Experienced Customer Service Call Center Representative – Public Transit Service Support

Are you passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and making a positive impact in your community? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where no two days are the same? If so, we invite you to join the team at blithequark, Arkansas' largest public transit agency, as a Customer Service Call Center Representative. At blithequark, we're committed to providing reliable, efficient, and accessible public transit services to the Little Rock metropolitan area. Our Customer Service Call Center is the frontline of our operation, and we're seeking a highly motivated and customer-focused individual to join our team. As a Customer Service Call Center Representative, you'll play a vital role in ensuring that our customers receive the highest level of service, support, and satisfaction.

About blithequark

blithequark is a leader in public transportation, serving the Little Rock metropolitan area with a comprehensive network of buses, streetcars, and microtransit services. Our mission is to provide safe, reliable, and efficient transportation options that connect people to their destinations, promote economic growth, and enhance the quality of life in our community. We're proud to be a minority-led workforce and are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our operations.

Job Summary

As a Customer Service Call Center Representative, you'll be responsible for providing exceptional customer service to our riders, responding to their inquiries, resolving their issues, and ensuring that they have a positive experience with our transit services. You'll work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, using your excellent communication and problem-solving skills to resolve customer complaints, answer questions, and provide information about our services.

Key Responsibilities

* Answer inbound customer calls regarding all aspects of blithequark's public transit service in a friendly, knowledgeable, accurate, and timely manner.

• Accurately and quickly log the nature of customer calls within a customer service database for planning purposes and tracking and resolution of problems.
• Correctly identify the nature of a customer's need, trouble-shoot for the right solution for the situation, and demonstrate superior judgment to assist the customer, while maintaining agency policies and delivering consistent support to customers.
• Perform needed preliminary fact-finding for items that require investigation performed by another team member.
• Outline and demonstrate when applicable appropriate self-help resources for customers.
• Resolve each customer interaction with a discussion recap, noting any next steps, if applicable.
• Operate multiple software platforms to perform daily work (training is provided).
• Ensure canceled trips are communicated to the appropriate dispatch team (paratransit or microtransit) in a timely manner.
• Demonstrate respect for customer diversity, with an inclusive attitude and consistent, polite, and professional approach to all customer interactions.
• Proactively communicate common rider questions and concerns to the customer service manager.
• Engage in all provided transit and customer service training, including de-escalation tactics.
• Must be able to work a rotating on-call schedule to cover unexpected call center staffing shortages.

Essential Functions

* Learn how to trip-plan, match appropriate services for transportation needs, and check for active service alerts; all aspects of public transit paratransit service requirements and Title VI processes; long-term transit planning service aspects as related to community requests; appropriate channels for escalating customer service concerns; fare products, pricing, and formats; how to log and reconcile Lost and Found items; all Code of Conduct policies and all operations team responsibilities to be able to adequately explain transit system policies to customers and follow enforcement protocols.

• Answer inbound customer calls regarding all aspects of blithequark's public transit service in a friendly, knowledgeable, accurate, and timely manner.
• Accurately and quickly log the nature of customer calls within a customer service database for planning purposes and tracking and resolution of problems.
• Correctly identify the nature of a customer's need, trouble-shoot for the right solution for the situation, and demonstrate superior judgment to assist the customer, while maintaining agency policies and delivering consistent support to customers.
• Perform needed preliminary fact-finding for items that require investigation performed by another team member.
• Outline and demonstrate when applicable appropriate self-help resources for customers.
• Resolve each customer interaction with a discussion recap, noting any next steps, if applicable.
• Operate multiple software platforms to perform daily work (training is provided).
• Ensure canceled trips are communicated to the appropriate dispatch team (paratransit or microtransit) in a timely manner.
• Demonstrate respect for customer diversity, with an inclusive attitude and consistent, polite, and professional approach to all customer interactions.
• Proactively communicate common rider questions and concerns to the customer service manager.
• Engage in all provided transit and customer service training, including de-escalation tactics.

Qualifications

* High school diploma or GED equivalent and one year of work experience in customer service work involving the general public or any equivalent combination of related training and experience.

• Ability to quickly learn new software systems.
• Familiarity with how to trouble-shoot technology-related problems (specifically, help riders identify what type of smartphone they have, what their smartphone operating system is, and what versions of blithequark-related apps they have).

Competencies

* Ability to work in a fast-paced setting, process work rapidly, set priorities, and work under pressure, all while maintaining accuracy of work and completion of assigned tasks.

• Ability to interpret data, apply logic, and trouble-shoot.
• Ability to learn new and emerging technology quickly.
• Ability to meet deadlines while multi-tasking.
• Commitment to being a reliable, people-oriented, inclusive team player who embraces diversity and demonstrates a passion for providing excellent transit customer service.

Benefits

* Competitive pay: $17.50 - $19.00 per hour

• Comprehensive benefits package, including:

+ Company advancement opportunities + Dental, vision, and employer-paid health insurance + Employer-paid disability and life insurance + 457(b) deferred compensation retirement plan + Paid vacation, paid holidays, and paid sick leave + In-house training opportunities + Transit passes for employees and eligible dependents + Bi-weekly pay + Direct deposit + Credit union membership + Referral bonus + Minority-led workforce + Fulfilling work + Work-life balance

How to Apply

If you're a motivated and customer-focused individual who is passionate about delivering exceptional service and making a positive impact in your community, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity. Please submit your application, including your resume and a cover letter, to [insert contact information]. We look forward to hearing from you!

Equal Employment Opportunity

blithequark is an equal employment opportunity employer and welcomes applications from diverse candidates. We are committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and will administer its candidate evaluation and hiring, personnel policies, and conduct employment practices in a manner that results in treatment based upon merit, experience, and other work-related criteria, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Apply for this job