*Customer Service Representative

Do you enjoy working with the public and have two or more years of experience in a directly related customer service position? If yes, Benton PUD has a wonderful opportunity for you. Join our team as a Customer Service Representative and showcase your excellent interpersonal abilities while providing top-notch support to our valued customers.
The primary purpose of this position is to provide service to customers by handling a variety of customer account and billing issues, including answering telephone calls, performing payment processing and cashiering duties, performing account analysis in terms of credit/collections and payment arrangements, mail processing/delivery, and maintaining professionalism, to ensure service expectations are achieved and departmental policies, procedures and standards are followed.
Starting wage for Customer Service Representative: $23.05 per Hour.

1. Support the District's mission to serve our customers and foster a positive workplace by personally choosing behavior aligned with our values and ethical code.
2. Contribute to achieving the department's service level goals and performance standards by providing quality customer interactions and resolutions on the phone and in person.
3. Ensure customer payment processing is timely and accurate and is in accordance with established District policy and departmental procedures by receiving and posting payments, reconciling cash drawers daily and operating the remittance processing system.
4. Ensure efficient and effective lobby and phone system service by providing prompt greetings, handling routine customer requests, and referring customers to the appropriate department as needed.
5. Ensure correspondence and payments are collected in a timely manner by picking up mail at the post office on an as needed basis; opening, sorting and routing of mail; performing Operations facility mail retrieval and delivery; operating postage meter and letter inserting equipment; preparing outgoing mail.
6. Ensure returned mail is handled in an appropriate manner by conducting research to locate current addresses for customers and updating the customer information system in accordance with returned mail procedures.
7. Maximize efficiency and service by utilizing multiple technologies and systems, recommending enhancements, and by training other customer service employees on use.
8. Contribute to protecting the District's assets by preparing for and maintaining accounts for external collections.
9. Ensure excellent customer service is provided by taking and processing requests for starting and stopping service, creating and modifying landlord agreements, assisting with credit issues, receiving outage calls, and resolving other customer service matters.
10. Ensure timely account service activity by selecting and completing service orders in the customer information system, initiating disconnect/reconnects and by researching and responding to customer bill and service inquiries.
11. Contribute to achievement of department goals by training other customer service employees as requested and cross training in other positions in the department.
12. Ensure customers are aware of the need to contact the Customer Service Department regarding their account by hanging or hand delivering a door tag at the premise. This work assignment will be filled on a volunteer basis. Lacking volunteers, will be job assigned based on lowest seniority. Complete other duties as assigned to meet team, department and organizational goals.

Required:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Two (2) years prior experience in a directly related customer service position or six (6) months District experience in a department or administrative support position.
• Pass District tests identified in the Office & Customer Service Classification -Testing Profile & Development Plan adopted by Letter of Agreementduring the selection process or within two (2) years prior to the posting start date, or within two years prior to internal promotion.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.

CREDIT CHECK REQUIREMENT: This position requires a credit check as a condition of hire or promotion. The selected candidate will be offered the position contingent upon review of credit and determination of suitability.

• Attendance: Consistent need to attend work at the job site or work location. Frequent or constant need for punctuality.
• Physical Effort: Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position and there is frequent opportunity to move about. Occasional need to move or lift boxes and/or files weighing up to 30 pounds.
• Environment: Primarilylocated in a comfortable indoor area. May be exposed to seasonal changes in weather, including moderate to extreme temperature changes and winds, while leaving door tags at premises.
• Hazards: Most of the time is spent in general office or equivalent conditions.
• Sensory Attention: Typically requires regular use of one or more senses of medium intensity and long duration.
• Job Pressure/Deadline Orientation: Under regular pressure to meet deadlines, quotas and/or must frequently deal with unpleasant issues related to people or situations.

Employment Type: Full Time, Bargaining