Customer Care Specialist

Full-time Description Location: Remote (see details below) Hours: 40 hours/week, Monday - Friday About ECE Celebrating over 40 years of success, ECE is one of the most well-known and respected names in comparative international education. Our main product, an educational credential evaluation, is a report used by counselors, recruiters, registrars, and admissions officers in the U.S. and elsewhere to determine how the academic history of a foreign-educated individual matches up to American grading scales and standards. As the demand for talented professionals has increased around the world, hiring managers have increasingly relied on the expertise of ECE to review the credentials of employees. ECE is a medium-sized nonprofit organization with just over 100 employees. Summary: ECE customer care staff work in an Omnichannel Contact Center. Our customer care environment combines live chat, AI-assisted support, and voice interactions in one experience. Accurately interprets company policy and procedures, answers customer inquiries, and provides information on fees and services. Addresses customer concerns and explains policies and procedures. Uses sound judgment to determine when and to whom issues should be escalated. Essential Duties & Responsibilities Responds to incoming customer requests by providing accurate information to new and existing customers. Maintains precise records of all customer communication. Uses appropriate judgment to determine when and to whom to transfer calls to other staff. Effectively understands policies and procedures to be able to interpret customer needs and problem solve. Serves as a subject matter expert for all standard ECE product offerings. Assists customers with website and application navigation and questions. Troubleshoots problems to effectively escalate to technical support when appropriate. Ensures that the customer receives quality service. Listens attentively and responds effectively to customer complaints. Manages difficult or emotional customer situations and balances customer needs with organizational policies, creating resolutions that provide customer satisfaction. Articulates ideas clearly and concisely in a variety of manners through written and verbal communication while adjusting the message to match the request. Composes professional and informative responses to written inquiries. Performs other related duties within the scope of the position as required for efficient operation of the organization and support of institutional objectives. Requirements Competencies To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies: Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations, responds promptly to customer needs for service and assistance, keeps emotions under control, shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences. Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on finding solutions, listens to others without interrupting, remains open to others' ideas, remains calm, rational, and works for the best possible outcome. Uses multiple strategies to deescalate challenging situations, professionally acknowledges emotional situations, is considerate, respectful, and uses empathy appropriately, seeks clarification of problems or issues. Judgment - accurately and objectively reviews data and information, uses a step-by-step process to reach decisions, uses sound judgment to make decisions based on information provided and applies company policy and processes accurately. Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; reacts well under pressure; treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position. Communication (Written and Verbal) - Speaks clearly and credibly in positive or negative situations, listens actively and requests for clarification, responds well to questions, expresses ideas effectively in both written and verbal communication, writes clearly and informatively, edits work for spelling and grammar, varies writing style to meet needs, able to read and interpret written information. Delivers Results (Quality/Quantity) - Applies feedback to improve performance, monitors own work to ensure quality, meets productivity standards, completes work in a timely manner, strives to increase productivity. Workload Management - Maintains accurate records even when interruptions occur, able to move from task to task without reducing the quality of work, stays productive during slower work periods, budgets time wisely by prioritizing tasks appropriately, uses effective tracking mechanisms and resources appropriately, able to manage multiple competing work activities. Commitment & Responsibility - Follows instructions, responds to management direction, keeps commitments, is consistently at work and on time, ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent, applies ECE policy appropriately. Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner, gathers and analyzes information skillfully, uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics, determines appropriate and correct conclusions to resolve challenges. Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Education and/or Experience High school diploma or general education degree (GED) required; experience and /or training in a customer service phone environment preferred. Demonstrated knowledge of higher education, either through attendance or work experience in an academic or educational setting, a nonprofit organization, or a professional office setting such as a government or legal office preferred. Communication Skills Excellent written and oral communication is a must. Experience using Chat as a communication tool is a plus. Computer Skills This role requires proficiency with technologies including but not limited to the full Microsoft suite- including Teams, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneDrive. Experience with organizational operations systems and a willingness to learn ECE's systems is necessary. Foreign Language Skills No foreign language skills are required for this position. However, familiarity with foreign language and/or culture are preferred. ECE serves individuals, institutions, and other key stakeholders from all over the world. Mathematical Skills Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide into all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Supervision This position has no supervisory responsibilities and reports to the Senior Manager. What does ECE offer? We consider skills, experience, and organizational needs when determining compensation. The stated range is an estimate and may be adjusted based on these factors, with most new hires typically starting below the top of the range. The current pay range for this role is $19.00 - $23.15 per hour. We believe balancing personal life and work life leads to engaged, productive, and satisfied employees. Many positions include flexible scheduling and remote work options. Our benefits package includes: Employer-sponsored life insurance A generous 403(b) retirement plan contribution match Health, dental, and vision coverage Flexible spending accounts Additional voluntary insurance options We also provide: Eleven paid holidays annually Generous paid time off and medical time Opportunities for professional development through internal and external training ECE is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Work Location This is a remote position. Preference is given to candidates based in Wisconsin, as ECE is based in Milwaukee, WI. However, ECE is currently able to hire candidates living in the following states: Wisconsin, Illinois (excl. Cook County/Chicago), Texas, Utah, Florida, North Carolina. Physical Demands & Work Environment The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to be mobile; walk and stoop, or crouch. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Salary Description $19.00 - $23.15 per hour