Retail Customer Service Agent

• Welcome customers, maintain customer appointments, and prepare the Showroom for visitors.
• Answer customer service calls, questions, and complaints in a prompt manner across phone, email, and chat.
• Communicate with clients about order status, proactively verify due dates, provide shipment tracking, and complete the daily back-order report to keep clients informed of delivery updates.
• Offer suitable stock substitutions for back-ordered or non-stock items and occasionally assist clients with lighting selections.
• Perform opening and closing duties, potentially including unlocking/locking doors, turning on light fixtures, preparing the Showroom for customers, and checking in contractors.
• Provide technical information and pricing as needed to customers to help determine the best products for the particular application utilizing vendor catalogs, vendor websites, and vendor technical specialists.
• Assist in quoting commercial, industrial and residential jobs, including price and availability information.
• Prepare time-sensitive proposals for large commercial projects and interact with both vendors and customers via email and telephone.
• Enter orders in the most cost-effective and profitable way, such as drop ship, customer pick up, or UPS carrier instead of our truck.
• Manage open customer orders—take appropriate actions and communicate appropriately to satisfy the customer.
• Purchase specialty items for customers such as non-stock items for direct shipment.
• Assist purchasing, sales, and/or inventory management with checking on the availability of product, delivery, or cost, and work with purchasing to ensure that orders ship in a timely manner.
• Coordinate efforts with Customer Service, such as entry mistakes, picking mistakes, delivery issues and return requests in a quick efficient method.
• Support and promote specified vendors (i.e., Affiliated Distributors) and product promotions, and help develop and maintain vendor relationships.
• Participate in all training, including but not limited to on-site and web-based courses in order to keep up to date on the most current product technology.
• Interact with customers and vendors at Lightology events.
• Utilize Microsoft Office software, such as Word, Excel, and the Internet to obtain any pertinent information regarding customer requests.
• Performs other duties assigned.

**** Must have availability on Saturdays - From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm CST ****

• High school diploma or GED certification required; college degree preferred.
• Passion for art or design preferred
• A natural passion for connecting with people
• Minimum two years work experience in a high-volume customer service function in a retail, design or manufacturing environment.
• 1-2 years of Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Good organizational skills and communication skills.
• Must move equipment, products, or displays up to 50 pounds.
• Knowledge of lighting or electrical products would be helpful, but not required.

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance enrollment on the 1st of the month after 30 days of employment.
• 401(k) Retirement plan after 6 months of employment.
• Up to 80 hours of accrued Vacation Paid Leave, prorated your first year.
• State and locally-regulated Paid Sick Time.
• Paid Company Holidays, after 30 days.
• Short Term, Long Term Disability, Life, and AD&D optional Insurance benefits the 1st of the month after 30 days of employment.
• Company-sponsored Life with AD&D Insurance Coverage.
• Optional Enrollment in Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA).