Customer Service Specialist

Customer Service Specialist

University Housing

University Housing within the Division of Student Life invites applications for the position of Customer Service Specialist. The Customer Service Specialist provides direct oversight of customer service and complaint resolution, supervision of University Housing central office desk staff, management of records on individual student communications history.

Our mission is to foster positive, student-centered residential communities supporting the academic mission of the university. We provide a defining experience for students through programs and amenities that facilitate individual learning and development. University Housing’s value and services enhance the overall university student experience.

The Position: The Customer Service Specialist oversees the front desk operations of the University Housing central office, including the supervision, training, and scheduling of student staff. The position serves as the primary point of escalation for all student and family concerns and assists with triaging and resolving concerns. The Customer Service Specialist assists the Assistant Director for Outreach in identifying patterns of concern through maintaining data on customer contact history and tracking of resolved issues.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as first point of escalation for concerns that cannot be addressed by front-line staff.

• Counsel/advise students and parents regarding in-depth questions concerning housing application and room selection processes, housing eligibility, and financial charges.

• Resolve complex questions about housing processes and/or address issues where resolution cannot be reached.

• Escalate complex or nuanced occupancy issues to appropriate Administrative Services staff and follow up with customers on outcomes.

• Review, analyze, and interpret student housing portal activity to identify obstacles to procedures, and where appropriate make corrections in the housing management database.

• Investigate complaints/issues from students or family members unrelated to administrative processes by researching cases in databases and through consultation with appropriate staff.

• Monitor progress of solutions and report back to family members on next steps or satisfaction with outcomes.

• Develop and implement a data coding schema to be applied to individual student entries in the housing management database to track issues and identify contact patterns.

• Produce and curate SQL-based reports from the database of issue types and categories to highlight patterns and progress, and to inform of procedural improvements.

• Assist the Assistant Director for Outreach in developing communication strategies to provide excellent customer service to students and families.

• Monitor and ensure timely response to the department email account.

• Supervise and train 6-8 student staff at front desk of central office.

• Ensure full coverage of desk and main phone lines, and modify staff coverage during times of high call volume.

• Ensure consistency with messaging and talking points.

• Assist with development and training of all University Housing personnel on customer service standards and practices.

• Present internally to department staff on customer service practices, patterns, and standards.

• Assist with staff presence at local and regional campus recruitment and marketing events and tours.

• Assist the Assistant Director for Outreach with presentation and tabling at student/family recruitment and orientation events.

• Advise and problem-solve with students and parents on in-depth questions about campus life and assist with navigating complex processes.

The University and Region: UTK is the state’s flagship, land-grant university. We are a Research 1 university, housing 11 colleges and 900+ programs of study. With an enrollment of 30,000 students, our undergraduate and graduate programs are repeatedly ranked among top national programs. The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, and a robust offering of outdoor and cultural activities. UTK is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Nashville, Atlanta, and the Great Smoky Mountains; and a day’s drive to Memphis, Chicago and Washington D.C. Knoxville and the surrounding counties have a statistical area population of over 850,000 people. The Knoxville region houses many leading corporations, including Bush Brothers & Company, Discovery Inc., Tennessee Valley Authority, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

What We Require

Education: A High School diploma or GED is required for the position.

Experience:

• Two years of experience working with public facing customer service is required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Exceptional customer service skills and knowledge of basic customer service etiquette.

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.

• Public speaking skills.

• Skilled at data management and compiling complex reports.

• Ability to implement new technologies and adapt business practices accordingly.

• Ability to lead and work within a stressful environment.

• Ability to engage and interact effectively with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.

• Ability to analyze and interpret data and make independent decisions.

• Ability to meet expectations in a fast-paced, dynamic, customer-oriented environment.

What We Prefer:

Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Communications, English, Hospitality, Marketing, or related field is preferred.

Experience:

• Experience working in a university environment is preferred.

• Experience working with customer service in a high-stress environment is preferred.

Salary: The salary for this position is commensurate with experience and other qualifications and is accompanied by a standard university benefits package. This is a non-exempt, 12-month, full-time, non-tenure track staff position.

Application Process: Please complete the on-line application for full consideration. Applicants should include a cover letter, resume and a list of at least three references (with current e-mail address and phone number/s) in the application file. A review of all applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Questions regarding the search may be directed to the search committee chair.