UK

United Kingdom · Operations · Entry Level (0-2 years)

Office Services Associate

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, a real day, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

  • Experience bandEntry Level (0-2 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toOffice Services Coordinator
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Workplace Assistant · Facilities Support · Operations Administrator · Front of House Assistant

Built on an analysis of 43,079 real UK job descriptions · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Start with a free Future Fluency check, tuned to Office Services Associate

Ten quick questions, one per Future Fluency, asked against this role rather than a generic one. About five minutes, and no card.

Start the check, free

1What this role really is

This isn't just about answering phones; it's about being the backbone of our office, making sure everything runs smoothly so everyone else can focus on their jobs. You'll be the first face many people see, and the person who keeps our physical space ticking over. Honestly, if you're organised and happy to roll up your sleeves, you'll fit right in.

2What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

MS 365 / Google Workspace (Outlook/Gmail, Calendar, Teams/Chat, Word/Docs, Excel/Sheets)Intermediate

Managing your own calendar and booking meeting rooms, sending and receiving emails, using chat for quick questions, creating simple lists in Excel/Sheets, and drafting basic documents.

Jira Service Management / Freshdesk (or similar ticketing system)Basic

Logging new requests, updating existing tickets with your actions, and marking tasks as complete. You'll be following established workflows to resolve issues.

Envoy / Robin (or similar visitor/space management system)Basic

Greeting visitors, helping them sign in, and booking desks or rooms on behalf of others. You'll be the primary user for daily operations.

SAP Concur / Expensify (or similar T&E system)Basic

Submitting expense reports for small office purchases (e.g., coffee, stationery) and ensuring you have all the right receipts. You'll be making sure your own spending is compliant.

Coupa / Amazon Business (or similar procurement system)Basic

Creating purchase requisitions for standard office supplies or catering, tracking the order status, and confirming when items have arrived. You'll be following the purchasing process.

BambooHR / Workday (or similar HRIS)View-only

Looking up new hire start dates or manager information to help prepare onboarding tasks. You won't be changing any data, just using it to get your job done.

3What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing inWhere you are nowThe step above
Ordering Office SuppliesIdentify low stock and flag to Coordinator. Do not place orders independently.Place routine orders within a pre-approved budget (e.g., up to £100 per order). Escalate non-standard items.Manage entire supply budget up to £5K. Source new vendors for specific items. Approve orders up to £500.
Facilities MaintenanceReport issues (e.g., broken light, leak) to Coordinator or building management via established process. Do not attempt complex repairs.Coordinate minor repairs with approved vendors (e.g., plumber for a small leak). Follow up on service requests.Manage relationships with key facilities vendors. Approve repair quotes up to £1K. Develop preventative maintenance schedules.
Meeting Room SetupSet up rooms according to booking instructions (e.g., move chairs, set up projector). Report any equipment issues.Troubleshoot common AV issues. Suggest optimal room layouts for specific meeting types. Train colleagues on equipment use.Design and implement new meeting room configurations. Evaluate and recommend new AV technology. Manage room booking system rules.
Handling Visitor IssuesGreet visitors, manage sign-in, direct to correct person/room. Escalate any unusual or difficult situations to Coordinator.Handle routine visitor queries and minor issues (e.g., lost badge). Suggest improvements to visitor experience.Develop and refine visitor policies. Manage security integrations for visitor access. Handle VIP visitor logistics.

4How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, honestly: the hard targets, how often each one is actually looked at, and the quiet human signals that never make it onto a dashboard.

Ticket Resolution Time
The average time it takes you to close out routine office service requests, like a printer jam or a supply restock.
Target · Average <8 hours for routine requests

If five requests come in on Monday, and you close them all by Tuesday morning, that's well within target. We're talking about getting things sorted quickly.

Employee Satisfaction (CSAT)
How happy colleagues are with the support you've provided for their office-related requests.
Target · >90% positive rating on resolved requests

After you help someone with a meeting room setup, they'll get a quick survey. If 9 out of 10 people say you did a great job, you're hitting the mark. It's about being helpful and getting things right.

Inventory Accuracy
The match between what our records say we have in stock (e.g., pens, paper, coffee) and what's actually in the supply cupboard.
Target · 98% match between physical stock and records

If our system says we have 50 reams of paper and you count 49 or 50, that's spot on. It means you're keeping good track of things and we won't run out unexpectedly.

