Customer Service Technician

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities is seeking a qualified Customer Service Technician to provide front-line customer service, citizen assistance, and revenue processing activities for the Customer Service Division. Incumbents provide standard information, customer service, and revenue transaction processing by following prescribed procedures and instructions. 

As assigned, work may include answering phones; responding to emails or other written messages; researching customer questions and account inquiries; collecting and processing assigned payments; receiving and reconciling payments; performing daily batch processing; performing office opening and closing responsibilities such as setting alarms and cash security; preparing daily deposits or assisting with deposit preparation; assisting with monthly audits; balancing petty cash; setting up or canceling accounts; providing information about policies and procedures to customers; printing out bills; running standard reports; performing data entry into the financial system, remittance system, and spreadsheets; operating a variety of equipment such as a cash register, and performing basic clerical functions. Additionally, this role involves triaging customer issues, serving as the first point of contact for front desk visitors, and managing the daily triage of work for the call center to ensure efficient resolution of tasks and inquiries.

• Assists customers, departments, and employees by providing information, handling requests, explaining procedures, and researching and answering questions over the telephone, via email, and in-person. Discusses and resolves problems and concerns. As assigned, provides call center support and dispatches calls.
• Performs and provides customer service and revenue transaction processing tasks such as receiving, processing, and reconciling payments, processing applications, preparing or assisting with daily deposits and monthly audits, scheduling, handling/balancing cash, processing adjustments to customer accounts, etc.
• Performs basic clerical duties such as entering data into the financial system, remittance system, and spreadsheets, filing and maintaining documents, generating and distributing various reports or other materials including mail, and performing office opening and closing responsibilities.
• Observes and complies with departmental policies and procedures, customer service quality standards, and compliance guidelines. Participates in ongoing training and cross-training opportunities; stays abreast of changes in the operations, policies, and procedures of City departments that affect services provided. As assigned, conducts training and participates in other activities or tasks.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Two years of customer service experience such as collecting and processing payments, researching billing information, or providing direct customer service
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• None required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:TYPICAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: These are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Standard office equipment
• Standard office protocols and procedures
• Customer service protocols and procedures
• Basic clerical duties
• Cash handling procedures

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Computer proficiency including Microsoft Office Suite
• Data entry
• Telephone etiquette
• Effective oral/written and interpersonal communication
• Basic mathematics
• Problem-solving
• Customer service
• Researching

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Multi-task
• Problem-solve
• Remain calm in stressful situations
• Show empathy and compassion
• Defuse inflamed situations

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, see, hear, finger (pick, pinch, type or otherwise work primarily with fingers), and use substantial repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and fingers. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, stand, reach extending hands and arms in any direction, walk, lift, feel, and grasp. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be sedentary, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects.

Salary : $46,342 - $62,504