Customer Service Representative

Customer Service Representative

The Customer Service Representative handles a high volume of inbound calls each day, supporting utility customers with a wide range of questions and issues. This role focuses on delivering accurate information, resolving concerns related to service, billing, and usage, and ensuring a positive customer experience in a fast-paced call center environment.

Responsibilities

• Answer approximately 25–50 inbound customer calls per day, addressing basic to complex questions related to utility services.
• Assist customers with starting, stopping, and changing service, including gas and water connections.
• Respond to inquiries about payments, account balances, billing questions, and usage details.
• Handle customer complaints professionally, working to diffuse inflamed situations and demonstrate empathy and compassion.
• Review gas and water usage prior to billing using daily meter read exception reports, and accept or investigate usage that falls outside normal parameters.
• Research and respond thoroughly to customer inquiries, ensuring accurate and timely resolution.
• Generate service orders and coordinate with other departments as needed to resolve customer issues.
• Enter monetary adjustments when warranted, including adjustments for customer-owned cooling towers and irrigation meters.
• Prepare reports for special billing accounts and ensure information is accurate and complete.
• Collect data and account information for new customers, calculate required deposits, and inform them of available payment options.
• Use Banner CIS and related systems to access account information, document interactions, and process adjustments and service orders.
• Apply customer service best practices, telephone etiquette, and standard office protocols and procedures in every interaction.
• Conduct basic research to resolve account discrepancies and usage concerns, using relevant databases and tools.
• Perform accurate data entry, maintain detailed records, and ensure confidentiality of customer information.
• Multi-task effectively by handling calls, reviewing account data, and updating systems while maintaining high service quality.
• Manage time efficiently to meet call handling expectations and service level goals in a fast-paced environment.
• Work independently to identify solutions, analyze accounts, and bring well-thought-out recommendations to supervisors when needed.
• Adapt to older, less streamlined software systems, navigating with keyboard and mouse to locate necessary information.
• Demonstrate patience and attentive listening skills to fully understand customer needs and provide appropriate solutions.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support team goals and overall customer service operations.

Essential Skills

• At least 2+ years of customer service experience, including experience in retail or other customer-facing environments.
• Previous call center or high-volume inbound customer service experience.
• Strong customer service skills with a focus on delivering a positive customer experience.
• Demonstrated ability to handle inbound calls and conduct professional, clear conversations with a wide range of individuals.
• Excellent written communication skills, including strong grammar and the ability to compose clear, concise messages.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and Word.
• Comfort working with older software systems that may not be fully streamlined, including Banner CIS and related customer information systems.
• Knowledge of customer service best practices and procedures.
• Ability to safely operate standard office equipment in a professional setting.
• Understanding of standard office protocols, procedures, and related databases.
• Knowledge of utility services and the departments or teams that perform them.
• Knowledge of rules and regulations regarding utility rates and billing practices.
• Strong computer proficiency and accurate data entry skills.
• Effective telephone etiquette and professional oral communication skills.
• Solid interpersonal communication skills to build rapport and manage difficult conversations.
• Basic mathematics skills for calculating deposits, adjustments, and reviewing billing details.
• Strong writing skills for documenting accounts and preparing reports.
• Ability to conduct basic research on customer accounts and usage patterns.
• Proven ability to multi-task and manage time effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Capacity to remain patient, listen attentively, and show empathy and compassion to customers.
• Ability to handle stressful situations and diffuse inflamed or escalated interactions.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Analytical mindset with the ability to review account information, identify issues, and propose solutions.
• Ability to ask appropriate, probing questions to fully understand customer concerns and think creatively to resolve them.
• Comfort working independently, learning new processes, and developing solutions to bring to supervisors when needed.
• Experience in inside sales, customer support, or customer…