Customer Service Representative

Job Title

Primary Purpose of Job & Essential Duties/Responsibilities

The primary purpose of this position is to provide customer service in the collection of payments received by mail or in person, to assist customers with utility services, and to respond to questions from customers about utility services and payment. Under the direct supervision of the Budget/Treasury Officer, the employee works independently on assigned duties and responsibilities. Essential Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Serving as the primary, initial contact at the front counter of the payment office
• Directing phone calls to appropriate departments
• Processing payments received by mail or in person
• Processing applications and work orders for utility accounts
• Researching ambiguous and unreadable payments
• Providing answers to or dealing with complicated questions or problems regarding utility services or payments
• Performing daily cash and check reconciliation
• Securing revenue by verifying and posting receipts and resolving any discrepancies
• Preparing insufficient check collection letters and pursuing payment
• Processing autopay batches for moorage accounts for each billing cycle
• Performing other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge of general office practices and procedures. Skills in operating a personal computer using standard software, such as Word, Excel, and Outlook, and customized financial, accounting, and auditing software. Ability to organize, maintain, and manage a wide variety of records and files, including financial and legal records, both in paper and electronic form. Skills in prioritizing work while focusing on multiple tasks that require meticulous attention to detail. Ability to provide customer service including answering questions, handling payments, and dealing with routine problems. Ability to recognize and maintain confidential information, produce high quality work that has been self-reviewed for accuracy, work independently based on general instruction and in compliance with policies and procedures, communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing, using both technical and non-technical language, understand and follow oral and written policies, procedures and instructions, use logical and creative thought processes to develop solutions according to written specifications and oral instructions, perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under the pressure of time-sensitive deadlines, and quickly learn and put to use newly acquired skills and knowledge.

Minimum Qualifications & Other Job Requirements/Expectations

Minimum Qualifications include a high school diploma or GED; and one year of experience in customer service, bookkeeping or accounting, or cash handling; or any equivalent combination of experience, education, and training which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work. Other Job Requirements or Expectations are none.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

Working Conditions include a general office setting. Specific Physical Requirements include operating office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination using a computer and keyboard on a daily basis, standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time either in front of computer, occasional bending, climbing, stooping, reaching, and twisting, occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull objects up 50 pounds with or without the assistance of proper equipment, sufficient clarity of speech and hearing or other communication capabilities which permits the employee to communicate well with other employees and the general public, sufficient vision or other powers of observation which permits the employee to use a computer screen and process numeric data, sufficient manual dexterity which permits the employee to operate a computer keyboard and access files, and sufficient personal mobility and physical reflexes which permits the employee to move about in an office environment.