Additional benefits include:

• 11 paid holidays annually, plus 1 to 3 "floating holidays" per year depending on hire date and years of service
• $500 Annual wellness bonus
• Flexible schedule (9/80) available with management approval

About the Position:
Customer Service Representatives provides various types of office support, such as responding to customer inquiries, maintaining customer accounts, processing requests for service, processing tax registration forms, and receiving payments according to specific guidelines and procedures. This position is distinguished from the general office support positions in that the responsibilities include extensive public contact in situations requiring problem resolution, and duties which relate specifically to the maintenance of accounts.

While the eligible list from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies, there is currently one full-time position we are actively recruiting for in the Water Department. Candidates interested in being considered for current and future vacancies, including internal employees seeking transfer or promotional opportunities, are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Successful Candidate:
The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to provide a high-level of customer service possible in an efficient, courteous and professional manner to the general public. Excellent oral and written communication, effective and creative problem-solving, and time management skills are essential to this position. 
In addition, the successful candidate will have: 

• computer literacy
• a flexible and collaborative work style
• emotional intelligence
• attention to detail

Selection Process:
The selection process may include a minimum qualifications assessment, application and supplemental questionnaire scored review, and/or a skills exam. Hiring departments may conduct an initial interview and a final selection interview.

How to Apply:
Please complete a thoughtful, thorough Supplemental Questionnaire submission. As part of the selection process, your responses to these questions will be scored using criteria specific to this position. Provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Incomplete responses, or responses such as "See Resume" may result in disqualification from the selection process.

Additional Requirements:
Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Duties:
The following duties are considered essential for this job classification:

• Understand, interpret, and provide specific information regarding department services to the public or other City employees in person, over the telephone, by mail, or by electronic means
• Interpret and explain policies, procedures and regulations
• Research and follow-up on customer inquiries and respond to questions
• Provide customer information regarding payments due
• Enter data and retrieve customer information utilizing a variety of software programs
• Explain services, fees and rate structures
• Balance cash receipts and prepare deposit documents
• Verify and reconcile computer produced reports and records
• Adjust customer accounts or parking citations
• Prepare customer billing information and adjustments
• Research and make decisions regarding collection of payment on overdue items
• Maintain and reconcile customer and accounting files
• Receive payments, either in person, over the telephone or via the mail and issue receipts
• Review and prepare standard correspondence
• Process and distribute incoming mail
• Maintain and order supplies and equipment
• Schedule and coordinate conference rooms
• Maintain and balance department petty cash
• Process payment requests
• Record and process minutes from meetings
• Answer large volume of incoming calls and respond to customer inquiries
• Process daily online and banking payment files
• Review tax remittances and required documentation

Additional Duties:
In addition to the duties listed in the Essential Duties Section, each employee in this classification may perform the following duties. Any single position may not be assigned all duties listed below, nor do the examples cover all duties which may be assigned.

• Process bankruptcies by preparing the required forms for court action
• Generate court appearance notices and prepare and distribute required documentation
• Utilize remittance processing equipment to open and encode water payments and send electronic file to bank
• Audit meter readings
• Maintain a computerized accounts receivable system including initial input, adjustment, and/or posting of miscellaneous revenue payments
• Generate monthly revenue reports
• Monitor and follow-up on installment/note agreements
• Perform basic skip tracing
• Coordinate and interact with other city departments
• Perform related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

Knowledge of: Standard office practices and procedures, including filing methods and the operation of modern office equipment, such as personal computers, printers, and standard business software; correct spelling, punctuation and grammatical usage; basic business arithmetic; practices and procedures related to accounting for cash receipts and maintenance of revenue accounts; basic business data processing principles as applied to revenue record keeping.

Ability to: Make accurate arithmetic calculations and maintain accurate records and files; understand and carry out written and oral instructions; produce written documentation; perform detailed clerical work and maintain attention to detail despite frequent interruptions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work; balance cash receipts and maintain accurate financial records; work independently and make sound judgments within established guidelines; research information and solve customer service problems; interpret ordinances and codes; interact tactfully and effectively with customers, occasionally in situations where relationships may be strained.

Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be: Experience - Sufficient experience performing office support and customer assistance work in which a major duty was working with accounts and interpreting and explaining policies and procedures to the public to demonstrate possession of the required knowledge and abilities.  Experience in a call center, billing or public agency setting is desirable.  Education - Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade.

License or Certificate:Individuals must be physically capable of operating a motor vehicle safely and possess a valid, Class C, California Drivers License, OR be able to demonstrate the ability to travel on scheduled or unscheduled visits to various locations in the City which may or may not be reachable by public transportation.

Additional Information

More on working conditions and physical job requirements are available on the online job description.

City of Santa Rosa - A Wonderful Place to Call Home: 
The City of Santa Rosa is located just 55 miles north of San Francisco and 30 miles east of the Pacific Ocean with a population of approximately 180,000. Santa Rosa is the seat of Sonoma County and the center of trade, government, commerce, and medical facilities for the North Bay. The surrounding area is home to over a hundred wineries and vineyards and many beautiful parks and recreational facilities, including golf courses. Santa Rosa is in the center of a nationally recognized cycling area. We boast many attractions associated with large cities, including a symphony, performing arts center, theater productions and internationally recognized restaurants, yet still retain the warmth and small town feel of decades past. Santa Rosa has been named one of the 50 greenest cities in the United States with one of the top five mid-sized downtowns in California.