Mail & Package Processing Time
How quickly incoming mail and packages are sorted and delivered to the right person or department.
Target · All mail processed within 2 hours of arrival

A big delivery comes in at 10 AM. By 11:30 AM, all parcels are sorted and either delivered or ready for collection. No one's waiting around for important documents.

Proactive Office Upkeep
You're not waiting for things to break or run out; you're spotting issues and fixing them before anyone else notices.
  • You'll be praised for restocking the coffee before it's empty, noticing a flickering light and reporting it, or tidying a communal area without being asked. Your manager will see you anticipating needs.
Professional Demeanour & Customer Service
How you interact with colleagues and visitors, maintaining a friendly, helpful, and professional attitude, especially when things are busy.
  • Positive feedback from colleagues or visitors about your helpfulness and approachability. You handle a double-booked meeting room situation calmly and find a solution, rather than getting flustered.
Adherence to Office Procedures
Following established checklists and guidelines for recurring tasks, ensuring consistency and compliance.
  • New hire desks are always set up correctly, meeting rooms are consistently reset after use, and all safety checks are completed on schedule. Your tasks are done 'by the book'.
Problem-Solving Initiative (within scope)
When a minor issue pops up, you try to figure it out or find the right person to help, rather than just waiting for instructions.
  • You find the right person in IT to fix a network cable issue in a meeting room, or you figure out how to reset a stubborn printer, before escalating to your Coordinator. You show a bit of gumption.

5Would you like it

The honest version. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Making a Tangible Difference

You'll get a real kick out of seeing a tidy office, a fully stocked kitchen, or a colleague's relieved smile after you've fixed their printer issue. The impact of your work is immediate and visible.

You've spent the morning reorganising the stationery cupboard, and now it's easy for everyone to find what they need. That feeling of 'I made this better' is a big motivator.

Being the Go-To Person

People will come to you with questions about where things are, how to book a room, or who to talk to about a facilities issue. You'll enjoy being the helpful expert who knows the answers.

Someone asks 'Where are the spare laptop chargers?' and you immediately point them to the right drawer. You like being the person who can solve those little daily mysteries.

Order and Organisation

If you love creating order out of chaos, this role will be satisfying. You'll enjoy setting up systems, tidying spaces, and making sure everything has its place.

You take pride in a perfectly organised mailroom or a spotless kitchen. The satisfaction comes from knowing everything is where it should be.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Invisibility Factor': Your work is only noticed when something goes wrong. A perfectly run office is taken for granted, but one empty coffee pot triggers an office-wide alert.
  • Constant Context Switching: Your plan to finally organise the supply closet is derailed by a last-minute VIP lunch request, a broken printer, and an urgent package that needs to go out NOW.
  • The 'Office Parent' Syndrome: Being expected to clean up microwaves, remind people to load the dishwasher, and manage basic professional etiquette for grown adults.
  • Last-Minute Scrambles: The 4:30 PM request from an executive for a fully catered, multi-course dinner for 15 clients 'tonight' (though for an Associate, you'd usually be assisting the Coordinator with this).
  • Budget vs. Experience: Being tasked with creating a 'great workplace' with a budget that barely covers basic supplies. You might not always get the fancy stuff you'd like to provide.
What this role does not give you
  • High-level strategic decision-making on day one. Your focus is on execution and support.
  • A quiet, predictable routine. Expect interruptions and shifting priorities.
  • A role where you're always working on big, glamorous projects. Many tasks are essential but mundane.

6Who you work with

This role underpins the daily operations of the entire office. Your efficiency and proactive approach directly contribute to employee satisfaction and productivity. A well-run office means less time wasted on logistical issues and more time spent on core business activities. It's about creating a welcoming and functional environment that reflects positively on our organisation.

