Customer Advocate I

Erie Insurance; Erie (Erie County); On-site; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premier health, prescription, dental,

Vision benefits

Pension

401(k) with matching

Paid time off

Career development

Job summary

Erie Insurance seeks a customer service professional for its inbound contact center in Erie, PA. The role handles agents, customers, and stakeholders with empathy, accuracy, and policy knowledge.

Training lasts ~16 weeks with on-site hours; post-training schedules may vary, including Saturdays. The position includes a comprehensive benefits package and potential annual bonus payments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; or Associate degree and two years' experience in a call center, customer service, Insurance operations, or relevant experience required.
• High School Diploma or GED and four years' experience in a call center, customer service, Insurance operations, or relevant experience required.

Responsibilities

• Respond to inquiries from customers using various platforms.
• Apply working knowledge of ERIE policies to have appropriate conversations and direct customers to the right decision.
• Resolve issues within scope of authority and escalate as needed.
• Manage and service office account books of business within scope of authority.
• Respond to callers’ concerns for all lines of business; make billing arrangements and correct errors with documentation.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Typing 28 wpm

Data entry

Word processing

Spreadsheet software

Education

Bachelor's degree

Associate degree + 2 years experience

High School Diploma or GED + 4 years experience

Tools

Word processing

Spreadsheet software

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

salary range is for this level and may vary based on actual level of role hired for

*This range represents a national range and the actual salary will depend on several factors including the scope and complexity of the role and the skills, education, training, credentials, location (State) based on ERIE's geographical differences, and experience of an applicant, as well as level of role for which the successful candidate is hired. Position may be eligible for an annual bonus payment.

At Erie Insurance, you’re not just part of a Fortune 500 company; you’re also a valued member of a diverse and inclusive team that includes more than 6,000 employees and over 13,000 independent agencies. Our Employees work in the Home Office complex located in Erie, PA, and in our Field Offices that span 12 states and the District of Columbia.
Benefits That Go Beyond The Basics

We strive to be Above all in Service® to our customers—and to our employees. That’s why Erie Insurance offers you an exceptional benefits package, including:

• Premier health, prescription, dental, and vision benefits for you and your dependents.Coverage begins your first day of work.
• Low contributions to medical and prescription premiums.We currently pay up to 97% of employees’ monthly premium costs.
• Pension. We are among the 2% of Fortune 500 companies to offer a traditional pension plan. Full-time employees are vested after five years of services.
• 401(k) with up to 4% contribution match.The 401(k) is offered in addition to the pension.
• Paid time off.Paid vacation, personal days, sick days, bereavement days and parental leave.
• Career development.Including a tuition reimbursement program for higher education and industry designations.
  

Additional benefits that include company-paid basic life insurance; short-and long-term disability insurance; orthodontic coverage for children and adults; adoption assistance; fertility and infertility coverage; well-being programs; paid volunteer hours for service to your community; and dollar-for-dollar matching of your charitable gifts each year.

Position Summary

Under close supervision, uses various platforms to actively listen to customers (policyholders, agents, claimants, employees) to gain an understanding of their needs, clarify information, and offer possible solutions by using knowledge of company products, services, and policies to assist customers with, inquiries, complaints, or problems.

Role Expectations:
This position is part of our inbound contact center. You will handle approximately 65–75 calls per day from agents, customers, and other stakeholders. Calls are monitored for quality, and the role requires strong patience, professionalism, and empathy.

Compensation:
The hourly pay rate for this role is $24.55 and is non-negotiable.

Training & Schedule Requirements:
Training lasts approximately 16 weeks and requires employees to be on-site Monday–Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. During training, employees are not permitted to use any vacation time unless approved by their supervisor.

After training, schedules may vary Monday–Friday between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM, and employees must be available to work on Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Utilize various platforms to respond to inquiries from customers.
• Applies a working knowledge of ERIE and department policies and procedures to have business appropriate conversations, while directing the customer to the appropriate business decision.
• Resolves issues within scope of authority, escalates to appropriate area/person of authority as determined by company/department policy and procedure.
• In accordance with ERIE policy and procedures, and within scope of authority manages and services office account books of business.
• Applies proficient knowledge of ERIE systems and products by responding to callers concerns for all lines of business. Makes billing arrangements, corrects errors (accounting, underwriting and policy issues) with resolution and documents accordingly within scope of authority and guidelines provided.
• Attends appropriate training and informational meetings to learn and maintains a working knowledge of ERIE policies, procedures and processing systems, as well as industry knowledge and applicable licensure.
• Trains and mentors less experienced staff, and acts as subject matter expert (SME) for department and projects, as applicable.

The first five duties listed are the functions identified as essential to the job. Essential Functions are those job duties that must be performed for the job to be accomplished.
Regular and predictable attendance is an essential job function. For certain positions at ERIE, including leadership roles, regular and predictable onsite presence may also be an essential job function based on business and operational needs.
This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the incumbent. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instruction and to perform any other duties as requested by their supervisor, or as become evident.

Capabilities

• Detail Orientation
• Values Diversity
• Nimble Learning
• Job-Specific Knowledge
• Ensures Accountability
• Decision Quality

Qualifications

Minimum Educational and Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; or
• Associate degree and two years' experience in a call center, customer service, Insurance operations, or relevant experience required or
• High School Diploma or GED and four years' experience in a call center, customer service, Insurance operations, or relevant experience required.

Additional Experience

• Knowledge of billing practices and procedures preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to type a minimum of 28 words per minute preferred.
• Proficiency with word processing and spreadsheet software and required.
• Must be able to work a schedule commensurate with department hours.

Designations and/or Licenses

• License in Property and Casualty insurance and/or licenses based on changing compliance requirements required, as applicable.
• Preferred courses or designations:
  • General Insurance (INS 21, 22, 23)
  • AIS (Associate in Insurance Services)

Physical Requirements

• Lifting/Moving 0-20 lbs; Occasional (<20%)
• Lifting/Moving 20-50 lbs; Occasional (<20%)
• Ability to move over 50 lbs using lifting aide equipment; Occasional (<20%)
• Driving; Rarely
• Pushing/Pulling/moving objects, equipment with wheels; Occasional (<20%)
• Manual Keying/Data Entry/inputting information/computer use; Frequent (50-80%)