Customer Service Manager

Manage customer service for specific market segments within North America. Manage the chain of sales support to Ahlstrom internal and external customers by providing excellent customer service and ensuring positive customer experiences. This includes order entry, inventory control, and customer service for products produced at USA sites as well as those sourced from Europe for North American customers. Maintain understanding of the customer’s needs and provide recommendations for improvements in the areas of customer service, order fulfillment, inventory control, and pre/post sales and business support transactions. Individual is responsible for liaising with multiple departments to ensure customer satisfaction is achieved. Participate on and sometimes lead customer service related projects and initiatives. Recruit, develop, train and lead a multi-disciplined team to provide exceptional customer service in a dynamically changing environment.

Main Responsibility Areas

• Practice by example the priorities of the business, e.g., safety, environment, quality, and productivity. Ensure compliance with all departmental and company policies and procedures including state, federal, and international regulations and standards such as FDA, GMP, and ISO9001.


• Lead the team to ensure a consistent high level of expected service performance that satisfies the established key performance indicators, requirements of Ahlstrom’s customers and supports the goals and objectives of the NA Customer Service organization.


• Review team’s performance daily/weekly/monthly and implement action plans to address gaps.


• Inspire others to meet/exceed expectations on a daily basis through own enthusiasm and energy.


• Communicate expectations, achievements, new methods & procedures through individual and team coaching and performance evaluation.


• Conduct performance reviews, coach in career development, and help identify training opportunities.


• Communicate with management issues impacting teams and/or customers.


• Act as an escalation point to research and resolve escalated customer service inquiries for internal and external customers.


• Accountable for the engagement of the team members.


• Prioritize work of self and team to ensure exceptional service delivery to external and internal customers.


• Provide insight and recommendations in continuous improvement in business process.


• Participate in projects and initiatives that will impact business process, team or system enhancement.


• Serve as the customer’s advocate by understanding customer requirements/expectations and act as a liaison between the customer and business representatives including credit, supply chain, technical support, product management, and sales.


• Maintain close contact with the customer to ensure an exceptional customer experience including but not limited to: customer master information, detailed customer profiles, pricing/quote inquiries, dispute/claims resolution, product information and sample requests, invoicing, material returns and resolving complaints.


• Assist the team with domestic and/or international order fulfillment activities such as: receive, coordinate, and process all sales orders based on the customer’s requests (with accuracy and speed). Orders sourced from: email, phone, fax, EDI and other means.


• Interface with Ahlstrom domestic and international plants, and outside suppliers to source material as required to service customer orders and maintain inventory programs.


• Represent the NA Customer Service Organization on customer visits and conduct customer tours as required.


• Provide accurate monthly sales forecasts with a 3+ month outlook in collaboration with the sales team.

Communication

Internally

• Sales


• Marketing


• Production


• Converting


• Shipping


• Accounting


• Logistics


• Product Development


• Purchasing

Externally

• Ahlstrom Customers