Inside the business
  • All employees (your internal 'customers')
  • Office Services Coordinator (your direct manager)
  • IT Support Team (for equipment issues)
  • HR Team (for new hire setups)
  • Finance Team (for expense processing)
Outside the business
  • Building maintenance staff
  • Catering suppliers
  • Office supply vendors
  • Delivery drivers (post, couriers)

7What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • A genuine 'can-do' attitude and a willingness to learn new systems and processes.
  • Basic computer literacy, comfortable with email, calendars, and simple document creation.
  • A good level of physical fitness, as the role involves moving supplies, setting up rooms, and being on your feet quite a bit.
  • Excellent timekeeping and attendance – reliability is key here.
  • The ability to follow instructions accurately and ask questions when unsure.

8What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced MS 365 / Google Workspace Features

You'll need to go beyond basic use. Knowing how to use more advanced features in Excel for simple budget tracking or setting up shared mailboxes will become more important as you take on more responsibility.

Excel Basics (VLOOKUP, PivotTables) · Shared Mailbox Management · Teams/Slack Channel Organisation

  • This week: Find one YouTube tutorial on VLOOKUP in Excel and try it out on some dummy data.
  • This month: Ask your Coordinator to show you how our shared office services mailbox is set up and managed.
  • Month 2: Volunteer to organise a new Slack channel for a specific office initiative.
  • Month 3: Look for ways to automate a small, repetitive task using a simple Excel formula or a basic Power Automate flow (with guidance).

Quick win: Start using keyboard shortcuts in Outlook/Gmail and Excel. It's a small change that adds up to big time savings.

9Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Shadowing colleagues in other departments (e.g., HR, IT) to understand their needs and how office services supports them.
  • Taking online courses on advanced Microsoft Office or Google Workspace features (e.g., Excel for beginners, Outlook organisation tips).
  • Participating in internal training sessions on WHS or emergency procedures.
  • Attending local networking events for office professionals to learn best practices and connect with peers.

10How the AI economy is changing work like this

Before we ask anything of you, here's what we can already say about AI and work of this kind:

The new skill this role is being asked for: Basic AI Tool Interaction & Prompting

AI is already here, helping with drafting emails and summarising information. Knowing how to ask AI tools the right questions (prompting) will make your admin tasks much faster and more efficient.

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

Your PlanIllustration

Built for Office Services Associate

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Use office equipmentCambridge OCR · covers 3 of 15 standardsLevel 2
  2. Provide administrative support in schoolsFDQ Limited · covers 2 of 15 standardsLevel 3
  3. Assist in Handling MailNOCN · covers 2 of 15 standardsEntry Level
  4. Support the work of a team and develop yourselfCIWM · covers 1 of 15 standardsLevel 2
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Basic AI Tool Interaction & Prompting

AI is already here, helping with drafting emails and summarising information. Knowing how to ask AI tools the right questions (prompting) will make your admin tasks much faster and more efficient.

  • Clear Prompting
  • Output Validation
  • Ethical Use

Digital Workflow Familiarity

More and more office processes, like approving purchases or onboarding new hires, are moving from paper to digital workflows. Understanding how these systems connect will make your job smoother.

  • Automated Approval Chains
  • System Integration Basics
  • Digital Forms & Templates

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Basic Vendor Interaction
  • Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) Awareness
  • Inventory & Asset Tracking
  • Event Logistics Support

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Retail or Hospitality Assistant

    0-2 years

    Skills to master

    • Customer service, dealing with diverse requests, managing stock, maintaining a clean environment, working in a fast-paced setting.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You're great at handling customer queries and complaints with a smile.
    • You can quickly tidy and restock shelves or service areas.
    • You're used to being on your feet and managing multiple tasks at once.
    • You've shown you can be a reliable and punctual team member.
  2. 2

    Administrative Assistant / Receptionist (Entry Level)

    0-1 year

    Skills to master

    • Answering phones, managing calendars, basic data entry, handling mail, greeting visitors, using office equipment.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You're comfortable with basic office software and equipment.
    • You're organised and can keep track of appointments and messages.
    • You have a professional phone manner and are good at welcoming people.
    • You're keen to learn more about how a busy office runs.
  3. 3

    School Leaver / College Graduate

    N/A (direct entry)

    Skills to master

    • Organisation, time management, basic IT skills, willingness to learn, strong work ethic, team collaboration.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You've demonstrated good organisational skills through school projects or extracurricular activities.
    • You're comfortable with computers and keen to learn new software.
    • You have a positive attitude and are eager to start your career.
    • You're a good communicator and enjoy helping others.

