Supervisor Customer Service

Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country’s largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.

Position Purpose: 

The Supervisor of Customer Service, New York is responsible for the overall environment of the customer service office(s), walk-in payment center(s) and field service operations for the New York Municipal Water Division of Veolia. The role will provide supervision to the New York Customer Service Leader and/or CSRs. This spans across the call center, collections, billing, revenue integrity, and backoffice/field work. The Supervisor oversees the daily assignments of bargaining unit employees in the New York Division, assuring that all activities are performed in an efficient and professional manner, in order to maintain set metrics and key performance indicators tracked by the Manager of Customer Service or Director of Customer Service and Metering. This role will also support the customer operations in other geographies that are a part of the New York division and serve as a resource divisionally in both customer service office and field functions, as needed.

The incumbent is responsible for providing an enhanced customer experience by meeting targeted call center, backoffice, revenue integrity, collections and field service metrics for approximately 127,000 customers. Provides daily direction and communication to employees so customer inquiries, field orders, regulatory complaints, and revenue controls are all handled in a timely, efficient and knowledgeable manner.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities: 

• The day-to-day operations include but are not limited to the following:
  • Managing customer expectations to continuously improve Customer Satisfaction Surveys as well as reduce regulatory complaints.
  • Maintain adequate call center, backoffice, revenue, collection and field service metrics as directed by the Manager or Director of Customer Operations.
  • Scheduling and supervising daily collection and service field work and scheduling monthly field visits to determine if collection staff are following all safety standards, as well as, optimally routing their routes and completing work.
  • Manage call escalations for customers at every level, basically serve as the first point of contact at the management level.
  • Daily reporting on key performance indicators to upper-level management either via email, tracking spreadsheet or over the phone.
  • Manage all daily / weekly / monthly revenue controls for auditing purposes.
  • Working closely with the Non-Revenue Water Management Team to provide input and gather information for various non-revenue water initiatives.
  • Cover the Customer Service Department and/or Metering Department in NY and/or Westchester offices or divisionally as needed in any of the NY division office locations.
  • As requested, manage other initiatives such as, but not limited to, CC&B Upgrades, Web Upgrades, or other special projects at the direction of the Director of Customer Service & Metering.
• Managing the Call Center and Walk in Office:
  • Responsible for ensuring customers are being responded to in a quick, and efficient manner by staff.
  • Scheduling daily workloads to meet demands on the phones, and backoffice exceptions.
  • Responsible for managing the cash collection process in the office to meet all auditing concerns as well as timely deposits of cash and checks.
  • Diligently respond to customer escalations in a professional and respectful manner whether over the phone, email or at the front counter in person.
  • Ensure staff have adequate supplies, and tools to perform their daily workload.
  • Perform call monitoring and provide feedback to staff for improvement.
  • Develop a friendly office environment and atmosphere to improve productivity of staff by providing staff with awards, and incentives.
  • Update the phone system as needed with emergency main break information, updates on discolored water or main breaks.
• Managing Regulatory and Customer Complaints:
  • Ensure that all regulatory complaints are responded to in an efficient manner with a resolution that follows NYS Public Service Commission guidelines and satisfies the customer to the best of our ability.
  •  Work with the regulator to settle cases, come to agreements with customers, and attend informal hearings with the regulator.
  • Work with customers on a case-by-case basis to come to an agreement or understanding of their issue and resolution of that issue.
• Managing Collections & Field Service:
  • Work closely with staff to provide them feedback on the top collection candidates for termination of service.
  • Closely work with the Manager and/or Director of Customer Service to develop strategies and plans for collection activities such as additional phone calls, and letter campaigns.
  • Keep close financial benchmarks to track accounts receivables.
  • Work closely to monitor and review write off reports as well as Penn Credit reports for accuracy.
  • Handles processing of all bankruptcy accounts.
  • Monthly review and resolution of all customer disputes by working with the meter department on collecting meter test results and providing that information to customers.
  • Daily/Weekly/Monthly review and assignment of field service work routing, ensuring customer expectations/appointments are met, including providing support to meter department staff in office and in the field to ensure work completion rates.
• Managing Revenue Integrity and Non-Revenue Water Initiatives:
  • Review accounts requesting leak adjustments to make determinations and discuss cases with customers, and areas for future improvements.
  • Review and monitor “pending bills” in the billing system to make sure bills are being generated timely.
  • Process all back office work timely and avoid estimating bills due to field work (i.e. meter change outs, radio device change outs).
  • Monthly review of Top 200 users to make sure billing on time.
  • Work closely with metering on Strategic Meter initiative to update the billing system in a timely manner.
  • Work closely with the Planning and Metering Department to ensure all new properties are receiving bills in a timely manner.
  • Test new rates in the billing system and assist the rates department with monitoring surcharges.
  • Ensure staff review and work with the metering department on the zero consumption, vacant properties with consumption and consecutive estimate reports.
  • Managing bill segment “to do’s” in the billing system to make sure staff are working them timely.
• Other Responsibilities:
  • Comply with all regulatory and tariff processes and procedures.
  • Assist the Manager of Customer Operations, Manager of Metering and Supervisor of Metering, with ongoing divisional projects for improving the customer experience (i.e. CC&B Upgrades, Web Upgrades, etc).
  • Work closely with Local Union Officials and unit bargaining employees for discipline and disputes.

Education/Experience/Background: 

• Bachelor’s Degree or 5 years of experience of experience managing a team.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Call Center Management and/or billing, collections and metering operations preferably in Regulated Utility.
• Significant technical expertise and experience required as it relates to internal control structure, policies, procedures and compliance.
• Direct supervision of union workforce.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Demonstrated ability to deal with customers, clients and regulators in a courteous, professional and diplomatic manner.
• Knowledge of cash management operations & field service/metering operations.
• Leadership qualities needed to motivate and direct staff.
• Ability to multitask, handling multiple deadlines and projects.
• Strong oral, written, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to prepare written technical reports and interact effectively and diplomatically with management and / or bargaining unit employees as well as regulators, consultants, municipal officials, health officers, customers, contractors, and the general public.
• Familiarity with computer applications i.e. Excel, Word, CC&B, Mobile Workforce Management, Infor, PeopleSoft, and Google applications etc.
• Must be able to work under stressful conditions and must use sound business logic to make quick and concise decisions.
• Knowledge of calls centers, IVR & ACD systems, recording systems, and NYS Regulations, credit and collection laws, public service law.
• Budgeting for customer service operations.

Required Certification/Licenses/Training: 

• Valid Driver’s License.

Pay Range: $80000 to $88000 per year.

Benefits: Veolia’s comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off policies, as well as health, dental and vision insurance. In addition, employees are also entitled to participate in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, to save for retirement. Pay and benefits for employees represented by a union are outlined in their collective bargaining agreement.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer! All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.