Customer Service Technician

Customer Service Technician

Northshore Utility District in Kenmore, Washington is seeking a Customer Service Technician. Work Schedule: Non-Exempt, Full-Time, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or Optional 9/80 Schedule. Incumbents in this position perform customer support and technical service duties within the Finance Department. Primary areas of responsibilities rotate across key functional areas, including customer service, front counter, billing and delinquency management. Incumbents can perform under stressful conditions and effectively de-escalate customer issues and maintains professionalism under pressure. Reporting Directly To: Finance Director

Examples Of Duties

Each functional area assignment includes the following responsibilities in addition to other duties as assigned. Employees in all areas will be expected to answer phone calls and provide responsive, courteous customer service.

Customer Service:

• Assists in calculating leak adjustments, escrow inquiries, account setups, and final bills.
• Administers the Utility Discount and Customer Assistance Programs.
• Provide phone support by addressing customer inquiries related to billing, permitting, water and wastewater services, and general account information; screen respond to, and transfer incoming calls as appropriate.
• Returns customer voicemail message and responds to written inquiries in a timely manner.
• Maintains and updates customer account information.
• Handles difficult customer interactions with professionalism and tact.

Front Desk:

• Serves as the District's primary point of contact for walk-in customers.
• Answers general inquiries and directs customers to appropriate staff as needed.
• Processes cash, check, and credit card payments; balance and reconcile daily transactions.
• Opens, sorts and distributes incoming mail; assists with mailing outgoing correspondence and bills.

Billing:

• Conducts all billing processes including payment arrangements, new accounts setup, payments, adjustments, refunds, delinquencies, collections, shutoffs processing, duplicate billing requests, and bi-monthly cycle billings.
• Process and verify customer assistance pledge applications, payments, invoices, final bills, refunds, and account adjustments.
• Compiles, reviews, and edits a variety of reports related to water and wastewater billing, meters, fleet and facilities billing and other miscellaneous billing.
• Coordinates with other agencies to compile and maintain a variety of reports.
• Separate and processes payments, post cash receipts, remittance, and handles daily bank and post office deposits.

Delinquency Management:

• Prepares and processes delinquency reminders, termination notices, shut offs and reactivations.
• Voids, re-issues, and reconcile payments; maintains miscellaneous accounts receivable ledgers.
• Manage agent and third-party release requests, inter-account transfers, and miscellaneous billing.
• Establishes and monitors payment arrangements for delinquent accounts.

Minimum Qualifications

• Understanding of the billing and collection procedures, with a basic understanding of the business operations. Preferably within the utility industry.
• Proficient in using various billing equipment (example, printer, copiers, scanners, mail opener, etc.)
• Ability to reliably travel to the post office and bank per week by a method that allows timely arrival. If driving a company vehicle, a valid driver's license may be necessary since no alternative method of transportation is available that reasonably matches time and cost.
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to compose customer correspondence clearly, accurately, and professionally.
• Strong written and oral communication skills for interacting with co-workers, supervisors, the general public, etc. that cultivates collaboration and engagement.
• Demonstrates excellence in customer service, including professional telephone etiquette, with the ability to de-escalate difficult customer interactions, and maintains composure in high-pressure or stressful situations.
• Ability to work harmoniously with others and adapt to shifting work assignments.
• Adaptability in shifting work assignments.

Experience/Education: Two-year college degree preferred. Four years of experience in an office environment, customer service or billing department with at least one year of experience working in a billing department or equivalent work experience.

Licensing Requirements: Ability to travel to post office and the bank is needed by a means that ensures timely arrival. If the duties of the position require operating a motor vehicle where no reasonable alternative transportation method exists, possession of a valid Washington State driver's license (and acceptable driving record) will be required.

Other Requirements: Reliable and regular attendance is essential. WORKING CONDITIONS: Work is primarily performed in a standard office environment with frequent interactions with customers, coworkers, and outside agencies. Dealing with the public can create a high stress environment. The employees will travel to other locations to deliver and retrieve documents, and training. This position requires a combination of sitting, standing, walking, and reaching throughout the day. Duties at the front counter require the ability to stand for extended periods while assisting walk-in customers, and sufficient mobility to move between workstations, front counter areas and other office spaces. The position involves regular use of standard office equipment such as computers, telephones, copiers, and scanners. Employees may occasionally be required to lift or move objects weighing up to 30 pounds, such as boxes and files. Frequent talking, hearing and viewing of computer screens are necessary for communicating with customers and performing data entry duties. This position generally operates during regular business hours but may require occasional overtime, evening, or weekend work during peak billing periods, emergencies, or special projects. Reliable and regular attendance is essential, and the employee may occasionally work under pressure due to deadlines or high customer service demands.

Benefits

Medical, Dental, & Vision Employees have various medical plan options to choose from either managed care plans or preferred provider plans. The Employer pays 100% of the premium costs for employees & their eligible dependents for most plan options.

HRA/VEBA Employees who have completed their Trial Service Period will receive an employer contribution into their HRA/VEBA account. The contributions equal $2,000 for employee medical coverage and $4,000 for employee plus eligible dependent.

Flexible Spending Accounts Save money in taxes by using the Flexible Spending Accounts to pay for eligible health care or dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis.

Retirement Plans Public Employee's Retirement System (PERS) As a public employer, most of our employees are eligible for retirement benefits administered by the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems. Employees have two plans to choose from.

Deferred Compensation 457 (b) and Roth plan. Optional deferred compensation plan allows eligible employees to contribute to their account through payroll deductions. The Employer matches up to 2% contributions into your selected plan.

Paid Time Off / Work Schedule We offer a competitive time off program that includes vacation based on years of service, 8 hours/month accrued sick leave, and 13 paid holiday. We offer two schedules for our employees. Your traditional Monday - Friday 8:00am -4:30pm or a 9/80 schedule to foster a healthy work life balance.

Term & Accident Insurance Employer paid and optional term life and accident insurance help protect against financial hardship in the event of serious injury or death.

Employee Assistance Program Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available via a 24-hour hotline. The EAP provides no-cost, confidential assistance for a variety of personal and professional issues, including stress, financial challenges, work-related issues, or marital and family counseling.

Training & Development We have a rich history of training and development for our employees. We encourage our employees to realize their full potential and offer a variety of ways to advance their careers through internal, external, and on-the-job training opportunities, as well as tuition reimbursement and mentorship.