Lead, Customer Service

Forward Air Corp.; Greeneville (TN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward Air Corp. in Greeneville, Tennessee, is seeking a Customer Service Team Lead to provide real-time operational support, monitor queues, and coach the Customer Service team while handling a portion of complex customer contacts.

This on-site role focuses on maintaining service levels across phone, email, and chat and guiding CSR I-III in navigating systems and processes. This position emphasizes supporting quality, ensuring consistent execution, onboarding, and continuous process

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 3+ years of customer service in a high-volume center.
• Mastery of customer service systems and cross-platform navigation.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities with complex issues.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; able to coach peers.
• Ability to type 35+ wpm with high accuracy.
• Experience supporting training, quality monitoring, or process improvement.
• Discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.
• Proficient with Windows, O365, and web conferencing tools.
• On-site work in a 100% on-site setting; travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Monitor real-time contact queues across phone, email, and chat.
• Redistribute work to maintain response times and backlogs.
• Handle complex escalations with in-depth research and cross-team coordination.
• 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 activities.
• Review accuracy of customer documentation and ensure policy compliance.
• Communicate workflow changes and priorities to the team.
• Assist with queue forecasting and staffing decisions.
• Maintain SOPs and knowledge resources.
• Identify trends in escalations and system issues and suggest improvements.
• Support peak volumes to maintain service levels.
• Model professional, customer-first behavior.
• Regular attendance and reliability.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Problem solving

Influence peers

Typing 35 wpm

Multitasking

Training support

Discretion

Platform navigation

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Windows OS

MS Office 365

Web conferencing

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.