Customer and Sales Service Specialist- Boise, ID

The Simplot Company is a diverse, privately held global food and agriculture company headquartered in Boise, Idaho. We are a true farm-to-table company with an integrated portfolio including food processing and food brands, phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching and cattle production, and other enterprises related to agriculture.

Summary

The Customer Sales Support Specialist (CSS Specialist) is an extension of the Simplot sales force in identifying and delivering the best possible service and product solutions for the customer. They are responsible for managing customer needs and information to drive sales into the business. This includes creating exceptional buying experiences and their expertise results in best-in-class customer relationship management, reduced churn, improved customer retention and a positive brand image for Simplot. Under limited supervision, this position serves as the Customer Account subject matter expert in areas which may include: overseeing order lifecycle, inventory validation, risk report, critical stock and product substitutions, out of stock, product knowledge, pricing errors, and issue resolution. The CSS Specialist role requires daily customer interactions via phone, email, social media, or chat applications that are time sensitive and critical to the front end of the business and customer experience. They are required to have strong product knowledge and an ability to efficiently interact with customers to understand their buying journeys and pain points. This allows them to effectively troubleshoot, make independent decisions for strategic product substitutions and act as a consultant for issues around product, pricing, scheduling, and shipping.In addition to day-to-day Customer Sales Support activities, they will be expected to oversee more complex work processes and be an active participant in value add project work that may include training Customer Sales Support Associates, documenting policies/procedures, cross-functional or department process improvements, customer analytics and reports, and executing department initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Cultivates productive customer (Internal and External) interactions and responds to unexpected customer requests with sense of urgency and positive action.
• Serve as subject matter expert to include but not limited to, order lifecycle, inventory availability: risk report, out of stock, critical stock, substitution list, pricing errors and overall issue resolution.
• Receives, coordinates, and works with CSS Associates to ensure processed orders from customers, brokers, and sales area managers for shipments from manufacturing plants, warehouses and exchange locations.
• Documents all customer information and cases into Salesforce to ensure proactive approaches can be taken based on historical trends through case management.
• Demonstrates written and verbal communication for both internal and external communications.
• Will professionally handle urgent requests, feedback, and manage through ambiguity.
• Continually seeks out and pursues opportunities to enhance process effectiveness and efficiencies.
• Works on cross-functional teams to improve internal processes, documents desk and department policies and operating procedures.
• Ensures continual progress on department initiatives and improvements as assigned.
• Assist in training members of the team.
• Assists in the design and preparation of internal documentation and training for staff.
• As determined by the supervisor, provide departmental expertise and knowledge transfer to other team members.

Typical Education

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from 4 year college or university (preferred)

Relevant Experience

• 1+ years related experience and/or training

Other Information

• Accountable for interfacing with production planning, scheduling, deployment, transportation and warehouse personnel to ensure inventory availability to meet current and projected customers needs.
• Answers product and distribution inquiries from sales, brokers and customers. Provides communication link between sales and distribution to facilitate prompt response. Promotes electronic processing whenever possible.
• Strong negotiation skills required to ensure timely & lowest cost delivery of products to our customers.
• Identify, track and resolve customer shipment and distribution related problems. Responsible for accurately resolving deductions, short payments, and re-bills to final resolution and/or repayment.
• Communicates with customers, sales, brokers and buying groups on all issues related to bill backs, rebates, DPP, local marketing programs, and monthly volume reimbursement programs
• Requires knowledge of JDE and Microsoft Office Suite; foodservice pricing, rebate, & chargeback processes.
• Must have a strong understanding of the pricing and deduction management system and possess solid knowledge of the financial system to track payments and access ledger inquiries.
• The incumbent must also be able to process moderately complex data and present it to the customer in an understandable format.
• This position requires a basic knowledge of accounting principles with the ability to balance accounts.
• Must have strong Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, Outlook). 
• Must provide prompt responses, follow standard procedures, be detail-oriented, and work effectively with Simplot sales/broker teams.
• Must also be able to prioritize tasks, communicate clearly and precisely, and analyze situations and provide alternative solutions.
• Incumbents at this level resolve most questions and problems and refer only the most complex issues to higher levels.

Job Requisition ID : 26713

Travel Required : Less than 10%

Location(s) : Simplot Headquarters - Boise 

Country: United States

**The Simplot Company is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other protected status. 

If the Simplot Company decides to offer you this position, such offer will be conditioned on your satisfactory completion of a post-offer criminal background check. For Washington Job Applicants, see the and RCW 49.94.010 for more information.**