Utility Billing Assistant

Description

Responsible for billing all City customers for water, sewer, storm, recycling and garbage services and providing associated customer service for assigned accounts, collection and lien activities. Serves as the department record liaison.

Job Responsibilities

• Generate monthly Utility Billing of Water, Sewer, and Storm Water for customers’ and City accounts.
• Receive and respond to high volume of utility customer inquiries, complaints and requests by telephone, walk-ins at the front counter or in writing for assigned customer accounts. Ensure inquiries are handled promptly and professionally.
• Respond to customers professionally and in a pleasant, courteous manner.
• Monitor the collection status and promises to pay of all accounts; file liens with County on 60-day accounts, send 90-day accounts to collection.
• Prepare liens as necessary for Finance Manager signature and filing.
• Troubleshoot billing and meter reading software issues, contacting the vendor as needed.
• Review delinquent accounts with Finance Manager prior to shut-off. Prepare shut-off listing and provide copies to Public Works and Finance Department as required.
• Generate Utility Billing file transferfor printing and mailing by outside vendor to meetscheduled deadlines.
• Prepare handhelds for meter reading by Public Works Department. Ensure routes for meter reading are properly sequenced according to meter reader requests utilizing the most efficient route.
• Process final utility bills from information provided by Customer Service Specialists for assigned customer accounts. Process final bills per department procedures for manual reads or automated Webcheck system.
• Calculate, prepare and enter data forbilling adjustments, waiving of penalties, balance transfers and other charges as needed within established guidelines for assigned customer accounts. Obtain approvals from Finance Manager as required.
• Check accuracy of data for assigned new utility accounts entered into the Utility Billing master file.
• Coordinate with Utility Assistant and Customer Service Specialists, to ensure consistency of procedures and timing of processes as required.
• Provide backup in absence of the Utility Billing Assistant for delinquency notices.
• Maintain current customer information for assigned customer accounts following MMC guidelines for Utility Billing, obtain landlord signature for all tenant billings.
• Ensure all active meters are read monthly and all suspended meters read bi-annually.
• Review monthly meter readings prior to billing for unread meters, errors and out of range consumption.
• Intake senior discount applications and request up-dated applications annually for assigned customers. Change or update utility master files as appropriate.
• Prepare service requests for repairs and meter exchanges as indicated by Public Works. Follow up to ensure all service requests are handled in a timely manner.
• Update exchanged meter and MXU information into assigned customer accounts received from Public Works department.
• Create and maintain monthly schedule for meter reading, billing dates, delinquent notices and water shut off dates.
• Provide back up coverage for front desk and phones.
• Enter rate revisions in billing software for review by Finance Manager.
• Notify Treasurer of any discrepancies for utility accounts which affect the general ledger or taxes paid on utilities.
• Prepare monthly spreadsheets of major water customers and monthly billing totals. Monitor major water accounts for deviations in consumption; investigate and bring to Accounting Manager’s attention as needed.
• Provide information and obtain all necessary approvals from immediate supervisor as required.
• Run and print various monthly reports from the Utility Billing software. Ensure records are maintained in accordance with State retention schedules and moved to the outdoor records area, keeping the archive storage area for current data only.
• Perform other duties as directed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Three to five years of progressive administrative experience with strong customer service skills or High School Diploma,GED/equivalent