Utility Billing/Customer Service Specialist

Job Summary:

Interact with customers in-person, via e-mail, and over the phone to provide and process information in response to various concerns and requests for information. Perform various duties to support customer billing operations and procedures and all aspects of payment processing. Position reports to the Utility Billing/Customer Service Supervisor.

Essential Functions:

• Regular Attendance and Punctuality
• Deal directly with customers either by telephone, electronically or face to face regarding customer accounts, rate structure, service inquires, water usage and complaints
• Responsible for maintaining a high level of professionalism with customers and working to establish a positive rapport with every caller
• Handle and resolve customer complaints in a prompt and courteous manner
• Obtain and evaluate all relevant information to handle service inquires
• Review water usage and determine action to be taken regarding high usage volume (contact customer or service order)
• Communicate with customer regarding possible water leaks and options for healing with same
• Enter meter service orders and follow up with same
• Collect payments from walk-in customers, process credit card payments and on-line payments
• Input charges, calculate and make adjustments to customer accounts
• Runs tapes for balancing batches
• Scan and process checks for automated bank deposits to transmit to bank and upload to billing system
• Maintain and reconcile cash drawer daily
• Prepare daily bank deposits and responsible for reconciling credit card payments
• Process accounts receivable, miscellaneous, and county transfer payments
• Research return payments and processes in billing system, and issue refunds
• Responsible for updating new accounts and finalizing terminated accounts
• Provide technical support to customers for online bill pay options, e-bill enrollment and password resets
• Assist with monthly turn offs
• Open mail and distribute, log incoming packages and notify recipient
• Greet customers and direct them to the correct personnel
• Maintain and update daily finance deposit spreadsheet and submit for reconciliation
• Process returned USPS mail by comparing with SDAT Maryland Real Property Data Search
• Is sufficiently cross-trained to serve as back-up for other fiscal staff as necessary

Other Duties:

Performs other duties as assigned

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (These are pre-employment KSA that apply only to Essential Job Functions.):

• Ability to gain working knowledge of St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission policies and procedures
• Ability to act as a representative of St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission to the public and to provide courteous and knowledgeable customer service
• Knowledge of relevant billing and basic accounting principles
• Ability to gain knowledge of relevant rate structures
• Ability to effectively communicate with other staff members
• Ability to prepare and maintain accurate records
• Ability to operate relevant computer systems, including hardware and software, and office machines

Required Qualifications (Note: Any acceptable combination of education, training and relevant experience that provides the above knowledge, abilities and skills may be substituted on a full-time year for year basis.):

Training and/or Education:

High school diploma or G.E.D. and one year or more of job-related course work or experience

Experience:

Or equivalent technical training, education, and/or experience

Licenses or Certificates:

None

Special Requirements:

None

Physical Demands:

Work requires occasional light physical effort, including moving boxes and materials or less than 20 pounds.

Unusual Demands:

Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting or training rooms, residences, or commercial vehicles e.g., use of safe workplace practices with office equipment, and/or avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations and traffic signals.

Nothing in this description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Job descriptions are written as a representative list of the ADA essential duties performed by the entire job classification. They are not intended to include every possible activity and task performed in every position.