About this role
Position
Objective:
Provide outstanding, enthusiastic service by developing and strengthening long-term relationships with customers, resulting in new sales and sustained repeat business. The Client Service Specialist provides a rapid & professional response to meet customers ongoing business requirements.
Key Result Areas:
Performance Standards
Customer Service
- Establish on-going rapport with existing and potential customers.
- Conduct regular telephone conversations with all assigned customers; frequency will be determined by size and potential of customers business.
- Investigate and trouble-shoot customer service issues by involving the appropriate ABMNA functions.
- Receive customer orders and process them in the automated order processing system.
- Serve as liaison between customers and Field Sales, thereby providing professional account management.
- Review reports to ensure shipping schedules and order data are accurate.
- Maintain high level of product knowledge and product application using various resources and training tools
- Demonstrate a positive, collaborative approach at all times to meet customers needs.
- Research credit/debit memos for individual districts.
Inside Sales
- Collaborate with Field Sales and Client Service Manager to determine necessary strategic sales approaches and maximize opportunities.
- Review sales report to proactively catch customer order interruption/increase in demand.
- Ensure follow-up by forwarding leads to Field Sales with action points, dates, customer profile information, etc. Follow-up conversation with Field Sales once lead is tied off.
- Make outbound follow-up calls to existing customers to ensure that they are receiving the expected product and service benefits and features.
- Handle inbound, unsolicited prospect calls, and discuss them with Field Sales and/or convert them to sales.
- Visit customers every year to deepen customer relationships and foster the total sales team approach.
- Emphasize products/service, features and benefits, quote established pricing and prepare reports, as needed.
Market Intelligence
- Maintain and expand CRM database to capture customers profile, requirements, annual volumes of ingredients purchased, competitive price points, baking processes, varieties produced, etc.
Field Sales Support
- Support Field Sales with processing sample requests, customer concerns and price requests – follow-up appropriately.
- Review sales trends for assigned geographical area and report changes to inventory planner and Field Sales.
Other
- Attend periodic sales and product training, when applicable.
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
A COMBINATION OF THE LISTE D SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE IS PREFERRED
- Three (3) to five (5) plus years experience in a customer service/inside sales environment.
- Excellent communication skills: telephone, writing and listening (prefer bilingual).
- Accurate data entry skills.
- Good technology skills and experience with CRM and Microsoft Office products.
- Experience with ERP & CRM tool(s) (i.e. Salesforce.com).
- Strong analytical, time management and organizational skills.
- Thrives in a customer centric environment.
- Ability to work individually and as part of the team.