Westlands Water District

Fresno, CA

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Lead Customer Service Representative

Bargaining Unit: Office and Clerical Employee Unit
Salary Code: 18
Fair Labor Standards Act Designation: Nonexempt
Effective Date: October 1, 2023

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Under general supervision of the Senior Customer Service Representative, the Lead Customer Service Representative is responsible for establishing and maintaining profitable relationships with customers on behalf of the District by taking accountability and responsibility for each customer account by ensuring that all customer requirements are completely met. The Lead Customer Service Representative is a skilled level classification and will perform more difficult customer service work, assumes greater independence, keeps supervisor apprised of the status of pending assignments and deadlines and leads staff performing customer service work. Individuals in this class perform customer service and account management tasks requiring the exercise of interpretative ability and judgment. The Lead Customer Service Representative exercises judgment in determining appropriate actions to take following established District policies and procedures. Lead Customer Service Representative is a single position classification.

EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED

The information below is meant to serve as examples of the job duties and responsibilities for this classification. This list is neither inclusive nor exclusive, but indicative of several types of duties performed.

Customer Service:

  1. Processes customer orders in a courteous, efficient, and timely manner, and effectively presents and discusses the District accounts.
  2. Communicates effectively with the department team and the operations team informing and updating them regularly to guarantee that the customer objectives are met.
  3. Receives, approves, and processes daily water orders, water transfers, and annual applications for water allocations.
  4. Manages telephone calls professionally, efficiently, and with good communication skills.
  5. Attends to customer complaints and concerns immediately to facilitate satisfactory resolution.

    Account Management:

  6. Receives, assembles, analyzes, adjusts and processes data for use in the preparation of monthly invoicing for agricultural, municipal, and industrial accounts. Processes assigned billing tasks timely to meet monthly invoice deadlines.
  7. Utilizes a water management information system to track and process water usage and allocations for each water user, including initial allocation, water transfers, water supply overuse, and releases of water.
  8. Provides lead assistance with sorting, merging, and the analysis and computation of data and the development or modification of manual and/or automated customer accounting systems.
  9. Provides lead assistance with sorting, merging, and the analysis and computation of data and the development or modification of manual and/or automated customer accounting systems.
  10. Provide lead assistance with tracking power usage across multiple platforms including Microsoft Access and analyzing power usage to determine proper billing of kilowatt hours used versus acre-feet of water used.
  11. Prepares and uses various maps, reports, water use records, and work papers for District and outside use.
  12. Gathers and analyzes data for a variety of financial reports requiring the application of accounting principles and the District’s Rules and Regulations.
  13. Performs accounts receivable tasks, ages accounts receivable, and collects delinquent accounts. Receives, approves, and processes automatic bill pay applications and analyzes and prepares associated data for monthly payments. Receives cash receipt remittance and applies payments to water user and landowner accounts daily. Posts payments to appropriate general ledger accounts.
  14. Informs water users, landowners, District personnel, and various outside agency personnel of policies, rules, procedures, and legal requirements relating to areas of responsibility such as delivery of water, water supply, water costs, and accounts receivable; and resolves problems and exchanges information with water users, landowners, District personnel, and various outside agency personnel.
  15. May provide information to support general ledger and water supply account reconciliations.
  16. Makes decisions regarding curtailment or termination of water service due to system constraints or violations of District regulations; coordinates water deliveries by users to provide for maximum use and efficiency of the distribution system; and coordinates shutdown of individual water deliveries and laterals for maintenance and emergency purposes.
  17. Performs other duties as assigned.

CLASSIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education and Experience

Any combination of equivalent education and experience that has led to the acquisition of the knowledge required by the position. A typical way of acquiring the knowledge would be:

Completion of one (1) year of college (30 semester units) including course work in business administration, accounting, agriculture, or a closely related field and three (3) years of experience in a technical position performing customer service accounting work involving spreadsheet development/analysis and high use of database, accounting work or related work in an agricultural water district, or any combination thereof.

Note: Recruitment may be limited to candidates with an education or experience background related to a specific position vacancy.

Knowledge of:

  • Customer service practices, principles, and procedures.
  • Accounting and billing practices, principles, and procedures.
  • Computer, software, and database applications as applied to customer accounting.
  • Microsoft Office Suite and its functions.
  • Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment.
  • Proper English usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  • Water district operations and billing procedures.
  • Agricultural and irrigation practices.
  • Federal and state laws applicable to deliveries of agricultural, municipal, and industrial water.
  • Maintain confidentiality concerning financial and customer file records.
  • Algebra and basic geometry.

Skills/Abilities to:

  • Understand, interpret, and apply department policies, rules, regulations and procedures.
  • Interpret and analyze data for billing.
  • Operate computerized accounting, spreadsheet, word processing programs.
  • Compose emails at a proficient level. Review detail with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Maintain a high degree of initiative, maturity, integrity, and exercise sound judgment.
  • Effectively and independently multi-task, and consistently meet changing and challenging deadlines.
  • Alphabetize, file, and maintain various records.
  • Work independently and in a team-oriented environment.
  • Understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships at all organizational levels and with the public.

WORKING CONDITIONS

  • Lifting of supplies and materials from time to time up to 30 pounds.
  • Busy open office environment.
  • Faced with interruptions.
  • Exposure to computer screens.
  • Spends long hours sitting and using office equipment.

STANDARD REQUIREMENTS

  • Depending on assignment, possess a valid California Class C Driver’s License with a driving record acceptable to the District’s automobile insurance provider.