Mgr - Customer Service

Job Summary

Customer Service Manager is a dynamic, hands-on, results-driven leader responsible for organizing, coordinating, and executing a comprehensive, exceptional customer service and warranty management program. This role ensures elevated levels of customer satisfaction, effective warranty response management including efficient warranty replacement parts distribution process aligned with defined business objectives and customer requirements. The Customer Service Manager must work effectively at all levels, both within and outside the organization, to ensure successful execution of all essential functions. The role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional service to customers, rapid response to customer inquiries, concerns, optimize warranty parts distribution, and manage warranty claims processing efficiently. Effectively collaborate and communicate with internal and external stakeholders on Customer Service requirements while facilitating the flow of information across all functional areas in a fast-paced team environment to achieve superior business quality goals. In addition, support activities relating to planning, problem solving, continuous improvement, customer concerns/warranty data collection, assimilation, and dissemination to stakeholders as required. Utilizes leadership through influence to guide, encourage, and support the development of others by transferring skill, knowledge, and experience. Also supports the organization in embracing positive change and communicates the value and need for change.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Responsible for adherence to the Cardinal Rules of Safety.

Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for customer service, field distribution, and warranty management to support all product lines.

Establish policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Collaborate with senior leadership to align the strategy with overall business objectives and customer requirements.

Provide exceptional customer service with diligent follow through communication to support units in the field i.e. dry vans, refrigerated trailers, grain trailers, chassis, dollies, and/or containers.

Build and lead an effective customer service program; a rapid response system/team to provide outstanding support to customer inquiries, concerns, issues, and warranty claims.

Create and implement customer service policies, standard work, procedures, and tools to enhance customer satisfaction.

Lead, coordinate, manage customer issues communication and escalation protocol including process workflow adherence while seek to continuously streamline, accelerate timely communication, dissemination and resolution of issues.

Manage external alert, messages, service bulletins, publications.

Work with quality, engineering and/or other functional areas to ensure product upgrades and changes are communicated timely to customers via Service bulletins or other distribution mechanisms.

Work with quality, engineering, manufacturing and/or methods improvement teams to create, release special service kits/parts/tools to support in-field unit repair/fix and service activities.

Address and resolve customer issues and complaints promptly and effectively.

Troubleshoot problematic issues and initiate Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and create Corrective Action, Preventive Action (CAPA) documentation for issues/concerns/warranty claims as needed.

Create, refine, monitor customer service metrics/KPIs to ensure high performance and continuous improvement.

Manage warranty claims processing, warranty returned parts cross-functional review, and coordinate repairs or replacements as needed.

Maintain accurate records of warranty claims and resolutions.

Analyze warranty data to identify trends and areas for improvement.

Coordinate with quality, engineering, manufacturing, production, logistics, and/or supply chain teams to optimize field replacement parts distribution and enhance customer experience levels.

Review, confirm inventory levels and production schedules to ensure prompt availability of replacement parts/products to repair out of service units and meet/exceed customer demand.

Handle escalated customer issues and complaints, resolving them promptly and effectively.

Monitor customer satisfaction levels and identify areas for improvement.

Analyze customer feedback to identify trends and implement necessary changes.

Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction scores.

Apply basic problem-solving steps in understanding and assisting resolution of customer quality issues working in collaboration with all functional areas.

Assist in the implementation of continuous improvement projects as required.

Effectively collaborate and communicate with cross-functional areas in a dynamic fast-paced team environment to achieve superior project goals.

Seeks feedback and self-assessment to identify stakeholder needs to determine areas of improvement and seeks support in identifying opportunities to professionally grow and enable career advancement.

Qualifications

* Education:

o Associate degree or advanced education and/or equivalent experience with a minimum 10+ years of related experience in Customer Operations/Warranty Service Management and prior experience in a leadership and development position with a proven record of improving customer satisfaction is desired.

* Licenses/Certifications:

o Project Management and ASQ, Six Sigma/Quality certifications is a plus.

* Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

o Strong understanding of customer/client relationship management processes.

o Proven success with managing warranty claims, processing, data tracking, escalation, summarizing and presenting issues, and creating succinct summary reports.

o Ability to handle high-pressure situations and customer escalations, emotions.

o Knowledge of customer service best practices and quality standards.

o Ability to manage projects which may include planning, supervising, monitoring, and accomplishing the goals of specific project requirements.

o Knowledge of basic problem-solving process including analytical skills and tools for continuous improvement.

o Ability to work with all levels of the organization in a team-based environment.

o Proficient in MS office suite i.e. Word, Excel, Powerpoint

o Demonstrated knowledge and experience with computers including systems, software.

o Proficient in customer relationship management (CRM) systems and/or other relevant ERP systems/software.

o Able to travel to Stoughton Trailers production sites.

o Ability to influence team members without direct authority.

o Demonstrates the ability to identify self-development needs and explores new opportunities for skill development and professional growth.

o Excellent communication and presentation skills.

o Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

o Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment.

o Critical thinking and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

o Strong organizational and communication skills.

* Core Competencies:

o Prior experience in customer service and relationship management in a assembly / manufacturing environment.

o Ability to simplify, clarify and intensify execution of actions with the goal of getting things done inside established milestones/timelines.

o Persistent and tenacious in follow up and follow through to track, monitor and close out issues taking all to the finish line.

o Move with a high sense of urgency, bias for action, drive for results, possess analytical and critical reasoning/thinking skills.

o Self-motivated, confident, energetic, proactive, anticipatory and forward thinking.

o Well organized, self-starter and a team player both as a member and leader.

o Ability to multi-task and prioritize work assignments.

o Good oral and written communication skills, interpersonal behavioral skills.

o Proficient in computer skills including systems, software, and other database applications.