Lead Customer Service Representative

Pioneer Valley Books is a leading publisher of award-winning literacy resources. We are committed to providing quality books for children learning to read and resources that support teachers in their work. Our customers passionately love our products, and our company continues to grow.

The Lead Customer Support Representative will be responsible for providing daily, real-time Customer Service for Pioneer Valley Books, a publishing company specifically targeted toward early literacy learners and educators. This representative will also assist with general Customer Service operations on a day-to-day basis, including but not limited to processing orders and customer communications.

Additionally, the Lead Customer Support Representative will work closely with the Customer Support Supervisor to support the other members of the customer support team by assisting with on-boarding, training, and daily operations.

The Lead Customer Support Representative will be responsible for dealing with incoming orders, and customer inquiries, with a focus on delivering exemplary Customer Service. This role reports to the Customer Support Supervisor and works in collaboration with members of the Customer Support, Vendor Relations, Finance, and Warehouse teams.

Key Duties

• Establish and build positive customer relationships by providing consistently excellent service to our customers.
• Receive and handle incoming phone calls, fax, and email communications accordingly.
• Resolve product or service-related issues
• Identify opportunities for making additional sales and fostering repeat business
• Quotes and Order Processing
• Provide follow-up for sales orders (as needed/directed) to ensure customer satisfaction and to build customer relationships.
• Follow all support team procedures and policies for timely processing and to create a consistently positive customer experience.
• Manage customer requests (first in, first out) in phone and email queues.
• Maintain accurate customer accounts and records with details from customer interactions, inquiries, complaints, or comments.
• Attend department meetings, training events, and courses as requested to further product, operations, and company knowledge.
• In addition to team training, work independently to continuously grow product knowledge base.

Qualifications/Experience

Our ideal candidate will possess the following qualities:

• High School Diploma or equivalent is required. Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred, or equivalent combination of post-high school education and related work experience.
• At least 1-3 years of sales and/or Customer Service experience.
• Experience teaching or working in an educational setting is a plus; an understanding of educational needs is highly valued.
• Ability to maintain a customer-centric approach in all aspects of the job function, including but not limited to:
• Assisting with the creation and maintenance of Customer Support team processes.
• Decision making/problem solving.
• Internal and external customer engagement and collaboration.
• Ability to problem-solve and exercise good judgment.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time efficiently, and work well under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Strong technical savvy.
• Demonstrable working knowledge of Microsoft Suite and Google Suite.
• Proficient understanding of databases.
• Confidence in managing multiple applications related to a Customer Service environment, such as order management and CRM/ERP platforms (experience with NetSuite is a plus), customer-facing company websites, and ticketing systems.
• Skilled in using internal communication tools such as email, Slack, and Zoom.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively and collaboratively.
• Ability to work well within both a team environment and independently.
• Exceptional organizational skills, with attention to detail to ensure a high degree of accuracy.
• Personable phone personality, including ability to remain calm in high pressure or customer escalated situations.

Currently, this position is full-time remote. However, we may consider continuing this role as remote or remote/in-person hybrid, depending on candidate qualifications and ability to effectively work remotely.

Our company office is located in Northampton, MA. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package and a small, welcoming, pet-friendly office environment. If this sounds like your kind of job, we’d like to know! Please respond with a letter of interest and résumé. No phone calls please.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued, and respected. We believe that diversity of thought, experience, and background is essential to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other protected status.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. We believe that diversity makes our team stronger and our company more successful.

Here are some specific examples of how we promote diversity and inclusion in our workplace:

• We offer multiple DEI training opportunities to all employees.
• We have a Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging Committee that works to create a more inclusive workplace.
• We have employee affinity groups that increase opportunities for connection and belonging.
• We partake in regular pay analysis initiatives to ensure all our team members are compensated properly.

We are always looking for ways to improve our diversity and inclusion efforts. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.

We hope that you will consider joining our team and helping us build a more diverse and inclusive workplace.