Customer Service Manager

gategroup • San Diego, CA

27d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for supporting the operational unit with meeting customer requirements and needs. This position will act as the liaison between the airline customer and the Gate Gourmet operational unit. The role involves managing customer relationships, ensuring operational performance meets expectations, and overseeing various aspects of customer service, including order accuracy, communication, inventory management, quality control, and cost management.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required with commensurate work experience.
• Minimum 3 years of account/project management experience.
• 3 years of experience in sales, marketing or customer service or a related field.
• Valid Driver’s License.
• Ability to obtain Airport Transport Authority badge required.
• Ability to obtain Customs Seal for Airport Transport Authority badge required.
• Proven Account Management skills required in order to create, maintain and enhance customer relationships.
• Extremely detail oriented.
• Technical and analytical competence (understand software, hardware, networks, etc.).
• Motivated, goal oriented, persistent.
• High level of initiative and work well in a fast-paced, team environment.
• Handles stressful situations and deadline pressures well.
• Plans and carries out responsibilities with minimal direction.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to communicate well with internal and external customers.

Nice To Haves

• Associates degree or diploma from a university or college preferred.
• Experience working in the airline industry is preferred.
• Experience working in the catering or food service industry is preferred.
• Experience working with SAP preferred.
• Bilingual (English/French) a plus.

Responsibilities

• Represents assigned customer interests within the unit.
• Agrees on performance expectations with the commercial team and works with GM/Unit staff to deliver against these expectations.
• Approves (with GM consent) specialty orders, uplifts, and is responsible for invoice accuracy and timelines.
• Works closely with the production team to maintain continuous knowledge of current specifications and customer expectations through routine audits.
• Ensures supply chain/purchasing has current up-to-date data and supports purchasing requirements.
• Ensures that all processes and procedures related to specific flights are completed, quality standards are met, and additional revenue opportunities are documented on the invoice.
• Communicates customer goals and represents customer interests to the local GGI team.
• Effectively communicates all offerings to the client with GM approval, based on a strong understanding of unit capabilities and services.
• Reports to the GM and/or Account Director, providing regular input on all account activity, including service status and call reports on a weekly basis.
• Provides coordination between customer and GGI on special events such as Menu Presentation (scheduling, transportation, security, specs available, tent cards, tasting equipment, unit tours, beverages, etc.).
• Owns the T-minus schedule to facilitate changes and bring all departments together for success.
• Maintains a professional appearance at all times and treats the customer with dignity and respect.
• Ensures full knowledge of any customer-specific requirements in the Service Agreement and delivers on them.
• Manages daily reconciliation of delays and communication activities as required.
• Communicates daily to the GG operations team of any spec changes, performance issues, call backs, inspections, etc., from the previous day, and drives root cause analysis.
• Provides weekly recaps of delays vs. targets, FACs, and updates the customer on a weekly basis and local station management.
• Ensures that customer issues are dealt with in an efficient manner, informing the General Manager and Commercial leader (PAM, Local Director) of any problems that may arise.
• Conducts weekly inventory status checks.
• Owns the cycle change t-minus chart for assigned airline(s).
• Interfaces with the commercial team on a weekly/monthly basis.
• Responsible for all customer communications, conflict resolution, and compliance on customer deliverables.
• Provides regular two-way communication between the client and local GGI to provide strong team representation and set proper client expectations.
• Coordinates all menu presentations with the customer.
• Confirms specs issued between all departments (ASG, Chefs, production departments, pricing, etc.).
• Ensures room is properly set up for guests, including tent cards for all menu items and tasting needs.
• Sets up spec reference for review or questions.
• Coordinates food and beverage with production departments.
• Coordinates customer visits to the units, including tours, arrival times, departure times, and transportation if needed.
• Ensures the customer inventory sheet is current and up-to-date with par levels.
• Manages the inventory process accurately and on time, with results reviewed before submission to the customer.
• Communicates to the customer when par levels need to change.
• Provides customer feedback to help the customer reduce costs through inventory management.
• Ensures warehouse space is not used for obsolete or excessive inventory.
• Ensures that Customs requirements, GGI Bonded policy, and local Agriculture (compliance agreement) are implemented.
• Assists internal departments on quality/compliance through weekly specification checks and audits (chef tables, packing diagrams, CCPs, VSIE process, safety).
• Compares FACs against goals.
• Owns CSI and drives the process as outlined in GG policy and procedures.
• Conducts weekly documented billing checks to ensure items are billed.
• Performs monthly service order reviews to ensure all service items are captured and aligned with CXP and Sales Force.
• Manages a customer-specific set of KPIs, reporting on this performance to the commercial team, and agrees performance targets to these KPIs (e.g., delays, complaints, audit results) with the Commercial VP and GM.
• Conducts annual (or quarterly) customer feedback surveys on each aspect of the role: communication, inventory management, quality cost management/invoice accuracy, and customer service orientation.

Benefits

• Employees at gategroup are expected to live our Values of Excellence, Integrity, Passion and Accountability.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
• gategroup is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.
• Gate Gourmet Canada Inc. is pleased to accommodate applicants who have a disability up to the point of undue hardship during the recruitment, assessment and selection process.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED