About the Department

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities is seeking a qualified Customer Support Specialist, Senior to provide exceptional service by assisting customers and customer service agents with account-related inquiries, resolving issues, and ensuring a seamless customer experience. This role involves handling customer requests, researching and adjusting accounts, handling escalations, coaching customer care agents,  and maintaining accurate records while adhering to quality and compliance standards.

Position Duties

• Assist customers and internal agents by providing information, handling requests and escalations, explaining procedures, conducting research, adjusting accounts where appropriate, and answering questions. 
• Discuss and resolve problems and concerns. 
• Provide call center support and dispatch calls as assigned.
• Contact citizens to ensure their request was completed and provide follow-up based on their response.
• Assist Supervisors with coaching and developing of customer care agents by either call observations or one on one coaching.
• Enter information into databases to capture complaints and allow other agencies to respond to citizen requests.
• Observe and comply with departmental policies, customer service standards, and compliance guidelines. 
• Participate in ongoing training, cross-training, and quality assurance (QA) activities, including conducting QA training when assigned.
• Investigate and resolve account discrepancies, billing errors, and payment concerns.
• Process service orders to address customer issues and update account information.
• Educate and navigate customers on payment options, account processes, and assistance programs.
• Communicate professionally and effectively across multiple channels, including phone, email, and in-person interactions.

Minimum Qualifications

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Associates Degree in a business related area
• Three years of customer service or payment processing, reconciliation, and adjustment experience
• Experience in account investigation, billing inquiries, or payment processing is a plus.

 
LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• N/A

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

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Best practices in customer service policies and procedures
• DPU's Rules and Regulations regarding Utility Rates
• CIS  billing system
• Using standard office equipment

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Computer Proficiency, including Microsoft Office Suite
• Diplomacy
• Account management
• Oral/written communication
• Interpersonal communication
• Basic Mathematics
• Customer service
• Researching
• Customer management systems
• identifying and correcting account discrepancies accurately

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Multi-task
• Problem solve
• Work with diverse populations
• Listen attentively
• Analyze data to resolve customer issues or concerns
• Prioritize responsibilities
• Remain flexible in a fast-paced environment.

Other Qualifications

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/or fingers. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, walk, and reach extending hands and arms in any direction. 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.

* Internal use:  HR Generalist to review.