Customer Sales & Service Representative

About the role

As a Customer Sales & Service Representative (CSSR), you will establish and maintain profitable customer relationships on behalf of Applied. You will take personal responsibility for each customer contact, ensuring their requirements are met while pursuing the company’s interests. You will serve as an integral part of the Applied sales team, interacting with customers to address inquiries about products and services.

Responsibilities

• Professionally handle customer requests via phone, email, fax, EDI, walk-ins, or communication from Applied sales associates to resolve issues promptly and thoroughly.
• Recommend and source the most profitable products, prioritizing internal inventory and using supplier inventory as an alternative to meet or improve customer deadlines.
• Proactively review open customer orders and pending quotes to ensure timely responses, shipments, and conversion of quotes to orders.
• Communicate service disruptions, approval requests, corrective actions, customer feedback, and preventive measures to Service Center management.
• Maintain a balance between company policy and customer benefit in decision-making, handling issues in the best interest of both Applied and the customer.
• Maximize profit by working with suppliers to secure additional chargebacks, recommend profitable product offerings, and recover freight expenses.
• Support pricing and margin improvement by identifying opportunities, reducing overrides, promoting profitable options, and adopting cost-saving methods.
• Develop product knowledge and expertise to assist customers with selections and coordinate supplier engineering support to drive sales.
• Invest in personal proficiency with company systems, product training, and career development initiatives.
• Identify and evaluate process improvements to enhance the customer experience using feedback, supplier nonconformance reports, and performance metrics.
• Perform warehouse functions, including pulling and packing products, receiving, cycle counting, stock put-away, and product delivery. Provide emergency and after-hours services as scheduled.
• Provide backup support to other Service Center associates and perform additional duties as assigned by management.

Requirements

• 6+ months of customer service experience or 1+ year of experience in a stockroom/driving role within industrial distribution.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Demonstrated mechanical and mathematical aptitude.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability and desire to learn new systems and processes quickly.
• Strong computer skills, particularly in Excel.
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods, walk, bend, and lift up to 25 lbs. regularly and up to 50 lbs. occasionally.

Preferred Qualifications

• SAP experience in a customer service setting.
• Knowledge of industrial products and hydraulics.
• Ability to learn and use calipers to measure specifications on industrial parts.
• Highly developed sense of integrity and commitment to customer satisfaction.
• Demonstrated passion for excellence in customer service.
• Clear and professional verbal and written communication skills.
• Pleasant, patient, and friendly attitude.
• Detail-oriented with strong communication and listening skills.
• Solid work ethic and team-player mentality.