Customer Service Representative bei City of Port Hueneme, CA

About the Department

Summary Description

Under general supervision of assigned supervisory or management staff, serves as a front-line position with responsibility for performing a variety of customer service duties involved with the public in accepting and processing payments for utility bills, rents, permits, and all funds received; processes applications for new utility services; provides information and assistance to customers, the general public, and other City staff and departments; performs a wide variety of data entry, billing, and public contact work; maintains files and records; and performs related work as required.

Position Duties

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

1. Provides a variety of customer service and assistance to the general public, City staff, and outside agencies.
2. Collects payments for various types of City services including utility payments, rents, and business license fees; posts, receipts, and balances revenues received; balances cash drawer daily; receives payments on accounts and issues receipts.
3. Posts financial transactions to automated accounting systems.
4. Receives and responds to inquiries, requests, and complaints from property owners, vendors, providers, recipients, and others in person or by phone; researches account records; may provide explanation of procedures and processes; solves customers issues and answers customer questions including billing questions.
5. Processes the starting and stopping of customer utility service requests.
6. Performs a variety of general clerical and administrative tasks in support of work unit operations; operates typewriters, personal computers, copiers and other office equipment; composes routine correspondence and/or prepares notices/forms of action taken; researches forwarding addresses on returned bills, and/or correspondence.
7. Utilizes various computer applications and software packages; enters and maintains data; generates reports from a database or network system; creates documents using word processing or spreadsheet software.
8. Copies, compiles, collates, records, files, enters, and/or stores data and information such as that associated with billings, vouchers, ledgers, general instructions, journals, inventory forms, letters, and reference data.
9. Serves as receptionist including screening and directing calls; opens, sorts, and distributes mail.
10. Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

Customer service techniques, practices, and principles.

Bookkeeping principles, practices, and techniques.

The use of manual and/or automated accounting systems.

Information storage and retrieval techniques.

Methods and techniques of cash handling.

Principles and practices of public relations.

Principles and procedures of record keeping and filing.

Data compilation techniques.

Basic mathematical principles.

Methods and techniques of proper phone etiquette.

Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.

Ability to:

Perform a variety of customer services and office support duties and activities.

Handle a diverse set of customer comments, inquiries and complaints in a polite and professional manner.

Operate office equipment including adding machine by touch, two-way radio, computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.

Learn City and department policies and procedures related to assigned bookkeeping/statistical-record keeping functions.

Apply basic bookkeeping and/or routine statistical principles, practices and techniques.

Use automated information storage and retrieval equipment.

Collect and compile data to prepare simple reports, maintain accurate records and document actions taken, and proofread and/or edit for errors in input and/or arithmetical computation.

Apply principles of rational systems, interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form, and exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.

Exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving a variety of generally pre-defined duties that are often characterized by frequent change.

Organize and prioritize work assignments.

Perform mathematical  calculations quickly and accurately.

Maintain confidentiality of information.

Recognize and respect limit of authority and responsibility.

Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Other Qualifications

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential job functions.

Environment: Tasks are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, toxic agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.

Physical: Tasks involve the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds).  Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation.  Some tasks may involve the ability to exert very moderate, though not constant physical effort, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (12-20 pounds).

Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction.

Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.