11Where this role leads

The long view:Your journey here starts with making our office a great place to work, every single day. Where you go from there is really up to you and your ambitions. We're here to help you build a career, not just take a job.

Pay & demand

Pay and demand for this role will appear here, each figure traced to a named authoritative source (e.g. the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, under the Open Government Licence). We don’t show numbers we can’t attribute.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Office Services Associate is actually changing. In about two minutes, the free confidence check asks where you stand on each of the ten. That's the whole check, and it's what makes the plan yours rather than generic.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

12The team that's yours

No two people are taught the same way. This is one-to-one, not one-to-many.

Zavmo is a hyper-personalised AI learning platform. Twelve virtual tutors, each with a different way of teaching, and one orchestration agent that picks the right one for the moment. So every single lesson is shaped around you, your role, and the way you learn. Not a course everyone sits through. A conversation built for you, and no one else.

…and nine more, matched to you after your first chat. Meet all twelve

Start free and meet yours

13What it feels like

A conversation, not a course

Because your tutor knows your role, your projects and your last session, learning sounds like this. And it's different for every single person:

Use office equipmentLevel 2

Applied to your work in Office Services Associate

This unit aims to provide learners with knowledge of various office equipment, health and safety, waste minimisation, and troubleshooting, enabling them to meet work standards and deadlines.

How the thinking builds
  1. Remember
  2. Understand
  3. Apply
  4. Analyse
  5. Evaluate
  6. Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

One to one, not one to many

No two people run this the same way

A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.

  1. Your actual work Every lesson is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
  2. What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
  3. The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
  4. How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
  5. Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.

See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.

DemonstrateIllustration

Evidenced on your work in Office Services Associate

You do not finish by watching something. You finish by showing it on the work you already do, against the measures this job is judged on.

  • Ticket Resolution TimeThe average time it takes you to close out routine office service requests, like a printer jam or a supply restock.If five requests come in on Monday, and you close them all by Tuesday morning, that's well within target. We're talking about getting things sorted quickly.Average <8 hours for routine requests
  • Employee Satisfaction (CSAT)How happy colleagues are with the support you've provided for their office-related requests.After you help someone with a meeting room setup, they'll get a quick survey. If 9 out of 10 people say you did a great job, you're hitting the mark. It's about being helpful and getting things right.>90% positive rating on resolved requests
  • Inventory AccuracyThe match between what our records say we have in stock (e.g., pens, paper, coffee) and what's actually in the supply cupboard.If our system says we have 50 reams of paper and you count 49 or 50, that's spot on. It means you're keeping good track of things and we won't run out unexpectedly.98% match between physical stock and records
  • Mail & Package Processing TimeHow quickly incoming mail and packages are sorted and delivered to the right person or department.A big delivery comes in at 10 AM. By 11:30 AM, all parcels are sorted and either delivered or ready for collection. No one's waiting around for important documents.All mail processed within 2 hours of arrival
These are this job's own measures, with its own targets. Nothing is marked evidenced, because nobody has started this yet. Yours would fill in from the work you bring.

Your passport

This isn't a certificate you file away. It's a passport to the life you're designing.

Every credit you earn and every fluency you build adds up: evidence where it counts, carried with you. Zavmo keeps the map: where you are, where you're heading, and the next step, at your pace, around your life. From Office Services Associate to Office Services Coordinator, and whatever you decide comes after.

Level 2 · in progressAI Fluency→ Office Services Coordinator→ your design
Where this takes you

Your journey here starts with making our office a great place to work, every single day. Where you go from there is really up to you and your ambitions. We're here to help you build a career, not just take a job.

See Your Progress GrowIllustration
Office Services Associate
  • Basic Vendor Interaction
  • Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) Awareness
  • Inventory & Asset Tracking
  • Event Logistics Support
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

14The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Office Services Associate is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Office Services Coordinator

    2-3 years

    Level 2 (Mid-Level)

    • Vendor Scheduling: Managing smaller vendor visits (e.g., coffee machine maintenance).
    • Basic Budget Tracking: Helping to reconcile P-Card statements and track small departmental expenses.
    • Onboarding/Offboarding Management: Owning the end-to-end process for new hires and leavers from an office perspective.
    • System Administration (Basic): Configuring simple settings in visitor or ticketing systems.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Ever wish you had an extra pair of hands, or a super-efficient assistant to tackle the repetitive stuff? Good news: AI can be that assistant. For an Office Services Associate, this isn't about replacing your job, it's about making it genuinely easier and freeing you up for the more interesting, human-centric parts of your role.

