Client Services Counselor - York County SPCA

Position Overview:

The Client Services department at the York County SPCA is a crucial factor to the overall client and community experience at the York County SPCA. Our Client Services Counselors primarily serve as the liaison between adopters and animals to ensure the right adoption match is made. The primary focus and expertise will be on delivering an exceptional level of customer service while having the capability to educate and communicate to the general public the intricacies of adoptions and animal welfare. To be a successful Client Services Counselor, your communication skills should extend from in-person interactions to electronic mediums, such as e-mails or phone calls. Our Client Services Counselors are responsible for providing education to the general public and YCSPCA visitors, as well as conducting adoptions, surrenders, and stray animal intakes according to established policies with our Adopters Welcome philosophy.

The York County SPCA is looking to add one full-time Client Services Counselor to our current team of five. The schedule for this position is as follows: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays 8am - 4:30pm. 

The Top Qualities of a Successful Candidate:

• Superior customer service skills
• Professionalism and the ability to remain composed during stressful and emotional situations
• A go-getter who pushes to get animals adopted and into homes as quickly as possible
• Comfortable handling dogs of all breeds, sizes (especially large dogs), and personalities
• Comfortable introducing dogs to each other
• Demonstrates compassion, integrity, resiliency, and the ability to collaborate

Duties and Responsibilities:

Community Education & Animal Welfare

• Educates clients on responsible animal guardianship, animal care and local ordinances.
• Advocates against breed-stereotyping.
• Advocates and makes recommendations for the YCSPCA Human Service Programs for pet owners.
• Works with the Client Services Manager with the Safe Pet Program.  Provides instruction, counsel, support, understanding, and care during intake, visits, and discharge.
• Share knowledge of basic animal-related behaviors and common communicable diseases with potential adopters.
• Productively decrease shelter intake by creating alternative solutions to intake.
• Decreases the resident’s length of stay by reviewing applications quickly and reaching out to follow up with potential adopters.
• Vaccinates, applies flea/tick preventatives, and processes animals at intake.
• Ensures that lost and found reports are processed and customers are contacted with an update within 48 hours.
• Assists other departments with animal care when needed.
• Assists clients with pet-related emergencies and refers them to the appropriate agencies.
• Demonstrate proper animal handling and care.
• Communicates and aids Animal Control Officers, Dog Wardens, Humane Officers, and local police as needed.

Adoptions and Surrenders

• Educates adopters in a variety of ways (online, in person, in writing, and during follow up) regarding assimilation into the new home and basic training.

• Maintains a working knowledge of all animals in the shelter.
• Assist potential adopters with good decisions regarding animal welfare and safety, helps determine “best fit” for the animal and adopter.
• Guides customers through the adoption process, sharing information about the animal to make the best match based around the customer’s lifestyle, wants, and needs; along with the specific animal’s likes, personality, and needs.

• Works with the Kennel Technicians, Canine Animal Care Technicians, and the respective departmental managers to match animals with potential adopters
• Conducts open conversational animal adoption counseling using an Adopters Welcome philosophy.

• Maintain a professional, friendly and empathetic manner with potential adopters, YCSPCA visitors, and volunteers at all times.

• Conducts meet-n-greets between prospective adopters and shelter animals.
• Conducts follow up calls post-adoption to answer questions and provide support and counsel.
• Advises customers with pet problems, and those who want to surrender, with the goal of keeping the pet in the home. 

Clerical and Administrative

• Completes animal adoptions, ensuring all transaction paperwork, payment and computer records are complete and accurate.
• Processes associated retail transactions as necessary.
• Processes stray and relinquished animals, enters computer data, and completes necessary paperwork.
• Ensures that the YCSCPA lobby is clean, organized and inviting for guests.
• Completes disease control and cleaning of public areas daily and ongoing throughout the day.
• Ensures that all supplies and educational materials are restocked and organized.
• Accepts and puts away donations.
• Assists with end of day closing procedures.
• Attends and participates in departmental meetings.
• Ensures that clients in the Pet Food Pantry Program have their needs met and that they feel supported.

• Maintain accurate records of adoption paperwork, including follow-up documentation and correspondence as assigned.

Education and Experience:

Required:

• Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent
• Minimum of 2-years’ customer service experience in a fast-paced environment with a variety of client needs
• 1-2 years of personal animal handling experience

Preferred:

• Bilingual in English and Spanish

• 3 years of demonstrated successful customer service experience in an animal-related career. 

• 1-2 years professional animal handling experience
• A proven history of the ability to have difficult and nuanced conversations

Skills and Abilities:

• Possesses a strong passion for the York County SPCA’s mission
• Affable employee with strong interpersonal skills that include patience, professionalism, and the ability to communicate without judgement
• Professional appearance in accordance with YCSPCA Dress Code
• The ability to ask appropriate questions to gather information along with the ability to feel and show empathy for others
• The ability to deny customer requests, firmly, when necessary, without becoming aggressive or unpleasant
• Willingness to learn nuanced organizational policies and the ability to navigate difficult conversations with customers
• Values conducting meaningful conversations with customers that prioritizes customer education while demonstrating patient and professional dialogue with varying customer personalities
• Willingness to get to know the resident animals of the YCSPCA
• Familiarity with animals and basic knowledge of animal behavior
• Comfort and the ability to work with animals of unknown disposition and those who may have medical issues or exhibit aggressive tendencies
• Willingness to get to know the customer and learn about their lifestyle, wants, and needs to make educated animal recommendations that will hopefully lead to a loving and permanent home.
• Ability to follow schedules and keep commitments
• Ability to follow directions from a supervisor
• Must be able to manage time efficiently and to work individually as well as within a team
• Ability to prioritize duties and perform multiple tasks
• Ability to work in a high-stress, fast-paced environment
• The ability to remain pleasant and calm, even in stressful situations
• Basic computer and tablet skills

Physical Requirements:

• The ability to life up to 50 pounds without assistance.
• The ability to independently retain leash control of dogs up to 125 pounds.
• Ability to work both inside and outside of the shelter.
• Ability to bend, squat, and stand for extended periods of time.
• The ability to independently handle and restrain cats and dogs
• The ability to stand for an 8-hour shift

Salary and Benefits

• Starting wage of $16 - $17 per hour, paid biweekly, direct deposit available
• York County SPCA employee health care costs are thirty dollars ($30.00) per pay period. Vision and dental benefits are included.
• The York County SPCA offers retirement benefits with a dollar-for-dollar match up to a maximum of three percent (3%) of your salary per year. The organization offers a SIMPLE IRA.
• 25 days (8 hours) of paid time off, 2 floating holidays, and 6 paid holidays
• Company paid life insurance and short-term disability 

Working Conditions and Expectation:

• 40-hour workweek
• Weekend and some holiday shifts required.  Holidays are shorter-staffed days with employees choosing to work either 7am - 10am, or 3pm - 4:30pm.
• Evening event attendance occasionally requested

• Comfortable with regular exposure to animal odors, diseases, possible contagious conditions, bites, scratches, animal waste, and moderate noise levels.

• Potential for exposure to zoonotic diseases and cleaning chemicals
• Potential for exposure to dangerous and fractious animals

Salary : $16 - $17