Operations Specialist, Asset Protection and Finance

About the role

The Operations Specialist is responsible for supporting the Customer Care team by troubleshooting system/order issues, assisting in technology training and documentation, participates in system quality assurance, and support with other day-to-day operational needs.

Responsibilities

• Assist with training for new and current associates which includes the creation and maintenance of training aids and reference guides.
• Troubleshoot associate issues involving any of the customer service center systems.
• Escalates system/orders issues to the appropriate parties as necessary.
• Works with the other operations team members to complete any pending day-to-day work that need attention.
• Collaborates with Operations Supervisors, Customer Care Managers, Customer Care Supervisors and other business partners to support project initiatives, identify opportunities for improvement and make constructive suggestions for change.
• Become a product subject matter expert (SME) and support troubleshooting efforts, as well as, provide continuous improvement within the customer service system (CSS) and internal processes.
• Assist with any day-to-day projects or initiatives that require customer communication, order modification, and inventory management.
• Develop and maintain effective, collaborative relationships with peers and other company personnel.
• Partners with leadership to onboard and knowledge share when orienting new customer service associates, be leveraged as a subject matter expert.
• Work closely with management team to identify opportunities for improvement to customer service levels and operational efficiencies.
• Undertake additional responsibilities as required to provide comprehensive support to the business operations.

Functions by Focus Area

Operations Specialist, Inventory Allocation:

• Manage unfulfilled orders by examining backorder reports for Crate and Barrel and CB2.
• Modify customer order's product fulfillment location to preserve revenue and reduce cancellations.
• Performs basic inventory assortment reviews and sample ordering.
• Coordinate with the Merchandising Department and stores for any unmet product needs.
• Examine the rate of sales and cancellation and determine product coding to communicate low-inventory product with online customers.
• Minimize order processing delays by reviewing various product attributes and processing requirements.
• Communicate website messaging or inventory issues to leadership.
• Provide proactive logistics assistance to customers with large and/or complex orders.

Operations Specialist, Supply Chain:

• Liaison between Stores, Customer Care, and Distribution and Home Delivery Centers.
• Research and resolve order fulfillment and delivery issues daily.
• Investigate fulfillment issues within the supply chain network, take partnerships and communicate to the appropriate partners as needed.
• Collaborates with CBH Partners for any warehouse or delivery trends that negatively affect the delivery experience.
• Research unmet reporting to mitigate loss inventory and work with supply chain and merchandising partners to fulfill customer orders.
• Provided detailed analysis for escalated fulfillment issues across the network.

Operations Specialist, Asset Protection and Finance:

• Analyze customer orders to ensure the legitimacy of the purchase.
• Cancel fraudulent orders to protect company assets and allow lawful customers to purchase the held product.
• Work on various queues, releasing held orders in a timely fashion to fulfill delivery promises.
• Resolve and prevent chargebacks by researching orders and providing detailed analysis of the orders such as history of events or breakdown of charges.
• Identify current fraud trends and take action to protect the company from future liability.
• Provide direction to customer service associates regarding customer validation needs for order processing.
• Communicate fraudulent activities to the appropriate parties.
• In collaboration with the Operations Supervisor and Asset Protection (AP), help create loss prevention rules in a variety of systems to reduce the risk for fraud.
• Communicate with customers when unconventional steps are needed to fulfill customer orders.
• Assist with any day-to-day projects or initiatives that require customer communication, order modification, and inventory management.

Operations Specialist, Associate Experience:

• Execute or coordinate the creation of logins for the variety of systems used in the customer service center.
• Maintain departmental security settings and permissions for all associate system accounts in partnership with the HelpDesk.
• Troubleshoot associate issues involving any of the customer service center systems.
• Tracks and reports on the completion of any outstanding problems.
• Works with the other operations team members to complete any pending day-to-day work that needs attention.
• Develop and maintain effective, collaborative relationships with peers and other company personnel.

Operations Specialist, Innovation and Improvement:

• Assist in the creation and maintenance of system training aids, process flows, and reference guides.
• Researches and identifies problems that continually affect the customer experience negatively.
• Works with various business units to solve persistent issues and come up with solutions.
• Tracks and reports on the completion of any outstanding problems.
• Assist in the creation and coordination of operational projects jointly with other business partners.
• Assists in testing and enhancing systems and procedures.
• Creates, monitors, and maintains AI answers in Gladly.
• Updates answers in Gladly in real time.
• Works on reporting to show improvement and failures for AI.

Operations Specialist, Swatch:

• Create, review, edit, track, and manage order-related vendor communication for all special order purchases for designated stores or eCommerce.
• Support the stores and Corporate Customer Care team as a liaison with the vendors to uphold expectations of elevated customer service.
• Collaborate with vendors and internal partners in import, distribution centers, and cross docks to resolve receiving issues for our customers.
• Escalate customer service concerns to the Lead Special Order Coordinator.
• Manage swatch inventory in the mailroom and analyze needs for all business demand, by keeping up with out-of-stock lists, managing adjustments for inbound, and resolving inventory discrepancies.
• Manage merchandising relationships with both brands and ensure all needs of the operation side are met.
• Facilitate swatch fulfillment for International Franchises, Design Services, and Stores.
• Own and manage meetings and partnerships with swatch vendors.
• Help coordinate seasonal launches with business partners (eCommerce, design trade, merchandising, stores, mailroom).
• Support special order coordinators with PO processing as needed.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED, required.
• 3+ years of experience in Customer Service.
• Retail, Customer Service, or Hospitality industries, preferred.

Skills

• Excellent reading and written language skills (English); excellent verbal communication skills, basic arithmetic, interpersonal skills, telephone presence, data entry skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, with flexibility to move between projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to use relevant information and individual judgment to determine the proper course of action to resolve issues.
• Foster creative problem-solving to maintain a solutions-oriented focus.
• Ability to communicate effectively and regularly with leadership and peers on the status of processes and projects.
• Ability to manage time in a scheduled work environment.
• Ability to facilitate training on standards and processes, as needed.