Lead Customer Service Specialist

Lead Customer Service Specialist

The Lead Customer Service Specialist (Lead CSS) plays the dual role of supervisor for the customer service team while also being a part of the front line of our Service Departmentowning inbound requests, creating/triaging work orders, coordinating with dispatch and parts, and keeping customers informed from first call through invoice. The Lead CSS ensures that all customer service team members capture regulatory and site-access requirements up front (e.g., UST/AST, CUPA, SWRCB, local APCD/AQMD rules), that service-level agreements (SLAs) are met, and that work is completed safely and profitably.

Key Responsibilities:

• Customer service team management and supervision
• Manage a team of customer service specialists.
• Hire, train, and develop new team members, as needed.
• Maximize individual and collective team productivity and development.
• Customer Intake & Triage
• Answer phones/emails/portal tickets; gather site details (store #, address, contact, access times, safety/permit constraints).
• Clarify issue symptoms for petroleum equipment (dispensers, STPs, TLS/Veeder-Root tank monitors, hanging hardware, POS).
• Determine priority (emergency leak/spill, system down, compliance deadline, routine PM); assign appropriate SLA.
• Work Order Creation & Dispatch Support
• Open work orders in the CMMS/ERP; enter accurate scopes, site notes, hazard info, and required PPE.
• Coordinate with Dispatch to schedule field technicians, balancing skill set, certifications, geography, and response times.
• Verify pre-reqs: LOTO procedures on file, hot work permits (if needed), confined space documentation, site onboarding.
• Customer Communication & Updates
• Provide ETA updates, escalations, and status summaries; manage expectations when parts or permits extend timelines.
• Capture and process customer approvals for T&M, NTE amounts, and quoted repairs; route change orders as needed.
• Documentation & Compliance
• Ensure technician notes, photos, leak-test results, calibration logs, red tags, and customer sign-offs are complete.
• File, name, and route compliance records (UST monitoring certifications, sump/containment tests) to customers and internal Compliance.
• Log incidents/spills and notify the Compliance team per CUPA/local requirements.
• Customer Experience & Retention
• Monitor CSAT/NPS feedback and resolve concerns quickly; identify recurring issues and recommend PMs or upgrades.
• Support account managers with service history, spend reports, and renewal/upsell opportunities.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 to 5 years in a service/dispatch/customer support role required.
• Proficiency with CMMS/ERP and customer portals (e.g., ServiceTitan, FieldEdge, FS/NetSuite; Corrigo, ServiceChannel).
• Experience supervising a team.
• Strong written/verbal communication; calm under pressure; excellent note-taking and follow-through.
• Valid CA driver's license and insurable record (occasional site/yard visits).
• High school diploma or equivalent required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of common petroleum equipment (dispensers, tank monitoring, piping, hanging hardware) and basic troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with Southern California regulatory landscape: CUPA programs, CA SWRCB UST regs, Cal/OSHA, South Coast AQMD or San Diego APCD, local fire departments/hot-work rules.
• Experience supporting public works/prevailing wage jobs and certified payroll handoffs.
• Basic understanding of HAZWOPER, spill response notifications, red-tag procedures, and lockout/tagout documentation.
• Any relevant customer service or safety training (e.g., OSHA 10, HAZWOPER awareness) is a plus.

Success Metrics:

• Response Time / ASA: Average Speed of Answer ? 3045 seconds during business hours.
• First-Contact Resolution (administrative): ? 60% of calls fully triaged with complete site/permit data.
• SLA Attainment: ? 95% for emergency, ? 90% for standard.
• Quote Turnaround: ? 24 hours for standard T&M follow-ups; ?72 hours for complex repairs.
• Work-Order Quality: < 2% returns for missing info; 100% photo/sign-off compliance on regulated work.
• Invoice Cycle Time: Service completion to invoice submission ? 5 business days.
• CSAT/NPS: ? 4.6/5 CSAT or ? +50 NPS.

Tools & Systems:

• Phone system/softphone, email, chat; CMMS/ERP; customer portals; map/route tools; basic PDF editors; spreadsheet skills.
• Familiarity with brand literature, cut sheets, and parts catalogs (OPW, Franklin Fueling, Veeder-Root, Husky, etc.).

Work Environment:

• Primary: Office setting with frequent computer/phone use; high call volume; time-sensitive tasks.
• Secondary: Occasional visits to warehouse or customer sites (retail fuel stations, fleet yards, terminals).

Schedule & Endurance Requirements:

• Full-time, MondayFriday; occasional after-hours/on-call rotation for emergencies and weekend coverage by schedule.
• Ability to manage sustained periods of multi-tasking, interruptions, and deadline pressure.

Essential Physical Demands:

• Sit/stand for extended periods;
• Frequent keyboarding/monitor and phone use requiring visual acuity and auditory acuity. Frequent use of fingers, wrists and arms.
• Occasionally walk sites; climb stairs; don basic PPE (hard hat, safety vest, safety glasses, hearing protection) when visiting active work zones.
• Lift/carry office items up to ~25lbs (files, small parts boxes).

Job Safety Requirements:

• Follow company safety policies, Cal/OSHA requirements, and site-specific rules.
• Understand basic LOTO, hot-work, and confined-space awareness (administrative role; not performing entry).
• Use required PPE during site/yard visits; report incidents/spills immediately per company/CUPA procedures.
• Maintain clean, secure handling of customer data and documentation.