ABBOTT LABORATORIES Customer Service Group Team Lead Salary in the United States

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 103,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Customer Service Lead

This position is First Level leadership within Customer Service and is required to provide “hands on” support to fulfill daily business requirements. This position does not have direct reports.

The Lead will be considered the Subject Matter Expert for team on SAP, CISCO Telephony software, Outlook Email, internal Order Management Queue (OMQ) and other interfaces the team interacts with on a regular basis.  Is a Technical Leader of team (s) and is first point of contact for any problems or issues encountered by the team.  Understands the urgency of issues and when and where to escalate.  Works with Distribution, Quality, Regulatory, Sales Operations and other internal departments to reconcile problems and facilitate special and/or unusual requests for transacting.  Embodies the vision, mission and guiding values/principles of the department and division and promotes such on a daily basis with employees, internal and external customers and other departments who support the customers directly or indirectly.

Working independently and offering guidance in team environment in collaboration with Customer Service supervisor/manager, a Team Lead supports leadership on a daily basis for the team/department. This position requires developing rapport with team, customers and field sales/clinical personnel via verbal and written communication. Trains and/or mentors newer employees.  Will be assigned to assist on projects requiring more direct and diverse experience and expertise within the Customer Service department.

Job Duties:

• Acts as focal point for the Customer Service Department for members to escalate problem solving and/or issues to and creates/makes proposals to management for consideration and adoption.  Leads the implementation.
• Provides technical leadership to Customer Service team(s) for transactional and/or technical questions and processes including areas related to ERP functionality and other systems and processes used by Customer Service teams.  Provides timely feedback to Information Systems and Leadership on any systems issues.
• Participates in hiring process by participating in interviews, candidate selection and new hire onboarding process.
• May act as trainer for others, answering questions and sharing information. Works with Customer Service leadership team and Business Process team in the evaluation and analysis of ongoing training needs for Team.
• Supports a continuous improvement environment for department processes including order processing and invoicing transactions, returns processing, backorder processing, credit requests, and new product launches
• Monitors work flow, volumes, and prioritizes within order source queues.
• Provides training to new employees and provides updated business process communications and or materials. Develops training material and executes training on subject matter to Customer Service team. Ensure all CSR’s are properly trained; identify deficiencies and opportunities in specific or overall training needs for individuals and the team and ensure documentation meets the division quality standards

Communication

• Proactively communicates and interacts with internal and external customers to ensure priorities and exceptions are clearly understood.
• Maintains and models positive and cooperative communications and collaboration with all levels of employees, customers, contractors, and vendors.
• Handles complex issues and resolves and/or facilitates resolution of problems including identifying causes to prevent re-occurrence. Analyzes and interprets the customer requirements and assists the team in developing creative and feasible solutions working with other related personnel when problems and/or inquiries arise.
• Leads cross functional project teams, representing Customer Service, that are complex in nature where considerable judgment and initiative are required in resolving problems and making recommendations.
• Manages assignments where considerable judgment and initiative are required in resolving complex problems and making recommendations. 
• Provides direction and coaching to employees. May back up Customer Service Supervisor or Manager on occasion.

Other

• Manages, coordinates and analyzes the purchase and rental business sales cycle by determining the needs of our customers and provides guidance to ensure customer satisfaction and program compliance.  Proactively manages and facilitates rental and purchase order receipts, entries, shipments and unit tracking.  Determines sourcing and coordinates deliveries with manufacturing, warehouse or 3PL as needed working with field personnel, customers and customer service staff.
• Performs advanced Inventory transactions which are more complex in nature and may require expanded and creative solutions not in line with normal processing.  Provides inventory tracking and support for all company devices.  Manages allocations cross functionally and provides direction to team on shipments. Manages, oversees and reports on clinical demo/training shipments and reservations.  Establishes protocol to proactively communicate delays to customers and provide feasible solutions to assist customers in receiving product(s) in timely manner. 
• Responsible for obtaining approvals, issuing and tracking Returns and issuing credits based on procedures.  Works with customers to expedite the return through to resolution
• Researches, troubleshoots, investigates and resolves complex customer challenges to ensure timely resolution and high customer satisfaction. Analyzes and interprets the customer requirements and develops creative and feasible solutions working with other related personnel when problems and/or inquiries arise.
• Monitors, understands and implements changes in regulatory requirements or CS processes.  Ensures all system requirements are met prior to product distribution.  Processes product distribution releases in the ERP system once required documentation is obtained.
• Actively participates in FSCA or recall activities such as contact report generation, tracking of devices shipped/exchanged, creating and implementing action plans to support activities, progress reporting and providing direction to internal/external customers with product handling, monitoring inventory for exchanges and ensuring documentation meets RA/QA requirements.
• May conducts sales order audits and works collaboratively with Customer Service Management in analyzing, preparing and responding to Sarbanes Oxley and/or regulatory agency audit requirements.  Conducts and analyzes all Customer Service audits and provide recommendations and feedback.
• Maintains and updates system access requirements for Team to facilitate successful onboarding of new hires. Provides timely feedback to Information Systems on any systems issues.  Troubleshoots issues with ERP system functionality to address needs of the Customer Service department. May handle after hours delivery and technical question coordination (after hours pager).
• Determines and creates guidelines and/or procedures on new or sustaining programs, processes, and product launches and may coordinate or direct activities of others.
• Partners with and supports major programs, projects or product launches from a Customer Service perspective.
• Works on or facilitates process improvement and projects cross functionally requiring minimal supervision. Manages assignments where considerable judgment and initiative are required in resolving complex problems and making recommendations.
• Proactively and effectively communicates and interacts with internal and external customers to ensure priorities and exceptions are clearly understood. Establishes, maintains and models positive and cooperative communications and collaboration with all levels of employees, customers, contractors, and vendors.
• Handles high volume with changing demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Establishes and maintains a business climate that fosters positive and cooperative working relationships with customers and all internal personnel.
• Supports all Company initiatives as identified by management and in support of Quality Management Systems (QMS), Environmental Management Systems (EMS), and other regulatory requirements. Complies with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, other regulatory requirements, Company policies, operating procedures, processes, and task assignments.

General Qualifications

• 6 years or more of demonstrated experience in a customer service or closely related environment.
• AA/AS College degree or other specialized training/equivalent related experience
• Minimum of 2 years experience in customer service role with last review either meeting or exceeding expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor, coach, supervise, lead or train individuals.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, attentiveness to detail, and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to listen, resolve problems, deal with unresolved issues, delays and unexpected events, and the ability to effectively communicate and maintain rapport with sales representatives and customers.
• Advanced experience with Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, Word, Power Point or equivalent applications.
• Knowledge of Sarbanes-Oxley, ISO Standards and common medical device export laws preferred.
• Ability to work within a team and as an individual contributor in a fast-paced, changing environment.

• Strong verbal and written communications with ability to effectively communicate at multiple levels in the organization.
• Ability to maintain regular and predictable attendance.
• Regularly scheduled overtime is a requirement of this position.