Summary:
The Credit Specialist at Crystal Flash (CF) is a valued team member who is responsible for the credit and collection activities on customer accounts. This role will be responsible for coordinating and performing activities related to customer credit review and evaluation, tracking, and resolving outstanding payment issues, and collection activities, such as sending follow-up inquiries. In addition, this team member will be responsible for maintaining records and referring accounts to collection agencies.
The team member will support the organization’s mission, vision, and core values by demonstrating the following: integrity, safety, customer service, open communication, diversity, teamwork and pride in Crystal Flash.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Establish and review line of credit for new home heat customers by obtaining personal information by phone.
- Advise customers of credit application acceptance or denial, working to expedite requests, maintaining efficient controls, and suggesting alternative solutions as needed.
- Monitor customer accounts regularly to ensure timely payments and keep risk exposure to a minimum.
- Identify troubled accounts and work with Credit Managers to perform collection activities such contacting delinquent accounts, conferring with customers regarding reasons for overdue payments and record status of collection efforts to secure payment from customers.
- Coordinate accounts receivable process by maintaining account files on computer system to ensure that receivables are maintained at a highly accurate level.
- Support Credit Managers by researching incorrect charges and making recommendations for granting extensions of credit on overdue accounts.
- Provide office administration support by maintaining files and records of credit applications, providing customer credit information upon request, establishing new accounts, establishing payment arrangements, and turning over past due accounts to outside collection agency in a timely manner.
- Assist Credit Managers with establishing commercial accounts with credit limits under $20,000 by obtaining financials, credit references, and other information to determine level of risk and credit.
- Work closely with Bulk Plant Managers and Sales department to keep them informed of problem accounts which have been shut off due to lack of payment and actions that need to be taken before customers can be serviced again, and notifying the CFO and Corporate Controller of all unauthorized deliveries.
- Keep customer credit information confidential.
- Maintain impartiality and treat all customers with dignity and respect.
- Perform other office duties as requested by management.
(The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by team members assigned this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed as team members so classified.)
Reports to: This position reports to the Credit Manager.
Supervisory Requirements: None
Qualification Requirements:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential
duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Education and/or experience:
- High school or equivalent GED required.
- Minimum of 2 years’ experience related to credit, collections, or customer service.
- At least 2 years of customer service experience, preferably in a call center environment.
- Intermediate to advanced knowledge of personal computers and software applications including Microsoft Office Suite
- Experience operating standard office and communication equipment such as adding machines, calculators, copy machine, or cell/smart phone.
- Strong communication, organization, and human relation skills required.
Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
- Skilled in office administrative principles and practices, including the operation of standard office equipment and knowledge of various computer applications related to the work.
- Skilled in collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating varied information and data.
- Knowledge of basic budgeting and financial management principles and practices.
- Knowledge of contracts, policy, or technical/industry specific formats and/or content.
- Ability to analyze complex administrative and operational problems, evaluating alternatives and implementing sound recommendations.
- Ability to set priorities, coordinate multiple projects and deadlines.
- Ability to read, comprehend, and interpret documents such as: contracts, financial statements, budgets, analytical data, technical manuals, regulations and codes, court documents.
- Ability to write routine correspondence, create meaningful and understandable presentations and materials for a wide audience with accounting applications.
- Ability to communicate effectively with customers and team members of the organization.
- Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
Core Competencies
Interpersonal effectiveness: Relates well to all kinds of people (up, down, and sideways) inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can defuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
Collaboration: Works well with others to complete a task or project and to achieve shared goals. Has ability to partner with others with varying strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits to achieve shared goals. Does not act in self-interest or ambition alone but accomplishes work for greater good. Relies on openness and knowledge sharing, whereby each member is accountable to the group and/or organization.
Problem solving: Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; probes all fruitful sources for answers; can see hidden problems; is excellent at honest analysis; looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answers.
Listening: Practices attentive and active listening; has patience to hear people out; can accurately restate the opinions of others even when he/she disagrees.
Negotiating: Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; can settle differences with minimum noise; can win concessions without damaging relationships; can be both direct and forceful as well as diplomatic; gains trust quickly; has good sense of timing.
Innovative: Is good at bringing the creative ideas of others to market; has good judgement about which creative ideas and suggests will work; has a sense about managing the creative process of others; can facilitate effective brainstorming; can project how potential ideas may play out in the marketplace.
Resilient: Maintains an optimistic and supportive outlook after a difficult experience. Can manage normal course of business rejection and tension. Manages stress. Can accept constructive criticism/coaching.
Organizing: Can marshal resources (people, funding, material, support) to get things done; can orchestrate multiple activities at once to accomplish a goal; uses resources effectively and efficiently; arranges information and files in a useful manner.
Planning: Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks and projects; sets objectives and goals; breaks down work into the process steps; develops schedules and task/people assignments; anticipates and adjusts for problems and roadblocks; measures performance against goals, evaluates results.
Composure: Is cool under pressure, does not become defensive or irritated when times are tough. Mature and can be counted on to hold things together during tough times; can handle stress and is not knocked off balance by the unexpected. Doesn’t show frustration when resisted or blocked and is a settling influence in a crisis.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand or walk. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
Specific vision abilities of this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.
Knowledge / Skills / Abilities
- Education – High school diploma or equivalent
- 2 years of related experience:
- Credit
- Collections or
- Customer service (preferably in a call center environment)
- Microsoft Office Suite:
- Ability to communicate with varying audiences in a variety of formats:
- Ability to prioritize tasks
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams
- Ability to arrange information in a concise way
- Collecting, analyzing, interpreting and evaluating data
- Budgeting and financial principles and practices
- Work under pressure and stress
- React quickly in a professional manner
- Contracts, policy, tech formats and content
Abilities and Personal Attributes
- Communicative
- Organized
- Multi-tasker
- Problem-solver
- Team-player
- Integrity
- Self-motivated
- Collaborative
- Dependable
- Positive attitude
- Detail-oriented
