Customer Support Specialist (On-site Banking Call Center)

HERITAGE BANK•Burlington, WA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

Heritage Bank is hiring a Customer Support Specialist for its Customer Service Center at the Burlington Administrative Center. The position provides telephone and in-person assistance to internal and external customers, processes financial requests, and develops knowledge of the Bank’s products and services to help customers meet current and future needs. The role may be considered at Level I, Level II, or Senior, depending on qualifications and experience. This is a full-time, fully onsite position in Burlington, Washington. The typical schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with rotating Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Flexibility is required to ensure adequate staffing for training or employee absences. The climate-controlled office environment involves frequent customer and employee contacts and interruptions, and requires concentration, regular attendance, punctuality, and adherence to agreed schedules. The role handles customer inquiries and escalations, resolves online service requests, conducts account maintenance, and makes referrals to appropriate specialists or resources. The employee is expected to deliver exceptional service, build customer relationships, make sound decisions within assigned approval limits, follow banking laws and internal policies, and protect confidential customer financial information. The listed base salary ranges are Level I: $20.00–$24.84 per hour; Level II: $22.00–$26.87 per hour; and Senior: $23.00–$28.61 per hour. Actual pay depends on qualifications and experience. Heritage Bank describes its total rewards package as including base salary and benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, a 401(k), community volunteer time, and generous time off. Full-time team members receive at least 10 paid vacation days annually, eight hours of paid sick leave per month, 11 paid holidays each calendar year, and an annual float day, prorated based on start date and/or hours worked.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Level I: At least 6 months to 1 year of recent retail banking and/or bank operations experience emphasizing exceptional customer service in financial services and/or a service center industry.
Level II: At least 2 years of recent retail banking, bank operations, and/or service or call center experience, with working knowledge and experience in multiple functions, including online/electronic banking, account maintenance, billing questions and research, regulatory compliance, operations, and phone applications and systems.
Senior: At least 3 years of recent call center experience emphasizing exceptional customer service, advanced technical skills, and thorough working knowledge and proficiency in major service center functions in the financial services industry.
Provide accurate, effective, and timely service, respond to customer needs and concerns, and solicit feedback to improve service.
Maintain composure in difficult situations and build customer trust and respect while providing information, data, advice, and solutions to staff and management at all levels.
Excellent listening, verbal, written, and telephone-etiquette business communication skills; ability to communicate follow-up or technical issues by phone, in person, and email, and to read, write, speak, and understand English well.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, data-review, processing, and time-management skills; attention to detail and accuracy; ability to manage assignments and reporting requests, prioritize, and meet commitments and deadlines.
Ability to work independently while coordinating work with other employees and departments, and to contribute effectively as a team member.
Ability to learn and understand principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to the assigned area and the Bank’s policies, procedures, products, and services.
Ability to identify key issues and make decisions under time constraints.
Flexibility and adaptability to change in a fast-paced environment.
Unquestionable integrity in handling sensitive and confidential information.
Regular attendance, punctuality, and adherence to agreed schedules; willingness to work flexible and/or rotating schedules, Saturdays, and/or extended hours as needed.
Ability to concentrate amid distractions, frequent contacts, and interruptions.
Ability to use a computer keyboard, multi-line telephone, photocopier, scanner, and facsimile, including repetitive hand and wrist motions.
Ability to sit for much of the day and intermittently stand, stoop, bend, kneel, or crouch to file materials; occasional lifting of 15–20 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated sales and business development skills, including the ability to identify customer needs and confidently cross-sell Bank products and services.
General use and understanding of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Knowledge of telephony hardware/software and contact-center applications, with the ability to learn and adapt to new technologies quickly.
Working knowledge of the Bank’s core processing/operating system and experience using Cisco telecommunication systems.

Responsibilities

Provide exceptional service to internal and external customers in accordance with Heritage Bank Service Standards and build strong customer relationships.
Handle customer-service telephone activities, respond to inquiries, determine appropriate responses or directions, and manage escalations as needed.
Research and resolve online service requests, navigating within the organization or escalating requests to an appropriate resource.
Investigate and resolve employee and customer problems by telephone or in person, escalating to management as appropriate.
Apply sound decision-making to inquiries and requests in accordance with policies, procedures, and assigned approval limits.
Coordinate with branches and departments to resolve customer inquiries and problems; follow up on inquiries that are not resolved immediately.
Transfer calls accurately and efficiently to appropriate specialists or resources for escalations, research, or resolution.
Assess customer and prospective customer needs by telephone and respond consistently and effectively to build relationships.
Participate in marketing and sales promotions and recommend or refer Bank products based on customer needs.
Participate in training programs to enhance product knowledge and referral abilities.
Perform Bank activities and job responsibilities in compliance with applicable state and federal banking laws, regulations, policies, procedures, standards, and guidance.
Protect the confidentiality of customer financial information when handling requests and transactions.
Maintain customer deposit accounts, including adjustments, research, and file maintenance.
Share in department responsibilities and contribute to the success of the Customer Service Center.