Customer Sales & Service Manager

Customer Sales & Service Manager

Our client is a major religious non-profit organization on Long Island.  In addition to other services, they operate cemeteries and provide burial services.  They are currently seeking a Customer Sales & Service Manager to support the operation and provide services to the bereaved community.   

The Customer Sales and Service Manager is responsible for managing the processes and practices of a customer service and sales team at a designated site, including overseeing the staff as they assist families and others who visit the sites (i) through the process of making informed decisions for advanced planning as well as at-need purchases of burial spaces, (ii) understand memorialization products and services options, and (iii) inquire as to activities and service matters relating to our sites.  The goal of this position is to ensure that customer satisfaction is maintained by providing effective problem-solving resources, and exceptional levels of service with care and compassion for the families of our faith community, within religious guidelines.  In addition, the Customer Sales and Service Manager is primarily responsible for specific corporate-wide management of matters, directly overseeing the projects and programs identified on the attachment designated for the person filling this role. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

 1.       Staff management

• Primarily involved with hiring/training/mentoring and managing a team consisting of customer sales and service personnel at an assigned cemetery location
• Provide team members with appropriate resources, tools, direction and motivation to enable their success
• Manage employee staffing, retention and employee relations issues
• Maintain good communication and positive relationships with employees to promote employee satisfaction
• Educate employees as to their roles in problem solving, collaboration and teamwork
• Ensure staff properly educated about daily office procedures and best practices for customer service and sales.  Develop customer service satisfaction and productivity goals for staff; coordinate with team members to meet these goals

 2.        Customer service

• Supervise the day-to-day service and sales operations at assigned cemetery site location
  • Professional environment maintained in lobby, at counter, in family rooms
  • Families met and pleasantly addressed upon arrival
  • Phones answered promptly, professionally       
• Where appropriate, personally assist with and/or address complicated situations with customers and potential client families with compassion and understanding, ensure customer needs are met within cemetery guidelines
• Act as a liaison/coordinator between funeral homes, customers/public and the organization.
• Create and implement effective customer service practices and standards at this site to promote exceptional levels of customer service and productivity;
• Help build good customer relations, provide comfort to bereaving customers
• Prioritize, communicate, and execute best solutions for customer concerns and issues

 3.       Sale of burial rights

• Work in coordination with sales leadership to ensure leads and opportunities are identified and entered into cemetery-management system by staff;
• Assist staff with non-routine sales matters and become involved with unusual or sensitive customer inquiries and purchases;
• Oversee the process of staff assisting families in the selection of committal spaces for immediate need and advance planning
• Review available inventory and make recommendations for adding selections of desirable burial choices
• Review/approve/expedite the completion of the overall burial rights sales and committal process

 4.       Products and supplies inventory assessment

• Oversee/manage the sales of various memorialization products and services essential to sales operations
• Oversee/manage monument cleaning and shrub maintenance services
• Assist in preparing annual department budget and business planning, including tracking and projecting expenses and supply costs
• Assist in pricing of products and services based on costs, goals, and customer trends.
• Assess/oversee available inventory and supplies essential to sales operations and customer service
• Support CSRs when needed in the sales of committal spaces and/or other products and services

Required skills and experience:

• 4 years of cemetery customer service/sales experience, or 5 years of relevant customer service/sales experience
• General knowledge of the Catholic faith, traditions and burial practices
• High school diploma; college degree preferred
• Exceptional leadership, staff management, team oriented and results driven skills
• Follow oral and/or written policies, procedures, instructions
• Problem solving skills to assist with recordkeeping and customer service issues
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with ability to empathize with and console grieving families
• Maintain a valid driver’s license and a record of safe operation of motor vehicle
• Proficiency in use of office equipment/technology, computers, software (Axiom, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook) and telephone systems

Compensation:

• $75K-80K Salary
• Excellent class benefit plan
  • Benefits include: • Health/Medical, dental, vision, paid vacation and sick time, paid holidays, life insurance, 403(b) retirement plans with employer matching contribution, tuition reimbursement, employee discounts.
• Great culture and work / life balance