Customer Service Representative - Life

Salary range: USD $35,085.00 – USD $65,785.00 per year. Range includes data points from multiple labor markets; specific range depends on the labor market where the position is located. Starting salary is based on candidate qualifications and experience.

About the role

Front-line, customer-facing role responding to inbound calls by providing support to agents, policy owners, third parties, and others through verbal and written communication. Handle calls professionally and courteously, adhering to company policy, procedure, and Service Level and Quality Standard Agreements.

Responsibilities

• Answer calls regarding policy values, features, rider benefits, coverage options, indexed and variable policy performance, products, interest rates, address changes, allocation changes, withdrawals, surrenders, transfers, exchanges, beneficiary changes, ownership changes, guidelines, regulations, annual and quarterly statements, and form completion.
• Provide standard established turnaround times as applicable.
• Acquire and maintain working knowledge of company products, including staying current with procedural changes and completing required training.
• Field questions about policy loans, billing, accounting processing, grace processing, and lapse notification.
• Demonstrate knowledge of premium and contribution regulations; correctly identify and apply appropriate regulations to ensure proper handling of requests.
• Verify and explain tax documents.
• Consult and coordinate with other departments (New Business, Agency Services, Sales and Marketing, Customer Correspondence, Annuity/Life Division) to submit accurate and timely requests via workflow system.
• Understand each department’s job functions and service level agreements to manage end-user expectations.
• Meet departmental expectations for phone and written quality, average handle time, held and consulted calls, and availability checks.
• Guide agents and policy owners to access policy information via external websites; troubleshoot display errors, assist with notification preferences, request illustrations, and review policy correspondence.
• Identify, communicate, and proactively resolve issues to prevent service breakdowns or complaints.
• Manage multiple job functions (incoming calls, emails, noting files, faxing) while maintaining flexibility between high and low call volumes and delivering exemplary customer service.
• Navigate multiple systems, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook efficiently.
• Report trends and feedback from customer or agent communications to department leadership for sharing with division and senior leadership.
• Discuss concerns and ideas for improvement within the team; suggest process or procedural enhancements.
• Promote teamwork by supporting team members, sharing knowledge, and providing feedback and coaching for peer mentoring and personal development.
• Participate in continued training for additional job functions and department advancement; apply learning from developmental workforce courses.
• Assist management in determining and implementing efficient workflow methods.
• Drive to meet or exceed performance goals, including KPIs, SLAs, and other communicated standards.
• Proactively participate in daily huddle board discussions, offering ideas, insights, and support.
• Actively engage in problem-solving sessions (standard work, root cause analysis) as requested by management.
• Take ownership of implementing standard work and other changes into daily processes.
• Strive to create a positive customer experience in all interactions, request processing, and problem-solving efforts.
• Embrace and uphold Sammons Financial Group’s shared values: Accountability, Connection, Openness, Respect, and Integrity.
• Maintain regular attendance as required by the Company Attendance and Punctuality policy to meet business service levels and workflow demands.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Previous customer service or call center experience preferred.
• Ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with agents and policy owners.
• Knowledge of and ability to navigate multiple information screens.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work efficiently and independently or in a team environment.
• Able to adapt to frequent change.
• Criminal background check required.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health coverage (Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA & FSA options) and term life insurance.
• Competitive compensation with a performance-based incentive program tied to clear goals and individual or company success.
• 100% company-funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and automatic enrollment in 401(k).
• Friday afternoons off year-round, generous paid time off, and paid holidays.
• Paid development time, tuition reimbursement, and professional development opportunities across industry, individual, and leadership programs.
• Volunteer time off and company nonprofit matching gift program.