Customer Service Representative

PLEASE READ THIS BULLETIN IN ITS ENTIRETY

THE position

This recruitment is being conducted to fill two full-time vacancies. The list established by this recruitment may be used to fill future full-time, part-time, limited term, and temporary vacancies for up to one year.

Customer Service Representatives are responsible for providing assistance to citizens with inquiries and complaints regarding business license payments, water billing charges, account delinquencies and account refunds. They are responsible for cashiering at a public window, answering the telephone, and performing other general clerical duties.

The ideal Customer Service Representative candidate will possess at least two years of customer service experience as well as cash handling, record keeping, or bookkeeping experience. They will possess their high school diploma or equivalent with some additional training or coursework in accounting or record keeping.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Finance Department assists other departments in the City in meeting their service objectives by allocating and monitoring the City’s financial resources, financial reporting, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable and other financial transactions. The department monitors and reports on the financial position of the City, bills and collects most City revenues, provides treasury services and monitors the City’s debt and trustee activity.

The Commercial Services division of the Finance Department is responsible for posting and depositing all monies collected within the City. Many of the payments collected are for water billing and business license services. The Commercial Services division consists of business license, water billing, and meter reading personnel.

THE CITY OF VALLEJO

The City of Vallejo is located in Solano County and has a population of approximately 121,000 residents. Vallejo is a rapidly changing, highly diverse community located midway between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento. It is a friendly, active waterfront community that attracts innovative, hardworking people and takes great pride in its 148-year history and maritime heritage. Residents of Vallejo are situated to take advantage of the best of what the area has to offer. Golf, museums, performing arts, boutique shopping, brewpubs and a wide selection of restaurants are all available in Vallejo. Residents and visitors alike enjoy Vallejo’s delightful historical downtown area, weekly downtown farmer’s market, and beautifully restored Victorian homes and business facades. Vallejo is also home to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, one of America’s only combination wildlife, oceanarium and theme parks.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

Important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Prepare and process service orders for various City services including water turn-ons and turn-offs, water meter installations, sewer taps, new utility billing accounts, and discontinuance of accounts.
• Request verification of meter reads; process paperwork for changes to incorrect bills; authorize credit extensions for customers with past due bills; verify payment of bills and current service status; perform credit and collection duties.
• Receive and process payments through the mail and in-person, balance daily receipts.
• Provide assistance to citizens with inquiries and complaints; answer customer complaints regarding charges, delinquencies and refunds; identify customer service problems and conduct research; prepare work orders for field maintenance staff; communicate results to customer.
• Mail delinquent bills; issue final 48-hour notices; shut off delinquent accounts; keep accurate records of accounts.
• Act as a receptionist; answer the telephone and wait on the general public, providing general information on departmental and City policies and procedures as required; refer calls to appropriate department personnel.
• Perform a variety of general clerical duties including typing and proofreading a variety of documents, maintaining files and records, inventory and maintaining office supplies, receive, process, and sort incoming mail.
• Collect, research, and refund water deposits.
• Prepare and process Business License applications; generate and prepare all business licenses; receive and process Business License payments through the mail and in person; balance daily receipts; prepare and send Administrative Citations to unlicensed or delinquent businesses.
• Print lists of delinquent licenses and call to verify if they are still in business.
• Print weekly list of new businesses for customers; check the newspaper for new businesses.
• Set up court dates for parking tickets.
• Operate a variety of office machines including a computer terminal; input and retrieve data and text.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

Knowledge of:

• Basic customer relations techniques.
• Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment, including a computer.
• Equipment used by employees assigned to the Commercial Services Section.
• Terminology associated with the work performed within the assigned section, Operational practices of assigned section.
• Principles and procedures of record keeping.
• Mathematical principles.
• English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Ability to:

• Learn the operations, services and activities of a customer service program.
• Learn, interpret, and explain utility policies and procedures.
• Respond tactfully and courteously with the public in answering customer inquiries and complaints.
• Operate a variety of office equipment including a typewriter, calculator, and computer terminal.
• Maintain a variety of records and files.
• Perform varied clerical work.
• Perform mathematical calculations quickly and accurately.
• Work in situations with hostile customers.
• Understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Prioritize work assignments and activities.

Experience and Training Guidelines:
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

Two years of customer service experience. Computerized record keeping and database systems, bookkeeping and cash handling experience is desirable.

Training:

A High School Diploma or G.E.D. and some training or coursework in accounting and record keeping.

The Recruitment & Selection Process

NOTE: If you have problems creating a user account, obtaining your already created account information, or submitting your online application, please contact governmentjobs.com applicant support directly at 855-524-5627. City of Vallejo HR staff are unable to assist with these issues.

The City reserves the right to limit the number of candidates to those determined to be best qualified based upon all requested application materials, including training and experience, current resume, and responses to supplemental questions.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

The City of Vallejo is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation during the application, assessment or selection process may contact the Human Resources Department to request an accommodation. Please contact Anabela Rivera at (707) 645-2620 or send an email to: Anabela.Rivera@CityofVallejo.net no later than June 30, 2025, at 5:00 P.M.
PRIOR TO HIRE
The selected candidate will be required to: 1) Submit to reference checks 2) Submit to and successfully pass a pre-employment background check, including fingerprint check. 3) Provide proof of legal right to work in the United States.
Disaster Service Workers – All City of Vallejo (“City”) employees are designated Disaster Service Workers (“DSW”) by state law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all DSW-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) – The City of Vallejo is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the City of Vallejo to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.