Customer Service Representative - Utilities

The City of Idaho Falls is accepting applications for Customer Service Representative in Utility Billing. This position performs a variety of utility customer service support duties related to billing, recording, updating, and maintaining City utility accounts. Performs a variety of general office, clerical duties, public interactions, and assignments rendered by the City of Idaho Falls Utility Division.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Works under the Utility Office Supervisor, Treasury Operations Manager, and City Treasurer/Finance Manager.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

None

Greets customers in person, over the telephone or electronically; answers questions and explains utility billings, processes, and policies.

Prepares connect, disconnect, service orders, transfer orders, adjustments, or corrections to accounts.

Assist customers with requesting payment options for their utility bills. Informs and sets customers on budget billing, e-billing, auto pay and landlord agreements. Performs research on past due accounts working with the collection agencies.

Works directly under the Utility Billing Supervisor to ensure proper billing of City utilities including Idaho Falls Power, Fiber, Sanitation, Water, and Wastewater.

Assists in preparing cyclical billings daily; reviews statements and accounts for accuracy and assists in corrections of errors.

Verifies final readings and computers total used and unpaid service; ensures final account balance is accurate for final bill or verifies eligibility for refund; prepares refund overpayment checks.

Assists in maintaining final billing records and follows an established procedure for the same; contacts customers with delinquent bills and requests payment and issues disconnect warnings.

Operates various computer software programs to retrieve and enter a variety of data related to customer records.

Helps assist coverage for City Treasury office including accepting and processing payments, balancing cash drawers, correcting errors related to payments, and entering utility payment data entries.

Performs Other Related Duties As Required.

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or general education degree (GED). Additional specialized training in bookkeeping, accounting, customer service or a related field.
  
  

AND

• One year of experience of full-time employment in customer service work
  
  

OR

• An equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  
  

Knowledge of City Ordinances related to the Utility Department; working knowledge of utility billing procedures and practices; working knowledge of typical variations accounting for billing irregularities; working knowledge of window based computer programs; working knowledge of interpersonal communication skills and public relations; working knowledge of modern office practices; working knowledge of telephone etiquette; working knowledge of the use and operation of standard office equipment; some knowledge of basic mathematics.

Skill in providing effective customer service; creating and maintaining manual and automated files; dealing with the public in a professional and courteous manner, using applications software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, etc. as well as City's utility software, skill in data entry and 10-key.

Ability to access and input, and retrieve information from a computer; make highly accurate simple arithmetic computations; communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; operate standard office equipment, organize and review the work assigned, apply general and specific departmental policies and procedure, exercise tact and judgment in responding to inquiries and resolving customer complaints and problems, and develop effective working relationships with supervisors, subordinates, other employees and customers.

Incumbent of the position performs in a typical office setting with appropriate climate controls. Tasks require a variety of physical activities, involving minimal muscular strain, related to walking, standing, stooping, sitting, reaching and light lifting. Essential functions require talking, hearing and seeing. Common eye, hand, finger dexterity are required. Mental application utilizes memory for details, emotional stability, discriminating thinking and creative problem solving. Periodic travel required in normal course of job performance.