Customer Service Specialist (Call Center)

City of Sacramento (CA)•Sacramento, CA

44d

About The Position

This position is responsible for cashiering oversight, cash control, and bank deposit batching, as well as providing front counter and phone support, including handling customer escalations. The position's duties include drafting and responding to customer service e-mails and correspondence; conducting staff training, including drafting, amending, and implementing complex procedures; performing quality assurance functions by reviewing customer calls and providing feedback; accounting and billing analysis; and complex billing research. The Customer Service Specialist will provide oversight of Control 1 dispatch functions and provide radio dispatching support. IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT The ideal candidate will be equally adept at working both collaboratively and independently while managing a high volume of daily customer interactions in person, over the phone, via written and e-mailed correspondence, and through radio dispatching to City Field Crews. The ideal candidate will value and enjoy providing guidance to staff and delivering exceptional customer service to resolve escalated customer issues. This is the advanced-journey level class in the Customer Service series. The Customer Service Specialist class works under minimal supervision, and is considered the technical expert of the series having the knowledge and authority to handle issues beyond the first attempts of lower-level Customer Service staff. The Customer Service Specialist level may be assigned to lead lower-level Customer Service staff. This class is distinguished from the Customer Service Supervisor class in that the latter is the full supervisory class, responsible for a customer service unit, operation, or special program. This class is distinguished from the Customer Service Representative class in that the latter is the journey-level class in the series where incumbents work under immediate supervision. General supervision is provided by a Customer Service Supervisor or higher-level management staff. The Customer Service Specialist may provide lead direction as assigned.

Requirements

Knowledge of: English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation. Basic bookkeeping and record keeping methods. Mathematical procedures and calculations, including percentages, calculations, and pro-rations. Methods of researching and recording. City codes and ordinances, policies, procedures, and regulations of assigned division/department. Various rates and fees schedules. Assessing maps, as assigned including geographic information system (GIS), parcel, subdivision, etc. Methods and equipment used in processing payments. Modern office methods, practices, procedures for billing purposes. Computer operations, including computer software applications and other specialized business applications. Principals of supervision and training.
Skill in: Computer keyboard, typewriter and 10-key calculator. Working as part of a team. Phone skills and diplomacy. Computer and Internet searches.
Ability to: Exercise tact, judgment and patience in dealing with the public, staff and client departments. Utilize specialized computer business applications and systems for account and billing purposes. Analyze, read, and prepare schedules, maps, permits, reports, and statements regarding municipal operations. Analyze and prepare schedules, reports and statements regarding municipal operations. Interpret and apply City regulations and procedures as applicable to billing, fees and collections. Work independently with minimal supervision. Work any shift, including weekends and holidays is mandatory for some assignments. Perform specialized technical work involving independent judgment. Type at a speed of not less than 35 net words per minute. Perform mathematic calculations. Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. Perform concurrently multiple complex customer service related duties.
Two (2) years of progressively responsible journey-level experience performing customer service work responding to customer complaints and inquiries in a public service operation.
Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.

Responsibilities

Provide lead supervision of staff, and adjust work schedules and assignments as needed to ensure adequate coverage of telephone and public counter operations; assist supervisor in overseeing the completion of daily assignments and special projects.
Represent the City and the department to the public, callers, and visitors in a professional and effective manner over the telephone and at a public counter; answer and respond to a high volume of phone calls; follow general customer service policy and procedure.
Interact with customers to respond to complaints and inquiries; contact customers as needed regarding service accounts, fees, licenses, permits, and service level; assist staff in the resolution of complex and difficult customer service problems; transfer call, and/or direct callers to department/unit as requested.
Calculate and collect payments for various City services, and ensure all requirements are met; initiate billing; collect opening, current, and closing payments and fees; perform collection efforts on delinquent accounts for City services; complete refund request; and calculate and process claims on bankrupt and deceased creditors; interface with department staff as needed.
Research and retrieve information, and analyze accounts to reconcile errors and modify account transactions; review and interpret billing statements; authorize the removal of penalties and issuance of credits or refunds; and recommend extensions on delinquent accounts; correct service records and repair orders received from field crews.
Make change and issue receipts; pro-rate accounts for established, changed or stopped service; prepare documents for recording and transmitting fees received; maintain daily balances; input debit applications and cancellation information to customer accounts.
Perform a variety of general accounting duties, including accounts receivable, accounts payable and bank deposits; verify accuracy of checks, payment cards and bank deposits; locate, gather and compile information regarding payments received without payment cards to identify account to be credited; maintain petty cash, daily cash and daily revenue records; and submit daily records; and maintain files and records.
Perform specialized work involving independent judgment, including database maintenance and customer information billing system activities, as required; update databases to reflect relevant legal information; research and compile information and data for statistical and financial reports/charts from oral direction, rough draft, forms, copy, or notes; maintain a variety of statistical records; and check and tabulate statistical data; perform notary services.
Calculate required fees in accordance with established policies; calculate, issue and collect payments for various service accounts; ensure accuracy, and all other requirements are met; issue licenses and other business related citations
Prepare and enter a variety of detailed commands into a computer in order to set parameters for a variety of billing services and reports; produce account statements; prepare backup files for protection of a department database; and update official City maps and records as required.
Utilize various systems to locate information, retrieve, research and review; determine the status of accounts and conditions; create or make adjustments to service requests; route work requests, follow-up and monitor posting of labor and materials billing; operate 2-way radio or other telecommunication device.
Create or make adjustments on property/parcels; research and verify correct lot splits, lot mergers, and lot line adjustments; update accounts to provide accurate billing information; update systems and run reports of various computer systems; research and establish correct ownership, change ownership information and deed date; generate inspections; process service records and repair orders received from field crews.
Confer with management staff regarding division and/or unit operations, procedures and regulations; provide responsible operational support to technical staff, unit supervisor, and lower-level staff; may assist higher level staff with development and revision of procedures; interpret City codes and ordinances, policies, procedures and regulations.
Participate in the training of staff in various systems, procedures and operations; provide functional direction of lower-level personnel as assigned; participate in the evaluations of subordinate staff; attend meetings as directed.
Perform notary duties.
Provide exceptional customer service to those contacted in the course of work.
Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual.