Manager, Customer Service

MPS, a division of Macmillan Publishers, a leading US publisher of Trade and Academic titles, has a job opening for a Manager, Customer Service in our Gordonsville facility. MPS provides back office support, warehousing, and, fulfillment for Macmillan US, and is their primary distribution facility for North America.

Purpose of the Role: We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Customer Service Manager to lead our customer service and order entry teams within the dynamic world of publishing. The ideal candidate will oversee all aspects of customer service operations, ensuring that our customers receive exceptional support and service supported by our Shared Excellence values. This role demands a deep understanding of the publishing industry, excellent communication skills, and a strong commitment to providing outstanding customer satisfaction.

Key responsibilities/tasks:

Lead and Motivate: Direct and supervise a team of supervisors, customer service and order entry representatives fostering a supportive and high-performance environment where excellence in service is the primary goal.

Strategy Development: Develop and implement comprehensive customer service strategies that align with the company's goals and objectives, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Customer Support: Ensure the provision of prompt, reliable, and accurate customer support, managing inquiries, complaints, and feedback related to our publications and services.

Relationship Management: Build and maintain positive relationships with customers, publishers, operations and key support departments throughout MPS.

Process Improvement: Continuously assess and improve customer service and order entry processes and policies to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Training and Development: Conduct and support supervisors in leading training sessions for customer service and order entry staff on industry-specific knowledge, customer service best practices, and new technologies or systems implemented within the department.

Feedback: Collect customer feedback regarding publication defects, shipping errors and damages to the applicable departments to identify trends, resolve issues, and improve overall service delivery.

Reporting: Ensures daily stats are collected and recorded for departmental workload planning. Builds and maintains reporting on various factors including FreshDesk and other reports as need.

Crisis Management: Handle complex customer complaints or issues, providing solutions that safeguard the company's reputation and customer loyalty.

Collaboration: Work closely with other departments, including sales, credit, warehouse operations, inventory, and traffic teams, to ensure a cohesive customer experience and address any service-related challenges.

Skills/experience required:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Communications, or a related field. A background in publishing and/or distribution is highly preferred. Alternatively, the equivalence in experience.
• Proven experience as a Customer Service Manager, preferably within the publishing industry or related fields.
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to inspire and motivate a team. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with a diverse range of individuals.
• Solid understanding of customer service software, databases, and tools.
• High level of professionalism and a customer-first mind set.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure.

Essential Skills: The ability to manage a diverse spectrum of personalities within a team, coupled with the critical skill of recognizing and fostering each team member’s unique potential.

Key relationships: Customers, Trade and College Sales teams, Trade and College Operations, MPS – Warehouse, Inventory, Traffic, Credit and Customer Relations.

Capabilities:
Customer focus
Relationship building/teamwork
Managing complex situations
People management with a focus on work from home staff
Problem solving
Project management
Adept at exploring and utilizing new technologies (AI)

Salary Range: 70k - 75k annually

Hours of work are typically Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., with some extended hours as needed.

MPS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, consistently striving to foster a culture where everyone belongs. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and identities. Qualified applicants are evaluated without regard to race, color, religion, age, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, physical ability, neurodiversity, genetic information, protected veteran status, family and economic status, and background or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We prohibit discrimination of any kind and will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.