Customer Experience Rep (Seasonal)

Benchmade Knife Company; Oregon City (OR); On-site; USD 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Benchmade Knife Company is seeking a seasonal Customer Experience Representative to support customers across phone, email, chat, SMS, and social channels. You will resolve orders, answer product questions, and coordinate with internal teams to ensure a high-quality customer experience.

The role requires product expertise, accountability, and strong communication. Availability October through January, in an office manufacturing environment with potential overtime.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years of customer service experience, preferably supporting a premium consumer brand.
• Experience in a high-volume, omnichannel environment is preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication with adaptable tone.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary contact across phone, email, live chat, SMS, social media, and web forms.
• Own inquiries from first contact to resolution with clear communication and documentation.
• Troubleshoot and resolve order, payment, delivery, returns, and product issues efficiently.

Skills

Customer service

Omnichannel experience

Communication

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Zendesk

Shopify

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are people powered — by makers, problem-solvers, and leaders who elevate everything they do. Guided by our core values and a relentless pursuit of better, we continue to set the bar for premium.

Core Values

• ELEVATE EVERYTHING – We each bring a specific set of skills to the table, offering up our expertise and resources to enhance the work of others. We challenge each other to be the best in order to achieve enduring value in the eyes of our customers.
• BETTER IS BETTER – There is no finish line; we strive for continuous improvement in everything we do. We obsess over every detail to find ways to improve both our products and our process.
• UNAPOLOGETICALLY ACCOUNTABLE – We’re open and honest in how we speak and listen. We celebrate each other’s successes and collectively rally to solve every challenge. We own it!
• COURAGEOUS INNOVATION – There are elegant ideas awaiting discovery in everything we do. We push everyone around us to pursue those ideas openly so we can continue to dominate the category.
• COMMUNITY DRIVEN - As a family business, we understand the importance of enriching the communities we call home. As a company, and as individuals, we work to make our expertise available to do the most good for those around us.

This is a seasonal, temporary position with employment expected to run from October through January to support increased business demands during our peak season. The Customer Experience Representative delivers responsive, personalized support to Benchmade customers across phone, email, chat, SMS, social media, and other digital support channels. This role owns customer needs from initial contact through resolution, providing product guidance, resolving order and service issues, and coordinating with internal teams when additional support is required. Representatives also support proactive outbound engagement and revenue-generating initiatives by identifying customer needs, recommending appropriate products or services, and accurately attributing resulting revenue. Success in this role requires product expertise, sound judgment, operational accuracy, emotional intelligence, and consistent accountability.

Job Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for customers across phone, email, live chat, SMS, social media direct messages, web forms, and other supported channels.
• Own customer inquiries from initial contact through resolution, providing clear communication, timely follow-up, accurate documentation, and seamless internal handoffs.
• Troubleshoot and resolve order, payment, delivery, return, refund, engraving, promotion, account, and product-related concerns efficiently and accurately.
• Assist customers with LifeSharp and Warranty-related questions, status concerns, and service issues, coordinating with the teams that complete the physical services when additional support is required.
• Provide confident product guidance and personalized recommendations based on customer needs, use cases, and preferences.
• Conduct proactive outbound outreach in support of customer retention, relationship-building, service recovery, sales campaigns, and other business priorities.
• Identify appropriate revenue opportunities during inbound and outbound interactions, accurately attribute resulting revenue, and balance commercial outcomes with a premium customer experience.
• Process orders, returns, credits, claims, and other approved transactions in compliance with established SOPs, policies, and authorization limits.
• Use Zendesk, Shopify, Microsoft applications, and other customer or business systems to maintain complete and accurate customer, ticket, and transaction records.
• Represent the Benchmade brand voice with confidence, empathy, emotional intelligence, and strong product fluency across every interaction.
• Apply sound judgment when interpreting policies, resolving exceptions, escalating risk, and determining the appropriate path to resolution.
• Identify recurring customer pain points, process gaps, and improvement opportunities, and share actionable feedback with CX leadership.
• Actively contribute to a positive, accountable team culture through collaboration, knowledge sharing, peer support, and reliable execution.
• Participate in product launches, training sessions, calibration activities, and team initiatives to maintain current knowledge and adapt to changing business needs.
• Cross-train in additional Customer Experience functions and provide support for retail, events, or other business needs as assigned.
• Meet or exceed KPIs, including CSAT, IQS, AHT, AUR, and Customer EDGE commitments.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required; 1-2 years of customer service experience, preferably supporting a premium consumer brand.
• Experience working in a high-volume, omnichannel customer service environment preferred.
• Working knowledge of Zendesk, Shopify, Microsoft Office, or comparable customer service and business platforms preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt tone, channel, and level of detail based on customer needs.
• Demonstrated accountability and ownership in managing customer cases, commitments, tasks, and follow-up.
• Strong emotional intelligence and the ability to interpret customer tone, intent, urgency, and unstated needs.
• Ability to provide product recommendations and discuss sales opportunities in a natural, customer-centered manner.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to document interactions, process transactions, and maintain accurate records.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across teams and navigate internal dependencies to reach resolution.
• Sound judgment and the ability to apply policies consistently while recognizing when escalation or an exception review is appropriate.
• Growth mindset with openness to feedback, coaching, performance measurement, and continuous learning.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize effectively, and adapt to changing customer volume, channel demand, and business priorities.

Availability

7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Occasional overtime may be required; advance notice will be provided when possible.

Working Conditions

Working Environment: Office Position in a manufacturing facility

Physical Demands: Lifting up to 25 lbs.; sitting and talking on the phone for extended periods of time; data entry for extended periods of time

Travel Requirements: N/A

We can't let a good thing rest. It's in our DNA to look ahead and see the promise of what could be. As a family-owned, American business, we never quit striving for more. More innovation, more value. That's why more than thirty years later, we're still the only knife company making tools that are yours, for life. We craft remarkable customer experiences that endure for generations.