Customer Service Representative/Inside Sales (Industrial Market)

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.

This position will be located in: Alexandria, MN

Job Summary

Supports the day-to-day operations of the Customer Service Team in promoting sales, obtaining orders and providing service to our customers. Obtains orders, provides customers timely follow-up on technical inquiries, maintains reports, actively participate in the marketing and sale of Border States’ products and services, resolves customer billing problems, and provides input on product evaluations, code descriptions, inventory management, and pricing development.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Works closely with Border States’ sales and marketing staff to meet and exceed Branch sales and gross profit objectives.
• Obtains orders and provides proactive customer service sales and service functions including order entry, expediting, pricing, returns, coordinate deliveries and follow-up on customer inquiries, as required.
• Provides timely follow-up on customer technical inquiries and requests.
• Maintains Open Order Reports, Billing Block Reports and other reports deemed necessary on a consistent basis.
• Actively participates in the marketing and sale of Border States’ products and services.
• Consistently provides responsive, quality service to meet and exceed customer expectations.
• Provides input to BSE personnel on customer needs or concerns regarding pricing, inventory, products, competition and procedures.
• Coordinates with the Customer Financial Services staff to resolve customer-billing problems resulting from errors in pricing, shipping, delivery or other credit areas.
• Provides input to the pricing and purchasing areas on product evaluations, code descriptions, inventory management, pricing development, and other related functions.

Non-essential Functions

• Attends sales meetings and training programs, as required.
• May assist with sales meetings and trade shows, as needed.
• May develop quotations and request bid or performance bonds for customers within company profit objectives and guidelines.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a two-year business/trade degree preferred or the equivalent in work experience.
• Minimum of two years of prior customer service, city desk or sales experience with strong knowledge of electrical products and systems preferred.
• Technical ability to understand electrical systems with a minimum of two-years of prior electrical distribution experience preferred.
• Ability to read, write and speak in English preferred.
• Prefer strong working knowledge of PC for Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), Internet, Email and SAP software.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive and engaged.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication, reading, and customer service skills are preferred
• Ability to effectively plan and organize.

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:
Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently 34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%

• Lift from Waist:
• < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
• 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
• 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
• 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
• 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
• 100 lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
• < than 10 lbs. - Frequently
• 10 to 25 lbs. - Frequently
• 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
• 51 to 75 lbs. - Occasionally
• 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
• 100 lbs. - Not at all
• Carried for Distance:
• < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
• 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
• 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
• 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
• 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
• 100 lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:

• Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Continuously
• Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Frequently
• Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Occasionally
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Frequently
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Frequently
• Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
• Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
• Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Occasionally
• Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Continuously
• Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Occasionally
• Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
• Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Continuously
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Continuously
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Continuously
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Occasionally
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
• Use of a computer - Continuously
• Use of a telephone - Continuously
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Occasionally
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Occasionally

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Equal Opportunity For All

It’s not just the law. It’s something we’ve believed in since our founding. We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.

Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $24.00 - $28.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience level:

• 2 years

Shift:

• Day shift

Weekly day range:

• Monday to Friday

Work setting:

• In-person

Application Question(s):

• How many years of Industrial experience do you have?

Experience:

• Electrical: 5 years (Preferred)
• SAP: 2 years (Preferred)
• Inside sales: 3 years (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Alexandria, MN 56308: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person