Clinical Laboratory Customer Service Specialist- Immediate Response Lab - Full Time- Days

About the role

This role serves as the primary point of contact between the laboratory and its clients, including physicians, healthcare providers, patients, and internal staff. The ideal candidate will ensure prompt, professional, and efficient communication, assist with test orders and results, resolve issues, and uphold high standards of customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Respond to incoming calls, emails, and inquiries from clients and patients regarding laboratory services, test results, and procedures.
• Provide accurate information about lab tests, specimen collection requirements, and turnaround times.
• Resolve client issues or escalate complex problems to appropriate departments while ensuring follow-up and resolution.
• Monitor test orders for errors, delays, or missing information and take corrective actions as needed.
• Handle confidential health information in compliance with HIPAA and laboratory protocols.
• Document all client interactions in the customer service management system accurately and timely.
• Contribute to continuous improvement efforts by identifying recurring issues and suggesting process enhancements.
• Demonstrate knowledge of laboratory information systems and understanding of reflexive orders/rules.
• Coordinate with lab personnel, couriers, and logistics teams to ensure timely sample collection and delivery.
• Act as a liaison between clients and laboratory staff to ensure timely processing and delivery of results.
• Identify technical and specimen-related problems or discrepancies.
• Retrieve and distribute results to appropriate recipients, locate specimen requirements, and troubleshoot specimen test issues which may require basic knowledge of science.
• Perform registrations, scan requisitions, and assist send-outs in monitoring pending logs.
• Assist in preparing the monthly quality reports.
• Serve as a preceptor for the training and onboarding of team members.
• Provide the Laboratory Information team with any necessary updates to test requirements.
• Clearly identify issues and confidently submit enhancements or new test builds.
• Suggest solutions to issues and aid in implementing those solutions within the department.
• Collaborate with lab managers to implement technical changes needed to resolve issues.
• Utilize additional communication methods as necessary.
• Participate in the evaluation of implemented improvement initiatives and activities.
• Maintain currency in the field, including maintenance of any necessary licensure/certification, through continuing education, conferences, meetings, in-services, networking, literature, and/or seminars.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required; completion of formal phlebotomy training program or equivalent is preferred.
• Minimum of one year of experience as a phlebotomist or in a healthcare-oriented background.

Skills

• Excellent customer service skills, maintaining a 95% answer/call ratio.
• Ability to provide testing requirements and document all customer concerns and clerical tasks.
• Working knowledge of basic computer applications, such as Word and Excel.