Customer Service Representative I or II - Revenue Management

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLASS

This posting will close after the receipt of the first 25 qualified applicants or 4:00pm on Friday, March 21, 2025, whichever comes first.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Reviews and analyzes billing exception reports daily/weekly/monthly as required.
• Reviews and analyzes utility meter data to rebill or adjust utility accounts as required.
• Assists City of Lakeland Treasury when a payment has been misapplied and reported by payment vendors and customers.
• Monitors misapplied payment reports monthly to ensure payments are posted to the correct utility accounts.
• Works with internal and external customers to correct errors preventing utility accounts from billing accurately.
• Works in and performs fundamental analysis of the Utility Management System (UMS), Meter Data Management (MDM) and Regional Network Interface (RNI) applications.
• Updates bill codes on utility accounts as requested by customers and account managers.
• Updates tax exemption status on utility accounts and maintains the exemption records for internal and external auditing purposes.
• Researches and prepares Assignment of Rights documentation for customers and vendors to submit a refund to the Florida Department of Revenue.
• Reviews utility accounts and processes billing adjustments for all City utility services as required, both credits and debits.
• Processes cancel/rebills on utility accounts as requested by other city departments after errors have been corrected.
• Identify, research, and reconcile utility billing issues with minimal supervision.
• Requests various actions on behalf of internal/external customer accounts.
• Assists departments and vendors with problems regarding invoices, payments or other financial issues.
• Calculates payoffs for customers requesting early pay off amortization schedules.
• Maintain a billing accuracy rate of 99.97% and ensure 100% of utility accounts are billed each month.

• Performs rates testing as required by Lakeland Electric’s Forecasting and Rates Department.
• May be required to participate and/or facilitate training to support departmental or City initiatives and requirements.
• May be required to work overtime, or alternate hours, as necessary for the efficient operation of the department.
• Position designated as Mission Critical by Department Director.

• May perform various non-billing functions, including but not limited to, private area light install/removal in UMS, assisting with Customer Advocate call over flow and assisting the Call Center on peak call volume days.
• Performs related work as required.

QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE)

• High school diploma from an accredited school or a GED.
One year of experience in a utility billing or customer service-related field.

• High school diploma from an accredited school or a GED.
• Three years of experience in a utility billing or customer service-related field, of which two years are in a progressively responsible position in a utility customer service environment.

• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• Must maintain a valid telephone number.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES

• Thorough knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting principles and practices and their application to billing transactions.
• Thorough knowledge of modern office methods, procedures and equipment
• Considerable knowledge of and the ability to enforce and interpret City and departmental policies and procedures governing Lakeland Electric utility accounts.
• Considerable knowledge of utility tax exemptions as regulated by the Florida Department of Revenue.
• Advanced knowledge of UMS, MDM, RNI, and Smart Grid systems used to bill city utility services.
• Knowledge of and the ability to interpret the Lakeland Electric Rate Tariffs.
• Ability to maintain complex financial records and prepare specialized financial reports and statements.
• Ability to complete work assignments with limited technical and supervisory assistance and to make decisions independently regarding the means and methods used to complete tasks and assignments.
• Ability to make and verify computations with accuracy at a high rate of speed.
• Ability to operate various office equipment and software including Microsoft Office.
• Ability to understand and follow complex verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective relationships with other City Departments and the general public.

• Requires sedentary work that involves walking or standing sometimes, exerting up to 10 pounds of force regularly, and routine keyboard operations.
• The job risks dust, pollen, and bright/dim light exposure.
• The job requires normal visual acuity, field of vision, hearing, speaking, manual dexterity, color perception, sense of smell, depth perception, and texture perception.

All City of Lakeland positions are subject to testing (e.g. written, oral, performance, computerized, interview, and/or any combination). Candidates selected for testing will be notified via email or telephone. Please check your e-mail and telephone messages regularly, including "junk" folders. Test times and locations to be announced.

THE CITY OF LAKELAND IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/EQUAL ACCESS EMPLOYER AND A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE