Customer Service Assistant

Customer Service Assistant

Start Your Career with the City of La Verne! The City of La Verne is seeking a friendly, dependable, and service-oriented individual to join the Finance Department as a Customer Service Assistant.

As one of the City's first points of contact for the public, you will play an important role in creating a positive experience for residents, businesses, and visitors. This entry-level position provides an opportunity to develop valuable experience in customer service, municipal utility billing, cashiering, customer account administration, and administrative support.

This is the entry-level classification responsible for providing customer service, reception, and administrative support within the Finance Department while serving as the City's initial point of contact for the public. Employees perform a combination of customer service, clerical, administrative, and routine customer account support duties under close supervision. Work emphasizes providing exceptional customer service, supporting Finance Department operations, and developing a working knowledge of municipal utility billing, customer account administration, cashiering functions, and related financial operations. Assignments generally follow established procedures and are reviewed through observation, conferences, reports, and results achieved.

Distinguishing Characteristics Serves as the City's primary customer service contact by greeting and assisting visitors to City Hall, answering and routing incoming telephone calls, responding to routine inquiries, and directing customers to the appropriate department or staff member. Provides administrative support to the Finance Department while assisting with customer account administration, utility billing support, cashiering support, records management, and other departmental operations. Incumbents perform routine assignments in accordance with established procedures while developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to assume progressively more responsible duties and prepare for advancement within the Customer Service Representative or Account Clerk classification series.

Supervision Received And Exercised General supervision is provided by a high-level administrator or department head. Responsibilities may include direct or indirect supervision of subordinate clerical positions. Under close supervision, performs a variety of entry-level customer service, receptionist, clerical, and administrative support duties within the Finance Department.

Examples of Duties

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class; employees may be assigned duties which are not listed below; reasonable accommodation will be made as required. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change at any time by the employer. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Serve as the City's primary reception point by greeting visitors, determining the nature of their business, providing general information, and directing customers to the appropriate department or staff member.
• Answer, screen, and route incoming telephone calls; respond to routine inquiries regarding City services, office locations, meetings, forms, and procedures; take and relay messages as appropriate.
• Provide courteous and professional customer service while responding to routine questions and resolving basic customer concerns.
• Receive, sort, distribute, collect, and process incoming and outgoing mail, interoffice correspondence, packages, and other documents; coordinate mail deliveries and pickups as required.
• Provide administrative support to Finance Department staff, including preparing correspondence, scanning, filing, maintaining records, assembling reports, processing documents, and assisting with special projects.
• Assist Customer Service Representatives with routine customer account administration, utility billing support, account updates, service requests, data entry, and record maintenance.
• Assist Account Clerk staff with routine cashiering support, payment processing activities, document preparation, and other Finance Department functions as assigned.
• Receive and process customer payments in accordance with established procedures and departmental policies.
• Receive, document, and route customer service requests to the appropriate department or staff for action.
• Schedule appointments, inspections, and service requests as assigned.
• Maintain public information displays, forms, brochures, and other informational materials available to customers.
• Maintain accurate electronic and paper files in accordance with established record retention procedures.
• Develop proficiency in the City's customer information, utility billing, cashiering, and financial software systems.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment.
• Principles and practices of providing effective customer service.
• Basic business English, spelling, grammar, and mathematics.
• Basic computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, email, and data entry.
• Recordkeeping and filing procedures.
• Safe work practices.

Ability to:

• Learn City policies, Finance Department procedures, customer account administration, utility billing practices, cashiering procedures, and related financial operations.
• Learn and effectively use computerized customer information, utility billing, cashiering, and financial software systems.
• Provide courteous, professional, and responsive customer service.
• Perform accurate data entry and maintain organized records.
• Operate standard office equipment.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, other City staff, and the public.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Organize work, manage multiple assignments, and maintain attention to detail.
• Exercise sound judgment while working within established procedures.

Experience and Education Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: One year of customer service, clerical, administrative support, cashiering, reception, or other public contact experience is desirable.

Education: Equivalent to graduation from high school. Additional coursework in business administration, office administration, accounting, finance, or a related field is desirable.

License or Certificate Possession of or ability to obtain an appropriate, valid California driver's license.

Physical and Mental Demands: Physical activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Communicate effectively with management, coworkers, and the public.
• Operate computers and standard office equipment.
• Sit for extended periods of time.
• Bend, stoop, kneel, twist, and reach while retrieving files and office materials.
• Lift and carry office supplies, files, mail, and packages consistent with the essential functions of the position.
• Hearing and vision within normal ranges.

Supplemental Information

Appointments are subject to a 12-month probationary period. As required by state law, the City provides consideration for veterans who served during military actions. Eligible veterans should notify Personnel in writing at the time of application. Under Federal law, employees must contribute 1.45% of their gross monthly earnings for Medicare coverage. The City will match the employee's contribution. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if special assistance to participate in this recruitment is needed, contact the Personnel Office. The City of La Verne hires only United States citizens or lawfully authorized aliens.

Benefits

• Up to $1,500 monthly toward family medical coverage
• Classic PERS members--CalPERS Formula 2.5% @ 55 (Employee contribution 8% annual salary - New CalPERS members: CalPERS Pension Reform Formula 2% @ 62 (Employee contribution 6.25% annual salary)
• Up to 10% in certification bonuses
• Up to 5% in education bonuses
• City-paid life insurance benefit
• 2.8 to 5.0 weeks of vacation per year depending on years of service
• Eleven (11) paid holidays per year
• Accrual of 8 hours of sick leave per month
• City-paid long term disability plan
• $1,500 tuition reimbursement for job-related courses