We're always looking for ways to work smarter, not harder. In Operations, that means using the latest tools to streamline everything from managing tickets to drafting office announcements. Imagine getting through your admin much faster, leaving you more time to help colleagues, organise events, or even learn new skills. Our AI Productivity Hub is packed with ways to do just that.

Smart Ticket Triage

Use an AI-powered service desk that can automatically read incoming emails or Slack messages, figure out if it's an IT, Facilities, or HR request, and then assign it to the right person. It can even send a quick 'we've got your request' message with an estimated time to fix. No more manual sorting!

Automated Procurement Research

Need to find a new supplier for eco-friendly pens or a specific type of coffee? An AI assistant can quickly research and compare pricing, reviews, and delivery options from various vendors. Just tell it what you need, and it'll give you a shortlist, saving you ages trawling through websites.

Office Communication Drafting

Struggling to write a polite but firm email about the new clean desk policy? Or need to announce a fire drill? Use a generative AI tool to draft clear, concise office-wide communications. You give it the key points, and it'll produce a professional first draft in seconds, which you can then tweak to get the tone just right.

Documentation Assistant

Keeping our 'how-to' guides and checklists up-to-date can be a drag. AI tools can help summarise meeting notes into procedure updates, or even draft initial versions of new process documents based on your verbal descriptions. It's about making sure our knowledge base is always current without the heavy lifting.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become an Office Services Associate?

Common routes in include Retail or Hospitality Assistant (0-2 years), Administrative Assistant / Receptionist (Entry Level) (0-1 year) and School Leaver / College Graduate (N/A (direct entry)). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can an Office Services Associate progress to?

This role can lead on to Office Services Coordinator (2-3 years), depending on the skills you build.

What level is an Office Services Associate in the UK?

This role aligns to RQF Level 2 on the UK framework, a guide to the depth of qualification it maps to, not a hard entry bar.

What new skills matter most for an Office Services Associate?

Increasingly, Basic AI Tool Interaction & Prompting and Digital Workflow Familiarity. These are the areas where the higher-paid, future-proof work is heading.

The honest bit

You’ve started things before

Most of them were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.

There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.

And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.

What it costs

Less than one coaching session. Every month.

A single career-coaching hour costs more than a month of this, and it ends when the hour does. Zavmo doesn't. It's £70 a month, about £2.30 a day, for a companion that knows an Office Services Associate, works on the job you actually do, and keeps going at your pace rather than a timetable's.

  • Searching and planning stay free. You only pay when you start learning.
  • Your credits are yours. Regulated, and they don't vanish when a subscription ends.
  • Cancel any time and billing stops. No notice period, no minimum term.

Your path, personalised

You have the map. Walking it is the part we do together.

This route runs to 15 national skill standards. That is a real journey.

Zavmo shapes a learning experience as unique as you are. It fits how you learn, your pace and the work you already do. Every step stays benchmarked to recognised national standards. That’s the plan for becoming an Office Services Associate: personal to you, and it still counts. The first steps are free.

Independent research finds well-designed intelligent tutoring performs nearly as well as one-to-one human tutoring: VanLehn (2011), Educational Psychologist.

A private tutor in the UK averages £35–40 an hour . Zavmo is £70/month.

A real plan on learn.zavmo.ai: Ofqual-regulated units, credits, and a three-month run at your own pace.
Start free No commitment. See your first steps free.

15Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 2

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

Other roles in Operations

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

The skills you gain in Office Services are highly transferable. You could move into roles in Human Resources (especially HR Operations or Employee Experience), Event Management, Project Coordination, or even Procurement, as many of the foundational skills around organisation, vendor management, and supporting people are universal.

Not sure this is the right direction?

Work out what you actually want from work first, then come back and see which roles fit it. Takes about ten minutes.

This role profile is © 2026Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Build my plan, free Here's the first ten minutes: a 2-minute confidence check → your personalised roadmap → meet the tutors matched to you. No card, cancel any time. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.