Customer Service Representative

City of Gainesville, GA; Gainesville (GA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Gainesville, GA is seeking a customer service representative for billing, collections, and clerical support within the Water Resources department. The role involves helping citizens with daily utility inquiries, processing payments, and setting up services and payment plans.

The position requires a high school diploma or GED and at least two years of related experience. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and strong communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Two years related experience required.
• Experience with billing systems preferred.
• Experience in customer service in a public-sector environment a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assist customers with billing questions and payments.
• Process service applications for new, termination, or transfer of service.
• Respond to phone inquiries and provide problem resolution to customers.
• Balance daily cash and payments; handle cash receipts.
• Prepare and issue replacement/duplicate bills when needed.
• Coordinate with other departments to resolve customer issues.

Skills

Customer service

Billing experience

Problem solving

Telephone support

Data entry

Cash handling

Education

High School diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Performs a broad range of customer service duties related to the billing of City water, sewer, and sanitation to include processing of customer utility payments, responding to and assisting customers with problems and routine inquiries, assisting customers over the phone, and billing related issues. Ensures customers are provided a high level of service, treated professionally, while enforcing City policies and ordinances. Assists in the training of other employees.

As related to Customer Service function:

• Assists citizens with routine and complex telephone inquiries regarding initiating, terminating or transferring service, billing schedules and payment due dates, tenant accounts, water leaks, and account averaging.
• Maintains awareness of scheduled read dates, billing, penalty, and cut-off schedule in order to provide appropriate responses to customer inquiries.
• Researches and responds to complex consumer problems such as high water bills, cut-offs, misread water meters, payment posting errors; dead meters; coordinates work with other functions to resolve problems; initiates actions to resolve problems. Generates Service Orders and Adjustments as needed to investigate or correct customer problems.
• Processes business and residential applications for new service, terminations and transfers of service. Processes payments for new water meters; initiates service orders for turn ons/offs; performs follow-up with appropriate departments in the event of nonpayment of deposits or meter fees.
• Performs follow-up to customer issues to ensure problem correction has occurred.
• Works with customer and upper management to help set up payment plans for consumers in situations of high bills or financial hardship.
• Processes requests for "holding" accounts from cut-off, and sets up payment agreements for utilities cut off due to non-payment; reviews cut-off lists on delinquent accounts; arranges for disconnection and reconnection as appropriate, utilizing electronic technology to communicate with Customer Service Field Representatives.
• Assists consumers, answers questions related to bills; coordinates with other City departments to ensure problem resolution; refers other questions to proper offices/departments; assists customers with set up of bank draft accounts. Refers customer correspondence to Customer Service Manager for response as deemed appropriate.
• Assists in the training of other employees in the performance of customer service duties.

As related to Collections function:

• Reviews and processes third party receivables paperwork; troubleshoots and corrects errors to customer accounts. Provides feedback to Customer Service Manager on repetitive errors or problems.
• Processes payments received via deposit box or by mail, opens statements, prepares payments for automated processing through check scanning technology. Responsible for daily balancing of scanned batches.
• Processes payments over the phone by debit/credit card, in person by cash, check, or debit/credit card and assists customers at payment windows; inputs account numbers and payments into computerized payment system; issues receipts. Responsible for daily balancing/reconciliation of cash receipt batches to ensure accurate posting to customer accounts.
• Operates computer cash register and associated peripheral equipment to post payments to accounts; prepares information for bank deposits; identifies payments not readable by the scanners and enters payment manually.
• Maintains integrity and security of assigned cash drawer; closes and balances drawer at close of business day. Responsible for doing cash drops throughout the day based off management directives.
• Processes requests for "holding" accounts and payment plans for utilities cut off due to non-payment; reviews cut-off lists on delinquent accounts; arranges for disconnection and reconnection as appropriate.
• Prepares returned check customer correspondence; makes notation on customer account records; disconnects services if unpaid; reactivates accounts when paid.
• Reviews delete/final accounts with a balance due to see if there is an active account available to transfer balance due.
• Assist in collection of delinquent accounts turned over to collections.
• Follows all City policies and ordinances including, but not limited to, payment collection, fee schedules, and rate structures. Follows all internal policies with regard to procedures established for disconnects due to non-payment.

As related to Billing function:

• Prepares and issues replacement/duplicate bills to customers as needed.
• Responsible for assisting customers with billing questions regarding intergovernmental agreements for billing services such as sewer billing and debt service billing for other entities.
• Maintains integrity of Department of Water Resources to ensure the following data are correct: service/mailing address, billing rate, customer account holder information, account status, adjustments, codes and charges.
• Completes service orders from Field Service staff.

As related to Clerical function:

• Prepares month-end reports and provides statistical data to Customer Service Manager for management analysis.
• Performs clerical responsibilities as needed, such as typing, data entry, copying, scanning, faxing and filing.

Education and Experience:

• High School diploma or G.E.D.
• Two years related experience is required.
• Any equivalent combination of education and experience to meet the above stated requirements.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Valid Class C Driver's License and a satisfactory Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience with Microsoft ® Office Products, including Windows, Excel, and Word.
• Knowledge of general office procedures including filing, bookkeeping, records maintenance, and computer operations.
• Knowledge of basic mathematical functions.
• Skill in typing and operation of computer keyboard in order to enter and retrieve data.
• Skill in operation of computerized cash register.
• Ability to deal courteously and diplomatically with the public.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to make change in money.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all City departments, employees, officials, and the public.

This class specification should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It is intended to identify the major responsibilities and requirements of this job. The incumbents may be required to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this specification.