Customer Service Representative I

City-of-Ocala,-F; Ocala (FL); On-site; USD 34,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Ocala is seeking a customer service professional to assist the public in person, by phone, or by email. You will handle payments, account openings/closings, and resolve bill questions with accuracy.

Essential duties include processing payments, researching accounts, and ensuring compliant billing practices while communicating professionally with customers and city staff. A high school diploma and 2+ years in customer service are required.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; combination of training and experience may be accepted.
• Two years of customer service experience with the general public.
• Experience in billing, accounting, and financial transactions preferred.
• Banking/teller or cashiering experience preferred and beneficial.
• Must possess a valid Florida driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Receive, record, and deposit payments accurately by various channels; balance daily reports.
• Investigate inquiries across multiple utilities and adjust accounts as needed.
• Assist customers with activations, disconnections, transfers, and installations.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with customers and other city staff.
• Follow city policies on billing, fees, and payments; perform independent research.
• Work independently and in teams under stress while maintaining accuracy.
• Handle complaints with appropriate solutions and follow up for resolution.
• Record customer interactions accurately and completely.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Skills

Bilingual Spanish

Communication skills

Education

High school diploma or GED

2+ years customer service experience

Billing or accounting experience

Banking teller or cashiering experience

Valid Florida driver's license

Tools

10-Key Basic

Accounting Basic

Alphanumeric Data Entry Basic

Contact Management Basic

Database Basic

Spreadsheet Basic

Word Processing/Typing Basic

Job description

This is a varied and highly responsible customer service position involving contact with the public via in-person, telephone, or email. The person in this role will assist customers with payments, opening and closing accounts, and resolution of bill questions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Receives, records, and deposits payments accurately by mail, online, telephone, and in person. Balances all monies collected with daily collection reports, and maintains daily and monthly customer record reports.

2. Investigates inquiries regarding electricity (to include solar), water, sewer (to include industrial waste), solid waste, stormwater, telecom/fiber, and yardlight services; making necessary adjustments to the account.

3. Assists customers with the activation, disconnection, transfer, and installation of services. In addition to bill account balances, payment extensions, and payment arrangements.

4. Communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally with customers and other city department personnel. All aspects of spoken and written communication must be practiced with sensitivity to the needs of others.

5. Understand and follow city ordinances and city policies relative to customer billing, fees, payments, and training.

6. Must be able to conduct account research and exercise independent judgment and creativity in solving complex problems. Provide accurate, valid, and complete information using the right methods/tools.

7. Effectively work independently and in a team environment under stressful circumstances while maintaining a high level of accuracy and self-control. Organize thoughts and ideas quickly to transform them into action.

8. Handle customer complaints by providing appropriate solutions and alternative solutions, within the set guidelines, and follow up to ensure resolution.

9. Clearly and professionally record customer interactions.

10. Performs other duties as assigned.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty mentioned satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Must have a high school diploma or GED.
• A minimum of two (2) year's experience in customer service dealing with the general public.
• Experience to include billing or accounting, telephone/switchboard operations, two (2) years in banking as a teller or two (2) years cashiering, and in use of various office equipment.
• An equivalent combination of training, education, and experience may be acceptable.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Must possess a valid Florida Driver's License with an acceptable driving record.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring and training employees; planning, assigning and directing work; appraising performance, rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

This position will directly supervise 0 employees.

This position may indirectly supervise 0 employees.

ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING

MODERATELY REPETITIVE. Activities with slight variation using a definite set of processes or directions with some degree of supervision.

PLANNING

With regard to general assignments in planning time, method, manner and/or sequence of performance of own work.

CONSIDERABLE RESPONSIBILITY; in addition, the work operations of a group of employees, all performing Basically the same type of work.

DECISION MAKING

Performs work operations which permit opportunity for decision-making of minor importance.

INFREQUENTLY; Performs work operations which permit opportunity for decision-making of major importance. N/A

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Ability to read and understand documents such as policy manuals, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers. Ability to perform these mathematical skills using money and other forms of measurement.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Ability to use common sense understanding in order to carry out detailed written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few known variables in situations of a routine nature.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Under GENERAL SUPERVISON where standard practice enables the employee to PROCEED ALONE on routine work, referring all questionable cases to supervisor.

MENTAL DEMAND

LIGHT; Operations requiring intermittent directed thinking to carry out predetermined procedure or sequence of operations of limited variability. Operations requiring intermittent attention to control machine or manual motions.

USE OF MACHINES, EQUIPMENT AND/OR COMPUTER

Regular use of complex machines and equipment (desktop/laptop computer and software, road and production machines and equipment, etc.)

ACCURACY

Probable errors would not likely be detected until they reached another department, office or patron, and would then require considerable time and effort to correct the situation.

PUBLIC CONTACT

Frequent contacts with general public, patrons, or other outside representatives, wherein the manner of handling these contacts has a bearing on the organization’s position and operation.

EMPLOYEE CONTACT

Contacts of considerable importance within the department or office. Requires tact in discussing problems and presenting data and making recommendations.

SOFTWARE SKILLS REQUIRED

• 10-Key Basic
• Accounting Basic
• Alphanumeric Data Entry Basic
• Contact Management Basic
• Database Basic
• Enterprise Resource Planning None
• Human Resources Systems None
• Payroll Systems None
• Presentation/PowerPoint None
• Programming Languages None
• Spreadsheet Basic
• Word Processing/Typing Basic

OTHER SKILLS

Bilingual, Spanish preferred.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

While performing the functions of this job, the employee may be required to:

• Stand Regularly
• Walk Regularly
• Sit Regularly
• Use hands to finger, handle or fee Regularly
• Reach with hands and arms Regularly
• Climb or balance Never
• Stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl Never
• Talk or hear Regularly
• Taste or smell Never

WEIGHT LIFT REQUIREMENTS

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move: Up to 25 pounds

VISION REQUIREMENT

Specific vision abilities required by this job may include: Close vision (use of a computer, equipment, or any other work duties that require clear vision within two (2) feet or less).

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work near moving mechanical parts (spinning shafts, engines, lifts, etc.) Never

Work in high, precarious places (tall structures, bucket lifts, extension ladders, etc. Never

Fumes or airborne particles (painting, sanding, solvents, flying lint or dust particles, etc. ) Never

Toxic or caustic chemicals (including potential for chemical spills, etc.) Never

Outdoor weather conditions (exposure to outdoor heat, cold or inclement weather ) Never

Wet or humid conditions (not weather-related, such as greenhouse, carwash, etc.) Never

Extreme cold (not weather-related, such as freezer, cold storage, etc.) Never

Extreme heat not weather-related, such as furnace, kitchen, ovens, etc. where temp is regularly above 100 degrees F) Never

Risk of electrical shock (live electrical wires, equipment that retains power after shutoff) Never

Work with explosives (TNT, dynamite, nitroglycerine or other related explosives) Never

Risk of radiation (x-ray equipment, nuclear radiation, electromagnetic radiation, etc.) Never

Vibration (jack hammer, soil compactor, equipment that creates high vibration, etc.) Never

The noise level in the work environment is usually Moderate (business office with computers/printers, light traffic, etc.)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (e.g., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments).