Phone Support Supervisor

Job Title: Phone Support Supervisor

Reports to: CEO

Department: Service

Location: 808 Timberlake Road, Fairmont, MN 56031

Position Summary: This full-time technical leadership position combines people management with hands-on customer support responsibilities. This role requires balancing day-to-day supervision of the Phone Support team while actively assisting with customer calls and providing technical expertise as needed. In addition, the Phone Support Supervisor is responsible for leading and developing phone support staff to ensure Kahler customers receive best-in-class service. This includes establishing team goals, monitoring performance, coaching employees, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. 

Exhibit and promote the following values:

• Curious Attitude: An employee who is curious is motivated to take time to question and explore new things to find answers that will ensure the best outcomes for the organization.
• Focus on Quality: An employee who values quality has integrity and produces results that meet high standards set by the organization.
• Passion for Service: An employee who is service-oriented displays a positive behavior and responds to customers using good business practices to meet their needs and expectations.
• Dedicated Spirit: A dedicated employee is one who takes ownership for their role and the whole organization to ensure that goals are achieved.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Lead, manage, and hold the phone support department accountable (LMA) against the processes and procedures established within the service department. 
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to Phone Support staff to foster employee development and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Balance leadership responsibilities with hands-on technical support by assisting with customer calls, troubleshooting complex issues, and supporting the team during periods of high call volume or escalated customer situations.
• Serve as the primary technical resource for the Phone Support team by providing guidance, answering technical questions, and assisting in the resolution of complex customer issues.
• Develop an understanding of the team’s obligations to the customer, evaluate current processes and policies, and identify opportunities to improve both customer and employee experience. 
• Develop and maintain an annual strategic business plan for the Phone Support function that aligns departmental objectives with Kahler's strategic initiatives and supports continuous improvement.
• Direct team activities by establishing priorities, scheduling work, monitoring workloads, and ensuring the effective utilization of team members and resources.   
• Ensure the team possesses the technical knowledge, training, and skills necessary to provide best-in-class customer support. 
• Develop and implement technical project management tools, resource plans, and schedules to effectively manage departmental initiatives and workload.
• Manage phone support labor, parts billing, and service-related support products while ensuring customers understand billing obligations, so they can make informed decisions. 
• Analyze operational and technical issues, resolve problems, and assist employees in solving customer and technical challenges. Personally manage major incidents or escalated issues that cannot be resolved by team members. 
• Ensure all customer interactions are handled professionally, courteously, and efficiently through both verbal and written communication 
• Develop, monitor, analyze, and report Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that measure the effectiveness and success of the phone support function while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement. 
• Utilize, promote, and enforce the effective use of ERP and CRM systems to ensure accurate documentation of customer cases, service history, and communications while supporting cross-functional collaboration and best-in-class customer support.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure seamless customer support, effective communication, and alignment with company objectives.
• This Job description is not comprehensive, and all employees must be flexible and willing to perform other duties assigned by their supervisor. 

Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual must demonstrate the following:

• DEPENDABILITY AND RELIABILITY: Performs all duties and assignments whether or not supervision is present.
• COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Expresses ideas, information, and instruction in a positive and effective manner.
• TEAMWORK and COOPERATION: Works cooperatively with coworkers and supervisor. Acts as an effective team member with other employees through cooperation.
• JUDGMENT: Makes reasonable and appropriate decisions.
• ADAPTABILITY: Readily and effectively adjusts to changing ideas and activities.
• ROLE MODELING: Acts as a good role model for other employees.
• CREATIVITY: Shows imagination and innovation in solving problems.
• ATTENDANCE: Reliably reports for work as scheduled, works OT when requested.
• SAFETY: Follows all safety rules and works in a safe manner.
• PRODUCTIVITY: Produces an acceptable amount of work, of sufficient quality in an appropriate amount of time.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience: Technical skills are a must including a familiarity with basic electrical logic and IT knowledge. Experience with industrial equipment including pumps, liquid and dry product transfer equipment, electrical panels, as well as an understanding of control software . Computer, PLC and/or electrical experiences and education are highly desired.

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Microsoft Word, word processing software, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software. This position will use the ERP and CRM system daily to perform work.

Reasoning Ability: Able to manage multiple priorities through organization and effective follow through skills. Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.

Math Ability: Ability to do calculations such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

Language Ability: Ability to read, analyze and interpret documents such as safety rules, general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals effectively and clearly.

Certificates and Licenses: Valid Driver’s License

Travel: Less than 10%, travel is not a regular part of this position. However, Training or job site visits may be required with overnight stays, travel may be by automobile or airplane. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: Ideal candidate will possess leadership skills (LMA) and the desire to continue to learn while leading the team to best-in-class work. Proven ability to provide expertise, direction, and knowledge to employees. Obtain buy-in from the team on policies and procedures and hold the team accountable to these practices. 

Work Environment and Physical Demands: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The majority of time will be spent in an office, with travel to customers on occasion. Occasionally, the employee may be required to spend time in an industrial facility. Certain personal protective equipment is required when in the plant or on a construction site.

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 essential functions. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; sit and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to walk; use hands to fingers, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. Communicate by talking, listening, and writing.