Customer Service Associate (Class Code 7401)

Intermediate level CUSTOMER SERVICE work in a high volume call center at the Sewerage & Water Board. Work receiving, processing, and responding to service requests and agency informational inquires received from the public via the telephone, in-person, facsimiles, e-mails, and other electronic services; and related work as required. This position will not handle police, fire or ems related public safety calls.
Note: Employees in this classification work a fixed or rotating shift and may work weekends. Work during emergencies is required.
Note: Allocations of this classification are limited to the Sewerage and Water Board's call center.
(PROMOTIONAL)

1. High School Diploma or a GED issued by a US State Department of Education.*
2. Permanent status with the City of New Orleans and one year (1) of CUSTOMER SERVICE experience in a high volume call center environment.
3. Successful completion of the following courses offered by the Civil Service Employee Growth and Development Division or equivalent courses offered by the Sewerage & Water Board's Training Division:

Note: Coursework requirements have been waived for current employees. This waiver will be eliminated effective January 1, 2020.
(ENTRANCE)

1. High School Diploma or a GED issued by a US State Department of Education.*
2. One (1) year of CUSTOMER SERVICE experience in a high volume call center environment OR three (3) years of CUSTOMER SERVICE experience in any field.
3. Successful completion of fifteen (15) college credit hours from an accredited college or university.*

Note: Civil Service reserves the right to determine if experience qualifies as high volume call center experience. A call center is a place where customer calls are handled using computer automation. Typically a call center has the ability to: a) handle a considerable volume of calls at the same time, b) to screen calls and forward them to someone qualified to handle them, and c) to log calls.
* Prior to appointment, the hiring agency is required to verify education claimed by the applicant to qualify for this classification. If selected for hire, applicants must provide original documents of their qualifying credentials to the hiring agency prior to their start date in this job classification.
This position requires a one (1) year probationary period.
A qualifying computerized keyboarding test with a minimum score of twenty (20) words per minute after the deduction of errors, and a written test weighted 100%.
Applicants must pass the written test in order to be admitted to the computerized keyboarding test.
This is an original entrance and promotional examination.THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, GENDER, AGE, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CREED, CULTURE, OR ANCESTRY. REQUESTS FOR ALTERNATE FORMAT OR ACCOMMODATIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO SHELLY STOLP AT (504) 658-3516 OR TTY/VOICE AT (504) 586-4475 or (504) 658-4020.
DOMICILE REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT: Domicile requirements are currently waived for the purpose of application. However, all new full time employees hired into this classification on or after January 1, 2013 must be domiciled in Orleans Parish within 180 days of hire. Airport and public safety employees are excluded from this provision.
BACKGROUND CHECK: The hiring department will conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check, and no job application submitted prior to such interview shall inquire into an applicant's criminal history. If this position is subject to a background check for any convictions related to its responsibilities and requirements, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background investigation including criminal history. Criminal history will not automatically disqualify a candidate.
APPLICATIONS: Applications will not be accepted if received after the closing date or after the stated maximum number of applications has been received, as specified on this announcement. All minimum qualification requirements for examinations must be met by the final filing date unless otherwise specified on this announcement. PAPER APPLICATIONS must be submitted on the official application form AND MUST BE RECEIVED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CITY CIVIL SERVICE, 1340 POYDRAS STREET, SUITE 900, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, BEFORE THE CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON THE FINAL FILING DATE.
DELAY IN THE MAIL: The Department of City Civil Service cannot be responsible for failure of the applicant to receive an admission slip to an examination or for failure of the Department to receive material mailed by the applicant. Applicants should notify the Department of City Civil Service in writing of any address changes.
The minimum age limit is 18 years for any class of work requiring hard physical labor, operation of or proximity to hazardous machinery, exposure to hazardous chemicals, or participation in any other processes or procedures which are prohibited or limited by the Louisiana State Child Labor Law.
WORKING TEST PERIOD: The working test (probation) period for most positions in the classified service is six months unless otherwise specified. Any working test period may be extended to a maximum of one year at the request of the appointing authority. Positions in the Inspector General's Office, Fire Department, Mosquito Control and Police Department as well as all positions in the classes of Institutional Counselor II & III (original entrance), Librarian I-IV, Management Development Analyst I & II, and Management Development Specialist I & II (original entrance), require a one year working test period.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING: The City of New Orleans has a comprehensive program of substance abuse testing. Candidates for employment for certain positions where the health, welfare and/or safety of the public, co-workers and the individual employee is at risk will have to undergo pre-employment substance abuse screening. Candidates for all other original entrance positions will have to undergo an unannounced substance abuse screening during their working test period. For further information, see Civil Service Rule V, Section 9.
A MEDICAL EXAMINATION is required for all original entrance probationary appointments to ACTIVE classifications, and may be required for re-employment, promotions and/or transfers.
A MEDICAL SCREENING, which may result in a medical examination, is required for all original entrance probationary appointments to non-active classifications.
GOOD MORAL CHARACTER is required of all applicants. Any applicant may be disqualified if his/her character or past employment record is found to be unsatisfactory as determined by the Department of City Civil Service. Forgery, misrepresentation of facts, or cheating on examinations is punishable by disqualification, fine and other penalties.
IMPORTANT: Applicants who are licensed to drive should have a current license on their person for purposes of identification during all phases of an examination. In lieu of such license, the Department of City Civil Service may require that applicants have some form of picture identification.
VETERANS PREFERENCE: On original entrance examinations, veterans (as defined in Article X, Section 10(2) of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana), disabled veterans, certain spouses and parents of veterans shall receive additional credit if claimed as provided on the Veterans Preference claim form which can be obtained in this office. To obtain credit, this form must be submitted with the required proof (at the minimum, a DD214) before the final filing date.
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND GENERAL EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMA (GED) must be issued by a state Department of Education or an institution recognized by a state Department of Education. Certificates of completion, high school diplomas and GED from institutions not recognized by a state Department of Education, and high school diplomas from foreign countries are not acceptable.
ACCREDITED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: An accredited college or university is an institution that is accredited as a college or university by an organization that is recognized by the USDE (United States Department of Education). College diplomas from foreign countries will be accepted if the applicant submits a statement of educational equivalency from one of the evaluation services accepted by the Department of Civil Service. A list of the accepted evaluation services can be found on the National Association of Credential Evacuation Services (NACES) website (www.naces.org).
EXPERIENCE:
Applicants will not receive credit for unpaid work unless specified on the job announcement.
Partial credit only will be given for related part time employment.
Civil Service reserves the right to determine which degrees, education, or other credentials are related or closely related.
Experience credit will be granted for related provisional appointments (internal applicants).
PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE: The Civil Service Department defines this experience as experience gained in a position that required a Bachelor's Degree upon entrance.
OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT OR PROMOTION:
Prior to appointment, the hiring agency is required to verify education, driver's license, and/or professional licenses/certifications claimed by the applicant to qualify for this classification. If selected for hire, applicants must provide original documents of their qualifying credentials to the hiring agency prior to their start date in this job classification.
Offers of employment or promotion are required to be withdrawn for applicants who are found to have misrepresented their credentials during the application process.
Revised 1/91, 4/03, 7/05, 2/07, 8/10, 2/12, 8/15, 6/16, 1/17, 1/19.Employment Type: Probationary