Customer Service Representative

City of Bremerton; Bremerton (WA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Bremerton is seeking a Customer Service Representative to perform specialized customer-service, clerical, cashiering, and technical duties in an automated office environment. You will serve as the primary contact for inquiries regarding government services, rates, policies, and procedures.

Position requires a high school diploma or GED plus one year of college or technical coursework and at least three years of direct customer-service experience.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED and one year of college or technical-school coursework in business and computer applications.
• At least three (3) years of progressively responsible related experience providing direct customer service to a diverse customer base.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the first point of public contact for the department and provides information and services to customers, the public, City departments and personnel, governmental and private agencies, and outside organizations.
• Researches and responds to inquiries received by telephone, email, mail, or in person from the public, City departments, outside agencies, and businesses.
• Handles customer complaints and requests; resolves issues whenever possible; refers customers to the appropriate department or person when necessary; and follows through to bring closure to each request, service issue, or problem.
• Interprets City codes and regulations and applies policies and procedures. Adapts guidelines and policies to varied situations while maintaining consistency when guidance or policy language is unclear.
• Maintains the confidentiality of work-related matters, client records, and City information.
• Interprets, explains, and accurately manipulates data in cashiering and customer-information systems.
• Receives payments from the public for bills; accurately calculates and issues change and receipts; records transactions in the appropriate amounts; balances transactions; and maintains records of money received and disbursed.
• Provides administrative clerical support to the department, including applying working knowledge of policies; retrieving and maintaining files; preparing documents and correspondence; preparing and distributing incoming and outgoing mail; processing invoices; and ordering supply inventories.
• Complete designated job tasks, special projects and all other duties as assigned to meet team, department, and City goals while working cooperatively, efficiently, and productively in a team environment
• Maintains regular attendance as an essential requirement of the position.
• Performs related work as assigned or required.

Skills

Customer service

Telephone etiquette

Data entry

Interpersonal skills

Multitasking

Education

HS diploma or GED + 1 year college

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Outlook

Databases

Job description

The salary indicated above includes longevity (1% earned after five years and increases to a maximum of 4% after 20 years). Additionally, a 3.8% cost of living increase has been approved for 2027.

Reporting to the Utility Billing Supervisor and working with minimal supervision, the Customer Service Representative performs specialized customer-service, clerical, cashiering, and technical duties in an automated office environment. The position serves as a primary point of contact and responds by telephone, email, mail, and in person to inquiries regarding government services, rates, policies, and procedures.

(Note – this list is intended only to illustrate the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements does not exclude them from the position.)

• Serves as the first point of public contact for the department and provides information and services to customers, the public, City departments and personnel, governmental and private agencies, and outside organizations.
• Researches and responds to inquiries received by telephone, email, mail, or in person from the public, City departments, outside agencies, and businesses.
• Handles customer complaints and requests; resolves issues whenever possible; refers customers to the appropriate department or person when necessary; and follows through to bring closure to each request, service issue, or problem.
• Interprets City codes and regulations and applies policies and procedures. Adapts guidelines and policies to varied situations while maintaining consistency when guidance or policy language is unclear.
• Maintains the confidentiality of work-related matters, client records, and City information.
• Interprets, explains, and accurately manipulates data in cashiering and customer-information systems.
• Receives payments from the public for bills; accurately calculates and issues change and receipts; records transactions in the appropriate amounts; balances transactions; and maintains records of money received and disbursed.
• Provides administrative clerical support to the department, including applying working knowledge of policies; retrieving and maintaining files; preparing documents and correspondence; preparing and distributing incoming and outgoing mail; processing invoices; and ordering supply inventories.
• Complete designated job tasks, special projects and all other duties as assigned to meet team, department, and City goals while working cooperatively, efficiently, and productively in a team environment

Other Duties

• Maintains regular attendance as an essential requirement of the position.
• Performs related work as assigned or required.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of

• Basic principles and practices of customer service.
• Telephone techniques and etiquette.
• Principles and practices of business arithmetic.
• Recordkeeping techniques.
• Computer applications, data entry and output, word processing, and spreadsheets.

Skill in

• Applying interpersonal skills with tact, patience, and courtesy.
• Multitasking while maintaining accuracy and efficiency.
• Using computers at an intermediate to advanced level, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, internet applications, and various databases.

Ability to

• Answer telephones and greet the public courteously.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Read, understand, and apply rules, regulations, ordinances, and laws applicable to assigned functional areas.
• Apply modern office practices and procedures and operate computers, photocopiers, calculators, and other assigned office equipment.
• Work independently and collaboratively as an effective team member.
• Receive money and make change accurately.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, the public, appointed and elected officials, and public and private agencies.

Education:High school diploma or GED and one year of college or technical-school coursework in business and computer applications.

Experience:At least three (3) years of progressively responsible related experience providing direct customer service to a diverse customer base and handling difficult and varied customer issues.

Experience must include a frontline service-delivery environment requiring a positive attitude, friendly demeanor, and follow-through on customer commitments.

Equivalency:An equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered. Equivalencies do not apply where a license or certification is required by law.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work is primarily sedentary and involves sitting most of the time, with walking and standing required occasionally. Duties frequently require reaching; repetitive wrist, hand, and finger movements; typing, picking, pinching, and handling objects; tactile perception; speaking; and hearing sufficient to exchange detailed information at normal speaking levels, with or without correction. The employee may occasionally exert up to 10 pounds of force and may frequently or continuously exert a negligible amount of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in a typical office or administrative environment and does not involve substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

LEGAL AND REGULATORY EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

• This position is classified as non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is eligible for overtime
• This position is represented by Teamsters Local 589 in accordance with the applicable labor agreement
• This position is excluded from the City’s Civil Service system