The Customer Service Representative reports directly to the General Manager and indirectly to the Logistics Coordinator, who serves as first-line supervisor. The Customer Service Representative is responsible for providing a professional level of customer service on every call, for accurately taking customer orders and entering them into the dispatch system, and for placing each order in the appropriate spot in the delivery schedule.

The Customer Service Representative is the company’s primary contact with the customer. The Customer Service Representative negotiates available delivery times with customers within the guidelines set by the Logistics Coordinator, who has the final say on whether, and at what time, an order can be taken, and communicates with customers about expected lateness or other issues. The Customer Service Representative also communicates with drivers who are lost or who need special instruction, and routes calls to the right person in the organization. Together, the Customer Service Representative and the Logistics Coordinator carry out the dispatch function of the company. When the Logistics Coordinator is out for the day, the Customer Service Representative may be assigned to assist with shipping and ticket allocation.

EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION

Full-time, hourly, non-exempt. Overtime must be approved in advance by the Logistics Coordinator or General Manager.

AVAILABILITY

The Customer Service Representative is expected to work Monday through Friday and Saturdays as required. A standard workday is 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; however, shifts may be scheduled earlier or later by the Logistics Coordinator to match call volume and the delivery schedule. The Customer Service Representative must be flexible in adjusting daily start and/or finishing times to meet the needs of our customers. Saturday work is scheduled as needed. On rare occasions, Sunday and holiday work may be required.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

The Customer Service Representative is expected to perform all essential responsibilities and duties in a manner that ensures a safe and healthful working environment for him/herself as well as those he/she will work around on a daily basis in accordance with all company policies and procedures, including those outlined in the company Safety & Health Manual, the Quality Control Manual, the Environmental Program, and the Progressive Discipline & Counseling policy, as well as all local, state, and federal guidelines.

The Customer Service Representative is expected to be familiar with and consistently comply with the Standard Operating Procedures for Dispatchers.

Safety

• Support, encourage, and promote a positive safety culture.
• Report to the Logistics Coordinator, General Manager, and/or the Director of Safety, Environmental & Human Resources in a timely manner any workplace incidents, near misses, and accidents that may involve personal injury or property damage.
• Complete required annual safety training.
• Participate in, and at times lead, weekly safety talks.

Taking Orders

• Answer the telephone within three rings whenever possible and greet callers in a polite, courteous, and respectful manner using the company greeting.
• Take orders on the company phone system, or on the company’s approved phone application, so that every call is recorded. Do not take orders on a personal cell phone line that is not recorded.
• Accurately take and enter orders for company products into the company’s computer-based dispatch and batch systems, including the customer and company name, jobsite contact and phone number, correct project, delivery address, mix (strength, air or non-air, aggregate type, and slump), quantity, spacing, type of work, placement method, special products, payment method, and special notes.
• Review the dispatch, billing, and batching notes on the customer and project records before completing the order.
• Accurately compute amounts using a calculator, including the cubic yard quantity of concrete required for a customer order, and encourage customers to state the quantity they want and to round up for waste.
• Ask the questions needed to avoid surprises, including the accurate total quantity, the realistic placement rate, and whether the truck can reach the site and where it can wash out.
• If an order cannot be clearly understood, do not guess. Confirm the details with the customer in writing, such as by text message.
• Follow the SOP when an account is marked “NO SALES,” and do not accept the order until the account has been cleared.
• Refer mix requests that are not approved for a project to the Logistics Coordinator or General Manager.
• Secure MPC tax numbers from customers and record them in the order-entry/dispatch system as required.
• Quote prices for company products within guidelines established by management, and refer customer inquiries with special pricing considerations to the Logistics Coordinator or General Manager for follow-up.
• Explain payment requirements to non-account customers and process payments in accordance with the SOPs.
• Repeat the order back to the customer, and ask the customer to complete the order survey.

