Customer Service Specialist

Company Overview

Stuart Rush is a private business formed from the legacy electric chain hoist plants of Columbus McKinnon Corporation, with the first Lodestar hoist made in the 1950s. With long-standing operations in Damascus, VA and Lexington, TN, the company builds on a legacy of quality in chain and hoist manufacturing. Stuart Rush values its employees as the foundation of its success and is committed to fostering a strong, supportive, and resilient workplace. The company is dedicated to delivering reliable products and earning customer trust through consistent performance while building a strong future for its people and customers.

Job Summary

The Customer Service Specialist provides best-in-class customer support by developing and maintaining strong relationships with customers, sales teams, and internal departments. This role is responsible for managing customer orders and quotations, resolving inquiries, ensuring accurate and timely communication, and delivering exceptional customer experience throughout the order lifecycle.

As a key member of the customer support team, the Customer Service Specialist plays an important role in proactively supporting customers through effective communication, order management, and problem resolution. Working collaboratively with cross-functional teams, this position helps ensure seamless customer experience while balancing multiple priorities in a structured, team-oriented environment.

Success in this role is measured through established customer service metrics, including responsiveness, order accuracy, customer satisfaction, order management effectiveness, and timely resolution of customer inquiries and issues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong relationships with distributors, sales teams, and internal departments while delivering best-in-class customer experience.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for customer inquiries related to orders, products, pricing, promotions, and service-related concerns.
• Manage incoming calls, emails, and customer requests, ensuring timely, accurate, and professional responses.
• Proactively communicate with customers regarding order status, shipments, delays, and issue resolution.
• Process customer orders and quotations accurately while ensuring compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with sales, operations, credit, and other internal departments to support customer needs and resolve order-related issues.
• Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve customer concerns while identifying root causes and driving corrective actions to prevent recurring issues.
• Escalate complex issues appropriately while maintaining ownership and follow-through until resolution.
• Develop and maintain strong product knowledge to effectively support customer inquiries and provide recommendations.
• Support sales initiatives by identifying customer needs, generating leads, and recognizing opportunities to up-sell or cross-sell products and services.
• Partner with sales teams to proactively manage customer requirements in a customer-focused and cost-effective manner.
• Achieve established customer service performance metrics related to responsiveness, order accuracy, customer satisfaction, backlog management, and issue resolution.
• Utilize reports and data to monitor account activity, identify trends, and support continuous improvement efforts.
• Contribute to team initiatives, process improvement projects, and other assignments that support business objectives.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Abilities

• Strong customer-focused mindset with a passion for delivering exceptional service.
• Ability to thrive in a high-volume, fast-paced environment while maintaining accuracy and professionalism.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships both internally and externally.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing priorities and business needs.
• Ability to solve problems, think critically, and make sound decisions.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to review reports and identify trends or opportunities.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet established deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to multitask while maintaining a high level of customer service.
• Ability to interpret company policies and procedures while ensuring compliance.
• Self-starter with a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and sense of urgency.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Experience working with ERP/CRM systems such as SAP, HubSpot, Epicor, and/or Salesforce.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Bachelor's Degree preferred.
• 13+ years of customer service, customer support, inside sales support, order management, or related experience.
• Experience working in a manufacturing, distribution, industrial, or business-to-business (B2B) environment preferred.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume setting.
• Demonstrated commitment to customer satisfaction and service excellence.

Benefits

At Stuart Rush, we value our employees and are committed to offering a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, paid time off, and a market-leading 401(k) plan.