Credit Assistant

About the Role

This classification performs work functions associated with assisting the credit manager in coordinating, overseeing, and managing accounts receivable and collection duties. The role involves approving or declining credit lines, conducting credit investigations, and ensuring proper collection procedures are followed to limit losses while growing the store’s accounts receivable. It also includes contacting customers with delinquent accounts and documenting all correspondence.

Responsibilities

• Leads assigned staff, processes employee concerns, directs work, disciplines, and provides guidance to attain efficient office and credit operations.
• Manages and oversees the activities and operations of the accounts receivable and collection areas.
• Reviews and evaluates credit applications; investigates and verifies financial status and reputation of prospective customers; recommends approval or rejection of credit applications; establishes credit limitations.
• Contacts customers via telephone or text to determine reasons for overdue payments; reviews terms of sales, service, or credit contracts to facilitate payment.
• Mails form letters, texts, and late charge notices to encourage payment of delinquent accounts; travels to customers’ homes for collections when necessary.
• Assists with repossessions of merchandise as required; ensures payments are posted to customer accounts.
• Documents all correspondence and attempted correspondence with customers concerning accounts.
• Reviews and analyzes collection reports to evaluate the status of collections and the effectiveness of current policies.
• Organizes collection workload based on degree and amount of delinquency; delegates accounts to staff for collection.
• Prepares paperwork for legal action against severely late-paying customers; submits delinquent accounts to attorneys or outside agencies with prior approval.
• Collects on returned checks and delinquent accounts.
• Maintains a work environment free of legally prohibited discriminatory practices and sexual harassment.
• Completes, prepares, reviews, and approves various forms, logs, requests, records, reports, and correspondence; oversees maintenance of accurate files and administrative records.
• Operates office equipment such as calculators, copy machines, and telephones.
• Logs customer service requests into PQA and schedules merchandise repairs.
• Assists customers on the sales floor, including greeting customers, demonstrating products, completing sales write-ups, and updating CRM.
• Maintains an acceptable sales quota as established by weekly, monthly, and annual store goals.
• Complies with Store Operations Customer Service Counter and Telephone Standards.
• Upholds and promotes the company’s H.O.M.E. values: Helping others, developing Ordinary people to do extraordinary things, being a Motivated owner that cares, and Ensuring excellence is a habit.
• Performs duties of the Store Manager as required; assists in other store departments as needed.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Three (3) years of experience in accounting/bookkeeping, loan processing, and/or collections; or any combination of training, experience, and education that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Must possess and maintain a valid State Driver’s License.

Skills

• Data Utilization: Ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and assess data using established criteria; includes exercising discretion to determine consequences and select alternatives.
• Human Interaction: Ability to function in a managerial capacity, including making decisions on procedural and technical levels.
• Equipment Utilization: Ability to operate, maneuver, and control office equipment, machinery, tools, and materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude: Ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and advisory data and information.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, calculate decimals and percentages, utilize principles of fractions, and interpret graphs.
• Functional Reasoning: Ability to interpret instructions in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; apply principles of rational systems; exercise independent judgment to adapt methods and standards.
• Situational Reasoning: Ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in evaluating information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria.

Physical Demands

• Physical Ability: Tasks require moderate physical effort, including climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling; may involve lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling objects and materials of moderate weight (12-50 pounds).
• Sensory Requirements: Ability to perceive and discriminate colors, sounds, depth, and visual cues; ability to communicate orally.
• Environmental Factors: Exposure to adverse conditions such as dirt, dust, temperature extremes, electric currents, or toxic agents/chemicals may be required.