Customer Service Specialist

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Non-Union Position
WTR-Customer Service Staff;
Sunriver,Oregon (US-OR)
Regular FT, Non-Exempt
Posting # 5542

NW Natural Water owns and operates water and wastewater utilities in communities throughout Texas, Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Since 2018, we have acquired more than 30 utilities and today serve more than 190,000 people via 76,000 connections.

Our parent company, NW Natural Holding Company (NYSE: NWN) (NW Natural Holdings), is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and has been doing business for over 165 years. The company operates through NW Natural Gas Company (NW Natural), SiEnergy Operating (SiEnergy), NW Natural Water Company (NW Natural Water), NW Natural Renewables Holdings (NW Natural Renewables), and other business interests, serving a combined population of over 2.6 million people.

NW Natural Holdings' Texas operations are some of the fastest growing utilities in the nation, where our focus is on supporting developers by providing essential services to new communities. Our highly driven out-of-the-box thinkers are motivated to meet developer/builder timelines and requirements and pride themselves on partnerships with the developers, builders, and communities we serve.

This position is on-site from Monday to Friday.

Under basic supervision, performs routine customer service duties to include answering inbound calls, processing service orders, and updating accounts. CSR I employees provide frontline support to utility customers, elevate complex issues to higher tiers, and build foundational knowledge of utility operations. This role requires proficiency in contact center software and adherence to established performance metrics (KPIs).

• Answer inbound calls, emails, and chat communication using contact center software.
• Process standard service requests (start, stop, transfers, reconnects, disconnections).
• Provide account balance and payment information.
• Process customer payments, returned mail, and account updates related to billing correspondence.
• Conduct outbound calls to notify customers of leak alerts, declined payments, or other urgent account issues.
• Enter and update customer information in the Customer Information System (CIS).
• Escalate billing disputes, compliance issues, or unusual account problems to CSR II or III.
• Maintain performance expectations, including contact center Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Perform other duties as required or assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 0–2 years customer service experience (utilities preferred but not required).
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Solid communication and interpersonal skills.
• Basic computer literacy and data entry accuracy.

• Average Handle Time (AHT): 8:30 minutes
• After Call Work (ACW): 2:00 minutes
• Adherence: 90%
• Quality:
  Effective (75%)

Work is performed in a standard office or contact center environment. The schedule is generally Monday through Friday during regular business hours, with occasional overtime as needed. Duties require frequent computer and telephone use, sustained periods of sitting, and continuous interaction with customers. Work may involve meeting deadlines, resolving escalations, and maintaining confidentiality of utility records and customer information.

Health & Wellness –

• Rich health insurance benefits with competitive employer contribution
• Free access to an online wellness resources platform

Work Life Balance -

• 80 Hours of Sick Time
• 13 paid holidays
• 3 weeks paid parental leave
• Competitive 401K company contribution and match
• 15% discount on NW Natural stock through Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Up to $5250 a year in tuition reimbursement

Hourly Range: $19.16 - $26.82 per hour, depending on qualifications

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

NW Natural Water does not accept unsolicited submissions or assistance from…