1304-Customer Service Representative

City and County of San Francisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The City & County of San Francisco's Planning Department seeks a Customer Service Representative to handle inquiries about government services at the Permit Center. You will identify customer needs, provide information, and guide applicants through permitting processes using Salesforce and PermitSF (OpenGov) portals.

Under supervision, you will assist diverse customers, de-escalate issues, and coordinate with multiple city departments to ensure timely follow-up and resolution.

Qualifications

• Experience providing excellent customer service in a high-volume, public-facing environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide in-person customer service and respond to inquiries regarding permitting services, departmental processes, and City programs at the Permit Center Help Desk.
• Assess customer needs, provide accurate information, and direct customers to the appropriate staff, department, or resource.
• Assist customers with navigating the PermitSF Portal (OpenGov), Public Works Clariti Portal, and other applicable systems, including account registration, application submission, and status inquiries.
• Enter, retrieve, and maintain customer information and service requests in Salesforce, permitting systems, and other designated applications.
• Identify, document, and escalate application issues, processing delays, technical concerns, and other matters requiring additional assistance.
• Coordinate with staff, divisions, and partner agencies to address customer service and permitting issues.
• Support new and evolving customer service procedures associated with PermitSF and the consolidated permitting organization.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Skills

Customer service

De-escalation

Communication

Cross-department collaboration

Explain processes clearly

Tools

Salesforce

OpenGov

Clariti

Job description

• Job Code and Title: 1304-Customer Service Representative

Specific information regarding this recruitment process is listed below:

• Application Opening:October 19, 2026
• Application Deadline:November 2, 2026, 11:59 PDT

Permanent Exempt: This is a full-time Permanent Exempt position that is excluded by the Charter from the competitive civil service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointment Officer. The duration of the appointment shall not exceed 36 months. The position may be subject to the Permanent Civil Service examination process at a later date. Successful participation in the Civil Service examination and selection through an open competitive process are required to be considered for permanent appointment.

The Department
The San Francisco Planning Department (CPC) shapes how land is used to meet community needs and guide our city’s future, creating inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous neighborhoods. We envision an equitable San Francisco where everyone thrives—a welcoming city that honors diverse cultures, provides secure housing, strengthens environmental resilience, and drives economic stability for current and future generations.

The City & County of San Francisco operates a one-stop Permit Center located at 49 South Van Ness Ave. The City’s 39,000 sq. ft. Permit Center co-locates construction, business, and special events permitting services from different locations across the city into one centralized place and serves as the City’s primary public facing permitting service center. The Permit Center includes a customer service team that works alongside permitting staff from numerous departments including, Department of Building Inspection, Fire Department, Planning Department, Public Works, and other departments.

Job Description

Under general supervision from a Customer Service Representative Supervisor, the Customer Service Representative receives and responds to inquiries from the general public regarding government services and information in a professional and courteous manner. Incumbents identify customer needs by listening, asking relevant questions, evaluating information, and referring customers to appropriate City services. The position requires knowledge of departmental policies and procedures, regular interaction with the public, use of computers and customer service systems, and maintenance of confidential information.

Important and Essential Duties

Essential duties of the position include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide in-person customer service and respond to inquiries regarding permitting services, departmental processes, and City programs at the Permit Center Help Desk.
• Assess customer needs, provide accurate information, and direct customers to the appropriate staff, department, or resource.
• Assist customers with navigating the PermitSF Portal (OpenGov), Public Works Clariti Portal, and other applicable systems, including account registration, application submission, and status inquiries.
• Enter, retrieve, and maintain customer information and service requests in Salesforce, permitting systems, and other designated applications.
• Identify, document, and escal application issues, processing delays, technical concerns, and other matters requiring additional assistance.
• Coordinate with staff, divisions, and partner agencies to address customer service and permitting issues.
• Support new and evolving customer service procedures associated with PermitSF and the consolidated permitting organization.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Any combination equivalent to experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities would be: Successful completion of the 1302 Customer Service Representative Trainee program.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Any stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

• Experience providing excellent customer service in a high-volume, fast-paced, public-facing environment, including managing competing demands and effectively de-escalating challenging customer interactions.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with customers from diverse backgrounds, explain complex processes in simple, customer-friendly language, and collaborate effectively with multiple City departments.
• Ability to manage multiple customer inquiries, remain calm and professional in challenging situations, resolve issues proactively, and coordinate with departments to ensure timely follow-up and resolution
• Experience using online customer service, permitting, or case management systems, such as Salesforce, OpenGov, Clariti, or similar platforms, to assist customers with navigating applications, accessing information, and resolving service-related issues.

Note
Falsifying one's education training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Additional Information

What else should I know?

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

Questions: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Zoey Feng, by telephone at 628-652-7628, or by email at [e-mail] .

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

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