Customer Service Representative

POSITION OVERVIEW:

• As an employee of the Product Support E-Business Team, you will be the primary point of contact with end-users, retailers and internal employees for questions and concerns about our products. Employees must own the necessary skills to communicate with customers effectively and efficiently through three main channels: phones, emails, and live chat, while maintaining a positive attitude and demonstrating empathy when needed. Product Support employees are accountable for consistently doing the right thing for our customers, and ensuring actions that drive success in pursuing a world class customer service experience. Employees play a key role in customer retention and gathering critical feedback to improve our products.
• As an employee of this team, you must also be able to demonstrate expertise in Sherwin-Williams architectural product lines. You must also be comfortable in making product recommendations and offering product guidance, while also assisting with various facets of our online account systems and procedures. Growth in this role will include increasing competence in understanding the part the team plays in interconnecting with various teams and departments within the company.

Qualifications

Position Requirements:

Required:

• High School Diploma
• Customer Service or related experience
• Comfortable to communicate via phone, fax, e-mail or other medium.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills with emphasis on attention to detail.
• Effective customer service, problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Microsoft Office Suite intermediate proficiency
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Demonstrated experience utilizing Custom PC Applications
• Excellent time management and strong sense of priority
• Consistently exhibit a positive attitude and exceptional work ethic
• Demonstrate professionalism in all dealings with inside and outside customers.

Preferred:

• College Degree in a Business-Related Field
• Experience in a fast-paced office setting
• Demonstrated record of high performance
• Coatings application experience/knowledge
• SW store experience
• Fast learner with a sharp mind, able to work comfortably in team or independently.
• Strong understanding of paint and coatings and their application
• Bi-lingual (Spanish) language abilities

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Product Support E-Business Team supports customers during these hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Employees on this team are expected to work flexible shifts within those hours as business needs dictate.

Responsibilities

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position is responsible for the day-to-day handling of all product-related requests and inquiries in support of Sherwin- Williams multitude of brands. The incumbent will regularly interact with consumers and other business groups through a variety of communication mediums including phone, e-mail, and web. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Contact Management

• Field inquiries via multiple modes of communication, including but not limited to e-mail, fax and phone and web chat.
• Control customer experience through positive language and use of friendly, professional, and courteous verbal and written correspondence.
• Supply prompt and inclusive responses to customers in accordance with department and business rules.
• Capture critical data via consistent and frequent use of CRM including case management, account contact, coding.
• Present our company as the preferred supplier through quality customer contacts that result in customer perception of products and services far superior to our competition.
• Increase sales through selling contacts on products and related materials during contact interactions.
• Practice Active Listening
• Promote brand awareness.
• Support multiple moderate complexity level brands moving into higher complexity brand contacts.

Product Knowledge and Advocacy

• Remain up to date on product/color/brand/account information for all Consumer Brands Group brands/accounts, including information on competitors.
• Conduct hands on product testing to gain exposure to new products and features and use experience to make recommendations.
• Troubleshoot common user issues/mistakes.
• Highlight product attributes and superiority to increase brand awareness/loyalty.
• Compile, analyze and communicate specific brand or account information for business owners to include monthly recaps and ad-hoc requests.
• Identify complaint trends and customer suggestions; escalate to the appropriate parties, as needed.
• Assist in department training activities for one or more functional areas or brands serviced by the department.
• Determine the best method for relaying pertinent information to the department (e-mail, knowledge base articles, PowerPoint presentations, etc.).
• Will be required to act as backup Brand Liaison for one or more brands to assist the Brand Liaison in whatever capacity is needed for the brand. Communicating directly with all necessary subject matter experts (marketing, R&D lab, and other functional areas). May be called upon to act in primary role in case of absence of Brand Liaison. Will work towards possessing the knowledge and skills necessary for becoming a primary Brand Liaison - with the possibility of being officially assigned the primary Brand Liaison role. These duties include acting as primary contact between the Product Support and Marketing teams, work towards becoming foremost product expert to assist agents and customers with most complex product questions, communicate all relevant brand information to Product support team, create and maintain brand related training materials, deliver brand trainings, lead hands-on product training sessions, and act as point person for any ad hoc brand related situations.

Provide Problem Resolution

• Utilize resources and procedures to facilitate the timely and correct handling of product quality issues and record data in CRM and/or PQR system.
• Process customer refund requests promptly and provide the necessary details so that claims may be reviewed and issued within a reasonable timeframe.
• Contact counterpart on the appropriate Customer Service team, as needed, to facilitate account credits relating to reported product quality issues.
• Support ongoing improvement in the quality of our products and services through timely and accurate recording of product quality issues.

Build and Maintain Internal/External Business Partnerships

• Foster sound working relationships with marketing teams and maintain regular contact to ensure information is up to date.
• Support sales team by developing and maintaining positive relations with customers, which can substantially affect service and/or product revenues.
• Develop training modules that help team members and new hires learn about various product lines and attributes.
• Maintain working knowledge of Operations CS processes, contacts etc.

Contribute to Department Initiatives

• Participate in Lean projects as a lead or team member on a regular basis and provide ideas and feedback to projects.
• Partner with Methods & Procedures team to ensure standards are followed and information is consistent.
• Manage communications and flow of information; represent SW across customer departments and organizational levels on a wide range of SW initiatives and issues.
• May be tasked with learning and applying additional systems used for training and reporting purposes I.e., Microsoft Forms, Business Objects, AOM, OnBase etc.

Job duties include contact with other employees and access confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company’s staff, employees, and business relationships.

This role is not remote/ hybrid and will report to Sherwin-Williams Global Headquarters located at 1 Sherwin Way, Cleveland, OH 44113.