Lead, Customer Service

Forward Air Corp.; Greeneville (TN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward Air Corp. in Greeneville, TN, is seeking a Customer Service Team Lead to provide real-time operational support, monitor queues across phone, email, and chat, and coach CSR I-III while handling a portion of complex customer contacts.

You will monitor workloads, maintain service levels, and serve as an escalation point for challenging issues. This on-site role requires strong leadership, training support, and adherence to SOPs.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 3+ years of customer service experience, preferably in high-volume contact center or logistics.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities with complex escalations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication with ability to coach and provide clear feedback.
• Ability to navigate multiple platforms and applications simultaneously.
• Experience supporting training, quality monitoring, or process improvement is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Monitor real-time contact queues across phone, email, and chat to maintain coverage and service levels.
• Reassign or redistribute work to support response times and backlogs.
• Serve as first point of contact for complex escalations; conduct in-depth research and coordinate with internal teams.
• Provide daily coaching and guidance to CSR I-III team members.
• Conduct call monitoring and quality observations to reinforce standards.
• Support onboarding and ongoing training; assist with SOP/document updates.
• Review and validate accuracy of customer documentation and ensure policy compliance.
• Communicate workflow changes and priorities to the team with Supervisor/Manager.
• Assist with queue forecasting and daily staffing adjustments.
• Model professionalism and customer-first mindset; maintain dependable attendance.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills

Customer service leadership

Communication skills

Coaching

Problem solving

Multitasking

Team coordination

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft 365

Teams

Web conferencing

Windows OS

Job description

The Customer Service Team Lead provides real-time operational support, queue management, and coaching for the Customer Service team while continuing to handle a portion of complex customer contacts. They monitor workload distribution, maintain service levels across phone, email, and chat, and serve as an escalation point for challenging or sensitive customer issues. They offer day-to-day guidance to CSRs, helping them navigate systems, processes, and difficult interactions. While this position does not include supervisory responsibility, it plays a critical role in reinforcing service standards, supporting quality, and ensuring consistent execution across the team.

Responsibilities

• Monitor real-time contact queues across phone, email, and chat channels to maintain coverage and service levels.
• Reassign or redistribute work as needed to support response times and manage backlogs.
• Serve as the first point of contact for complex customer escalations, conducting in-depth research and coordinating with internal teams to resolve issues promptly.
• Provide daily coaching, assistance, and guidance to CSR I-III team members in navigating systems, processes, and challenging customer scenarios.
• Conduct call monitoring, side-by-sides, and quality observations to reinforce standards and identify development needs.
• Support new hire onboarding and ongoing training activities by offering hands-on guidance and subject matter expertise.
• Review and validate the accuracy of customer documentation and ensure compliance with policies and procedures.
• Partner with the Supervisor/Manager to communicate workflow changes, process updates, and key priorities to the team.
• Assist with queue forecasting, daily staffing adjustments, and overall workload planning as requested by leadership.
• Help maintain and update SOPs, knowledge articles, team resources, and process documentation.
• Identify trends in escalations, errors, or system challenges and provide recommendations for improvements.
• Support the team during peak volumes by handling customer contacts to maintain service levels.
• Model professionalism, accuracy, and a customer-first mindset in all interactions.
• Regular and dependable attendance is required to support team and business needs.
• All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or GED equivalent required.
• Experience: 3+ years of customer service experience, preferably in a high-volume contact center or transportation/logistics environment.
• Demonstrated mastery of customer service systems, workflows, and processes, with the ability to navigate multiple platforms, browsers, and applications simultaneously.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities with experience handling complex customer issues or escalations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to provide clear feedback, guidance, and coaching.
• Proven ability to influence, support, and guide peers without direct supervisory authority.
• Ability to type 35+ wpm with high accuracy, enabling fast and precise documentation while multitasking across systems.
• Experience supporting training, quality monitoring, or process improvement activities strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.
• Technical: Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.)
• Environment: Comfort commuting to/from and working in a 100% on-site setting (listed in this posting), with travel for related meetings/events.