Customer Service Representative - Life

Sammons Financial Group Companies; West Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 35,085 - 65,785; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage for you and family

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

401(k) plan

Fridays off (Friday afternoons)

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development opportunities

Volunteer time off

Nonprofit matching gifts

Job summary

Sammons Financial Group in West Des Moines, IA, is seeking a customer service representative to handle inbound calls and support policyowners, agents, and third parties with professionalism. You will explain policy features, process changes, and coordinate with internal teams while maintaining service levels and quality standards; strong communication and multitasking skills are essential for success.

This role offers comprehensive benefits, training, and opportunities for growth; attendance and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Previous customer service/call center experience preferred.
• Effective communication with agents and policyowners.
• Ability to maneuver through multiple information screens.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Respond to inbound calls; support agents and policyowners professionally.
• Explain policy values, products, and rider benefits.
• Acquire product knowledge; complete required training.
• Coordinate with departments to handle requests and meet SLAs.
• Maintain quality metrics and handle times.
• Navigate multiple systems and Microsoft Office tools.
• Suggest process improvements and share feedback.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Multi-screen navigation

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Team oriented

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

What You Can Expect In This Role

Communicate verbally with policyowners, agents, third parties and internal support departments in matters relating to customer needs. Approach all interactions with the customer at the forefront, using the corporate shared values as the guide for all interactions.

What You Can Expect In This Role

Communicate verbally with policyowners, agents, third parties and internal support departments in matters relating to customer needs. Approach all interactions with the customer at the forefront, using the corporate shared values as the guide for all interactions.

What You'll Do In This Role

• Responsible for front line/customer facing in responding to inbound calls by providing support to agents, policy owners, third parties or others in verbal and written communication using a professional and friendly approach. Calls must be handled according to company policy and procedure, Service Level and Quality Standard Agreements.
• Answer calls regarding, but not limited to: policy values, various features and rider benefits, coverage options, indexed and variable policy performance, products, interest rates, address changes and allocation changes, withdrawals, surrenders, transfers and exchanges, beneficiary changes, ownership changes, guideline and regulations, annual and quarterly statements, completing forms and provide standard established turnaround times, as applicable.
• Acquire and maintain working knowledge of company products. This includes staying familiar with the most up-to-date changes to procedures as well as completing any required training courses.
• Field questions regarding policy loans, billing and accounting processing, grace processing and lapse notification.
• Display a working knowledge of premium and contribution regulations.
• Correctly identify appropriate regulations to ensure proper handling of requests. Verify and provide explanation for tax documents.
• Consult and coordinate with all other applicable departments including New Business, Agency Services, Sales and Marketing, Customer Correspondence and the Annuity/Life Division.
• Submit accurate and timely requests via workflow system to ensure work item is handled in accordance with varying departmental procedures. Have working knowledge of each department’s job function and all designated service level agreements to manage end user expectations.
• Meet departmental expectations for phone and written quality, average handle time, held and consulted calls and availability checks.
• Navigate and provide direction to agents and policy owners to access policy information via external websites. Troubleshoot website display errors, assist with setting up notification preferences, requesting illustrations and reviewing policy correspondence.
• Identify, communicate and proactively work to solve problems or issues before a service breakdown or complaint occurs.
• Maintain multiple job functions such as incoming calls, e-mails, noting files, faxing, while being flexible between high and low call volumes while displaying exemplary customer service skills.
• Efficiently navigate multiple systems as well as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Provide trends and feedback to department leadership to be shared with division and senior leadership, as received through communications with customers or agents. Openly discuss concerns within the area and/or team and provide ideas for improvement. Look for ways to improve a process and/or procedure and openly discuss your thoughts.
• Promote teamwork by supporting team members and sharing knowledge; provide feedback and coaching ideas for peer mentoring and personal development.
• Participate and apply continued training on additional job functions for department advancement. Participate in developmental workforce courses and apply learning.
• Assist management with determining and implementing efficient workflow methods.
• Drive to meet/exceed all performance goals including KPIs (key performance indicators), SLAs (service level agreements) and other communicated standards.
• Proactively participate in daily huddle board discussions offering ideas, insights and support.
• Actively participate in problem solving sessions (standard work, root cause problem solving, etc.) as requested by your manager.
• Take ownership of implementing standard work and other changes into your daily work processes.
• Continuously strive to create a positive customer experience throughout all customer interactions, request processing/handling, and problem-solving efforts.
• Commitment to embrace Sammons Financial Group Companies shared values (Accountability, Connection, Openness, Respect and Integrity).
• As stated within the Company Attendance and Punctuality policy, regular attendance is required and expected in order to meet the business service levels and workflow demands.
• Other duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's Degree Preferred
• Previous customer service/call center experience Preferred
• Must have the ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with agents and policyowners
• Must have knowledge of and ability to maneuver through multiple information screens
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Must have strong organizational skills
• Strong problem solving skills
• Ability to work efficiently and independently or in a team environment
• Able to adapt to frequent change

Other Requirements

• Criminal background check required.

Salary Range Information

USD $35,085.00 - USD $65,785.00 /Yr. Range includes data points from multiple labor markets. Specific range is dependent on the labor market where the incumbent will be hired to perform the position. Starting salary is dependent on candidate qualifications and experience. For a narrower salary range specific to your labor market, please inquire.

What you can expect when you join Sammons Financial Group

• Comprehensive health coverage for you and your family, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA & FSA options, and term life insurance.
• Competitive compensation with a performance-based incentive program tied to clear goals and individual and/or company success.
• Invest in your future with our 100% company-funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), plus automatic enrollment in our 401(k).
• Work–life balance that means something. Friday afternoons off year-round, generous paid time off, and paid holidays.
• Commit to your growth with paid development time, tuition reimbursement, and professional development opportunities across industry, individual, and leadership programs.
• Make an impact beyond the workplace through volunteer time off, and our company nonprofit matching gift program, supporting the causes that matter most to you.
• An ownership culture that inspires; join a connected, values-driven workplace where employees take accountability, support one another, and are empowered to do their best work—together shaping our future shared success.

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, we’re not considering candidates that need any type of immigration sponsorship now or in the future or those needing work authorization for this role (This includes, but is not limited to students on F1-OPT, F1-CPT, J-1, etc.)

Additional Information

Sammons Financial Group Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

ADA

Sammons Financial Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application or hiring process, including navigating our website or applying for a position, please contact [e-mail] or call 800-728-2987.

E-Verify

Sammons Financial Group participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

Policy for External Search Firms and Agencies

Sammons Financial Group maintains an internal Talent Acquisition function and does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from search firms, staffing agencies, or other third-party recruiting vendors. Please review our Recruitment Agency Policy for additional information here.