Customer Service Representative I/II/III - Water Utility

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Under general supervision, to perform a variety of customer service duties that help answer and resolve water utility customer inquiries, concerns and complaints. Work involves direct and indirect communication with external and internal customers through in-person meeting, phone, mail, email, service orders, and/or other medium. In addition, work involves processing orders, handling payments, generating bills, and completing reports. Work is performed under general supervision within established policies and procedures.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

Customer Service Representative I/II

This position exercises no supervision.

Customer Service Representative III

This position exercises some technical supervision over lower level staff.

IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Customer Service Representative I

Communicates with walk-in customers.

Uses utility billing and other software applications to assist customers with their account balances, water consumption, and initiation or termination of water service.

Queries other water utility divisions and other departments for information, as needed to resolve customer issues.

Receives payments and issues receipts for a variety of cash, check, credit card, and/or money order transactions related to the utility services provided.

Validates, balances, and reconciles receipts and other financial data daily.

Generates, dispatches and/or processes water utility maintenance service orders, as needed.

Retrieves and opens mail from the post office box and other drop box locations.

Maintains files and compiles receipt reports.

Customer Service Representative II

Performs all duties of a Customer Service Representative I, as needed.

Communicates with customers by in-person meeting, phone, mail, email, and/or other medium.

Serves as the primary water utility agent for resolving customer-expressed water service problems, assisting with payment issues, and answering utility questions.

Receives and posts off-site payments, and processes mail payments for remote deposit.

Processes requests for water service from home builders and contractors.

Customer Service Representative III

Performs all duties of a Customer Service Representative I/II, as needed. Additionally performs at least one of the following as their primary duties:

Performs back office payments tasks, to include validation, balancing, and reconciliation of daily receipts and transactions from payment sources; preparation of bank deposits and other related reports; and preparing and processing ACH files.

Performs back office accounts receivable tasks, to include billing customers for water, wastewater and other utility services provided; initiating steps to resolve issues that negatively impact accurate billing; and generating specialty bills, such as for delinquency and final account closure.

Performs back office collections tasks, to include issuing delinquency notices, and generating maintenance service orders to disconnect delinquent accounts.

Performs in-house quality control tasks, to include providing initial and recurring CSR training; evaluating and providing CSRs feedback regarding their performance during customer phone and email contacts; and communicating directly with customers whose complaints have been escalated.

Evaluates work methods and makes recommendations for process improvements.

OTHER JOB RELATED DUTIES

Perform other job related duties and responsibilities as assigned

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

Principles and processes for providing good customer service.

General accounting principles and practices

Basic understanding of water and wastewater utility operations

City of Abilene Policies and Procedures within six (6) months of employment.

Skill to:

Analyze and take actions to effectively resolve customer problems or complaints.

Perform mathematical computations and calculations accurately.

Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.

Stay calm during difficult conversations with customers

Perform all duties with an attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.

Organize and plan work activities to meet deadlines.

Ability to:

Proficiently use English language vocabulary, grammar and composition

Operate a computer and other office equipment.

Use a computer to process payments, customer inquiries, and service orders.

Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, both internally and externally.

Follow and embrace the City of Abilene Core Values – Respect, Integrity, Service Above Self, and Excellence in All We Do.

Lead, manage, and perform as a team member in a manner that accomplishes the Division’s mission and treats team members with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Customer Service Representative III

Perform as a team member in a manner that accomplishes the Division’s mission and treats team members with dignity, courtesy, and respect.

Experience and Training Guidelines:

For positions with more than one level, all listed requirements at the lower levels are required at the higher levels. Any combination equivalent to experience and training to provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be qualifying.Knowledge, skills, and abilities may be obtained through:

Experience:

Customer Service Representative I

This is an entry-level position.

One (1) year of continuous general clerical experience involving heavy public contact is required.

Customer Service Representative II

Two (2) years of continuous general clerical experience with heavy public contact is required.

Customer Service Representative III

Three (3) years of experience in the City of Abilene Water Utilities Office or similar experience and training is required.

Education/Training:

A high school diploma or a GED is required.

License or Certificate:

A valid Texas driver’s license is preferred.

Special Requirements:

Ability to travel to different sites.

Availability to work an 8-hour shift during normal business hours, and be on standby (on call) to work outside normal business hours, as needed.

Essential duties require the following physical skills and work environment:

With or without accommodation, the “X” indicates the overall strength demand of the position during a typical workday:

___ Sedentary – lifting of no more than 10 pounds

___ Light – lifting no more than 20 pounds; carrying up to 10 pounds

_X_ Medium – lifting no more than 50 pounds; carrying up to 25 pounds

___ Heavy – lifting no more than 100 pounds; carrying up to 50 pounds

___ Very Heavy – team lifting over 100 pounds; carrying more than 50 pounds

Physical Demand Codes: The following describes whether or not the position is expected to exert the physical demands listed during a typical workday as well as the overall frequency of the task:

Codes for how often:

N = No

E = Extensive (100 – 70% of the time)

M = Moderate (60 – 30% of the time)

I = Infrequent (20 – 10% of the time)

A = Almost Never (<10% of the time)

Code / Task

_A_ Standing

_E_ Sitting

_I_ Walking

_ I_ Lifting

_ I_ Carrying

_A_ Pushing/Pulling

_A_ Overhead Work

_E_ Fine Dexterity

_A_ Kneeling

_A_ Crouching

_N_ Crawling

_A_ Bending

_A_ Twisting

_A_ Climbing

_I_ Balancing

_E_ Vision

_E_ Hearing

_E_ Talking

___ Other: _____________________