined the Council's B Direct Contact Centre. The purpose-built centre in Nelson Street handles calls and e-mails from customers on a range of services, from refuse to street lighting.

Highways, street cleansing, housing benefit and council tax are other common queries she and her colleagues get to deal with in a profession which is being put under the spotlight.

This week is National Customer Services Week, highlighting the work Katie and her counterparts in other customer-related professions around the country put in to achieve that all important customer satisfaction.

Whether it's dealing with queries over the phone or face-to-face, she says customer services can be rewarding and satisfying for those working in the industry.

"We talk to any member of the public who rings in with regard to cleansing, highways, street lighting and environmental services," Katie says.

Before working for the Council, Katie already had customer service experience working as a team adviser for a local pub chain. She says she enjoys the satisfaction such a rewarding role brings.

"I like talking to different people and I like the people I work with. The management and staff are very supportive and encourage you to go on training courses," she says.

She is currently studying for a call centre qualification and eventually hopes to progress within the Council's ranks, and hasn't ruled out a management role.

Katie says that to work in customer services you need to be sympathetic with the customer, be understanding and patient and have a background knowledge about the system you are working in.

"Every call you deal with is different and they can be about a wide range of things. We get to talk to different departments within the Council," says Katie, who would encourage anyone to follow in her footsteps. "It is satisfying and I do like coming to work. It's fun to be here."

For more information about a career in customer services contact Bradford Council's website www.bradford.gov.uk. For information on customer service-related courses contact Bradford College on (01274) 433333 or Park Lane College, Leeds, on 0845 0457275.