Scheduling & Customer Communication

• Use the dispatch system’s Demand Preview and available trucks to find a delivery time or range that fits the schedule, and negotiate that time with the customer. Find a way to say “yes” to a customer within the guidelines set by the Logistics Coordinator.
• Follow the Logistics Coordinator’s daily direction on when orders can be taken. Obtain the Logistics Coordinator’s approval before agreeing to any order that the Demand Preview shows would overload the schedule, any order outside the standard service area, and any other order the Logistics Coordinator has identified as requiring approval.
• Do not tell a customer to call another dispatch number. When a caller is in another area’s service area, transfer the call to the appropriate dispatcher and follow up to confirm the order was scheduled.
• Communicate with customers quickly and openly about expected lateness or other issues with their orders, and proactively contact customers when directed by the Logistics Coordinator.
• When an earlier time slot becomes available, let affected customers know as soon as possible.
• Handle customer complaints in accordance with the SOPs, listening to the customer and referring unresolved concerns to the Logistics Coordinator.
• Communicate with drivers by radio or the dispatch system when a driver is lost or needs special instruction, and notify the Logistics Coordinator of any problems.
• Answer the company’s calls, route calls to the proper person in the organization, and greet and assist customers and visitors.
• Build strong relationships with area customers and work to ensure that B & B Concrete is their preferred ready-mix supplier.

Shipping Support (When Assigned)

• When the Logistics Coordinator is out for the day or when assigned by the General Manager, assist with shipping and ticket allocation in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures for Dispatchers. During these times, decisions on whether and when an order can be taken are made by the General Manager or the General Manager’s designee.
• Prepare delivery tickets and counter tickets as required.
• As necessary, receive payments associated with C.O.D. orders.

Records & End of Day

• Review orders for the following day, complete any missing information, and change any orders in “Review” or “Hold” status as directed.
• Assist the Logistics Coordinator in preparing tickets for invoicing.
• Maintain neat, orderly files and records.
• Log out of all dispatch and payment systems before clocking out.

Production

• As needed, on a backup basis, open and close the plant.
• As needed, on a backup basis, accurately proportion and batch a load of ready-mix concrete (including computing the amount of water to be added to each load) using a computerized batching system.

Quality Control

• Be familiar with and comply with the company’s quality control manual.
• Earn and maintain, at the company’s expense, a current ACI Concrete Field-Testing Technician – Grade I certification and be ready to perform as needed the quality control elements of ready-mix production.

Other

• Complete required annual training.
• Maintain excellent working relationships with internal staff, customers, vendors, suppliers, and others.
• Attend workshops, schools, or seminars recommended by management that would increase knowledge and enhance the employee’s capability to perform the job responsibilities.
• Perform other reasonable tasks as assigned by the Logistics Coordinator or General Manager.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands of the Customer Service Representative position are essential to the performance of this job. Any change in these demands would fundamentally change the job. The physical demands require that the Customer Service Representative be able to do the following:

• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time while working at a computer and on the telephone and radio, and be able to stand and walk, at times on wet, slick, and/or uneven terrain or surfaces.
• Must be capable of lifting, carrying, and/or toting up to twenty-five (25) lbs.
• Must be able to bend/stoop, squat/crouch, push/pull, climb, kneel, and twist.
• Must be able to work both inside and outside, in the heat and cold, and around moving equipment.
• Must be able to communicate clearly by telephone and radio.

RESTRICTIONS

The following restrictions apply to the Customer Service Representative position:

• Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age.
• Must maintain a suitable driving record with the Department of Transportation.
• Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug screen.
• Must be able to pass a pre-employment physical exam.
• Must earn and maintain, at company expense, a current ACI Concrete Field-Testing Technician – Grade I certification.
• Must be able to read, write, and understand English.
• Must be proficient in basic math skills.
• Must be proficient in basic computer skills, including the use of email, word processing, and spreadsheets, and be able to learn and become proficient in the company’s dispatch and order-entry systems.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Minimum High School Diploma or equivalent.

Skills

• The Customer Service Representative should be dependable and act in a professional manner with customers and fellow employees.
• The Customer Service Representative should be patient and courteous with every caller, including callers who are inexperienced with ordering concrete.
• The Customer Service Representative should be accurate and detail-oriented, and able to handle several tasks at once while remaining calm during busy periods.
• The Customer Service Representative should be a self-starter and motivated to learn.

Experience

• Previous customer service, dispatch, or ready-mix concrete experience is preferred, but not required.

B & B Concrete Co., Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing team members with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, the presence of a non-job-related medical condition or handicap, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.