**Experienced Customer Contact Representative Lead (Hybrid: Onsite & Remote) – Delivering Exceptional Service at blithequark**

Are you a customer service leader with a passion for delivering exceptional experiences? Do you thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where no two days are the same? If so, we invite you to join our community of food people at blithequark as an Experienced Customer Contact Representative Lead. In this critical role, you will serve as a subject matter expert, mentor, and leader to our Customer Contact Representative team, ensuring that our customers receive the highest level of service and support. **About blithequark** blithequark is a leading food distributor that serves the needs of foodservice and retail customers across the country. Our team is dedicated to providing exceptional service, quality products, and innovative solutions to our customers. We are committed to creating a positive and inclusive work environment that fosters growth, collaboration, and teamwork. **Job Summary** As an Experienced Customer Contact Representative Lead, you will be responsible for leading and mentoring a team of Customer Contact Representatives, providing exceptional service to our customers, and driving business results through effective coaching, training, and process improvement. You will work closely with our Customer Contact Manager to identify coaching and improvement opportunities, develop and implement process improvements, and ensure that our team is equipped to deliver exceptional service to our customers. **Key Responsibilities** * Mentor, advise, and lead team members in their journey to best support the team's activities and goals * Provide real-time feedback to peers, including communications and necessary support * Serve as a subject matter expert to motivate the team's success by responding to immediate needs and questions related to blithequark's process, products, policies, and procedures * Take escalations from your team and support other internal department resources when needed * Review and present daily metric and communication updates and daily huddle announcements * Provide thorough customer and order solution options to customers and contact representatives, and serve immediate needs to support customers' challenges and concerns * Work closely with the Customer Contact Manager to support the coaching process, quality performance review, meeting, and metric data support * Participate in cross-company projects to improve and optimize the customer's experience * Conduct analysis to produce customer-specific reports or activities as contractually required * Assist sellers with preparation of customer business analysis, product research, and recommendation for profitability, and other internal reporting as requested to support the management of the customer or service level agreement * Approve service recovery requests as back-up support to Manager and provide guidance to peers * Promote a positive and friendly environment supporting good morale and cooperation * Help identify trending issues among customers, team members, products, and services from interactions with customers * As time permits, provide support to team members in answering calls, answering email or contacts, assist chain customer business activity, customer reporting, or other team responsibilities * Provide other business support to Sellers as requested **Supervision** This role does not have direct supervision, but you will work closely with the Customer Contact Manager to ensure that the team is equipped to deliver exceptional service to our customers. **Relationships** Internal: Sales, Operations, Merchandising, Shared Business Services External: blithequark Customers and vendors **Qualifications** * Education/Training: High School diploma or equivalent required, and a minimum of 5 years of customer service or support experience * Related Experience: At least 5 years of previous sales support or customer service experience maintaining customer relations. A proven track record of supporting customers and team members with exceptional service and leadership. Foodservice/distribution experience preferred. Experience working virtually (i.e., from home) * Tasks: + Ability to communicate with customers and team through various channels + Acknowledge and resolve customer escalations or complaints + Assist Manager with team support as necessary + Product knowledge to support customer needs + Initiate and resolve requests for customer or organizational reporting + Coach and mentor colleagues as necessary + Ensure customer satisfaction and provide professional customer support + Organize and coordinate schedules * Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: + Professional leadership skills; someone who leads by example + Excellent written and verbal communication skills + Able to take direction and quickly learn new procedures, processes, product information + Open to feedback, believing in a culture of continuous improvement working toward individual and department goals + Comfortable to navigate technology, phone systems, and tools + Strong attention to detail, multi-tasking, and time-management skills + Detail-oriented with strong critical thinking ability to quickly define problems, and reach valid conclusions + Exceptional ability to collaborate with customers, vendors, and internal partners + Customer service orientation and ability to adapt and respond to different personalities + Advanced knowledge of Microsoft applications, Salesforce.com experience **Compensation and Benefits** The expected compensation for this role is between $23.00 and $27.00 per hour, depending on location and experience. This role is also eligible for overtime compensation. Benefits for this role include health insurance, pre-tax spending accounts, retirement benefits, paid time off, short-term and long-term disability, employee stock purchase plan, and life insurance. **Why Join blithequark?** At blithequark, we offer a dynamic and supportive work environment that fosters growth, collaboration, and teamwork. We are committed to creating a positive and inclusive work environment that allows our employees to thrive and reach their full potential. If you are a customer service leader with a passion for delivering exceptional experiences, we invite you to join our community of food people at blithequark. **How to Apply** If you are a motivated and experienced customer service leader who is passionate about delivering exceptional experiences, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity. Please submit your resume and a cover letter explaining why you are the ideal candidate for this role. 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