Customer Service Associate

Customer Service Associate

If you're someone who enjoys solving problems, building relationships, and creating positive customer experiences, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. As a Customer Experience Associate, you'll play a vital role in supporting both direct-to-consumer and wholesale customers while serving as a key connection point between our customers, sales partners, and internal teams. This position is more than answering questions. You'll help ensure seamless order experiences, support retailers and consumers through issue resolution, and collaborate across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Product, and Finance to keep business moving forward. Every interaction is an opportunity to represent the brand, strengthen customer relationships, and make a meaningful impact on the customer journey.

Reports to: Sr. Customer Service Manager

Interested candidates should apply through the Designer Brands career webpage.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the first point of contact for customers, retailers, and partners by answering incoming phone calls professionally and directing inquiries to the appropriate teams.
• Monitor web and wholesale-facing queues within the CRM platform, ensuring all inquiries receive a response within 2 business days.
• Support customers through warranty and product quality inquiries by gathering documentation, processing RMAs and replacements, and coordinating credits with Finance.
• Process web return requests through the Happy Returns platform.
• File claims with FedEx for missing or lost customer shipments.
• Enter wholesale email orders accurately and promptly while adhering to customer-specific routing requirements.
• Process orders for sales representative demo fleets and manual retail seeding requests.
• Partner with external Sales Representatives and wholesale retailers to manage booking orders and at-once orders submitted through the B2B platform.
• Assign order discounting and payment terms appropriately and collaborate with the Inventory Analyst to resolve product availability questions.
• Complete order revisions before scheduled ship dates and communicate end-of-life product updates to retailers and sales representatives when needed.
• Process new account applications and onboard accounts within NetSuite.
• Coordinate with Finance to facilitate final credit approval for new accounts.
• Develop collaborative relationships with retailers and sales partners to support smooth order execution and account management.
• Support office administration by maintaining organized backroom materials and coordinating office supply orders.
• Assist with shipping sales samples, retailer materials, and other departmental shipments according to established procedures.
• Provide support across Marketing, Operations, Product, and other teams as business needs arise.

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including phone and email correspondence.
• A customer-first mindset with the ability to approach situations thoughtfully and find effective solutions.
• Ability to maintain a positive, professional approach when interacting with consumers, retailers, sales partners, and internal teams.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to complete work accurately and efficiently.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive approach to identifying and resolving open customer service issues.
• Strong problem-solving skills and sound judgment.
• Comfortable learning and utilizing new technologies, systems, and web-based platforms.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Understanding of NetSuite and NuORDER workflows, with the ability to continue building expertise after training.
• Ability to work independently while also contributing to a collaborative team environment.
• Ability to commute to the Framingham, MA office 2 days per week.

Qualifications:

Minimum Experience:

• 1-2 years of experience in customer service or another customer-facing role.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience working in an office environment or call center.
• Strong familiarity with Microsoft Outlook.
• Specialty retail or running industry experience.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUPs and Pivot Tables.
• Experience with NetSuite or a similar ERP system.
• Experience with NuORDER or a similar B2B platform.

Minimum Education:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.

Compensation:

The estimated hiring pay range for this position is $19.90-$24.90/hr, non-exempt. The successful candidate's actual pay rate offer will take into account a wide range of job-related factors including skill sets, years and nature of relevant experience, training, pay rates of associates in similar positions, the candidate's location, and other organizational needs. The estimated hiring pay range has been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential. This range does not include benefits such as health insurance, paid or unpaid time off work, and/or retirement benefits, unless required by law. Benefits eligibility may vary based on where you work and your position. This position is eligible for our Annual Corporate Bonus Plan. To learn more, navigate to: Benefits

Topo Athletic is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We believe in the value of diversity and are committed to creating a welcoming environment for all employees, regardless of race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.