Customer Service Representative - Constituent Services

Somerville is a city that upholds progressive principles for both employees and residents alike. If you are looking for a culture that embraces innovation, empowerment, and collaborative involvement, Somerville not only embraces these talents, but encourages them. Creative, hands on collaboration with passionate dedication are at the core of the City’s workplace culture.  Challenging and fast paced, Somerville also offers a generous benefits package that embodies a strong work life balance. Not only is it a “Model City”, as termed by The Boston Globe, but it is also a model employer.

Statement of Duties

As an essential personnel staff member, the Customer Service Representative is responsible for assisting constituents with the resolution to problems, questions and concerns in the City of Somerville by telephone, in person, in writing and through the City of Somerville 311 website and social media feeds. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Answers incoming requests in a polite and professional manner, responding to routine questions and taking complaints from the general public; inputs information received into the contact center’s Customer Relationship Management system; directs requests to the appropriate department or agency for further action.
• Maintains a professional relationship and demeanor with all constituents providing all services with courtesy and patience by gathering information, creating service requests, dispatching work to specific departments, responding to routine questions, taking and reporting complaints from constituents and contacting constituents to ensure that work was completed as needed.
• Performs follow-up on a variety of requests for information or complaints; gives out information of a routine nature; refers inquiries to other sources as required; receives and answers minor operation problems for users.
• Operates computer and telecommunication equipment; may include, but not limited to work order management systems, department databases and web portals, Microsoft Office tools and telephony systems; performs related routine clerical work; refers technical operation problems to appropriate personnel.
• Provides proactive support to a variety of internal and external individuals concerning a broad base of city issues, projects, services, and constituent concerns
• Assists with other contact center duties, such as emergency operations, special projects, and training responsibilities or other similar tasks.
• Maintain specific knowledge of related computer software required to perform any role, function or task required for day-today operations relating to issuance of work orders and and/or information requests.
• Categorizes issue types for both internal and external use.
• Maintains working knowledge of all policies regarding the activities required for all city department’s day-to-day operations.  Must be familiar with all city departments’ hours of operations, services performed, after hour procedures and contact persons for specific functions.
• Joins City committees for department issues as required.
• Makes technical and operational suggestions and changes to the Customer Relationship Management system.
• Must use expected telephone etiquette and follow customer service procedures; must be courteous to citizens and employees.
• Must meet regular, as well as, emergency and special event attendance requirements as requested by the 311 supervisor.
• May be required to work flexible shifts, overtime, weekends, holidays, and/or during declared emergencies.

Minimum Qualifications                                                               

Education and Experience:

High school diploma or equivalent; one to three (1-3) years of call center and/or customer service operations, or a related field, required.

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skill

Knowledge: Knowledge of MS Office programs; experience with telecommunication systems; experience working in a call center.  Requires basic knowledge of arithmetic, English, and grammar.

Ability: Ability to meet and deal with the public effectively and appropriately; ability to handle problems and emergencies effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage and organize records; ability to deal appropriately with City employees, City officials and the disgruntled members of the public.  Ability to call on life experiences to resolve problems.  Must possess and maintain the ability to report to primary work location at all times.

Skill: Excellent organizational skills; excellent data processing skill in the use of personal computers and office software, including word processing, database and spreadsheet applications; excellent verbal, written and customer service skills. Bi-lingual skills in Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Haitian-Creole is preferred but not required.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.  Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments. 

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here 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 the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Little to no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing.  May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as books, office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Send your resume and cover letter by December 14, 2017 to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.