Customer Service Representative

Job description

IRCA is a prominent international provider of semi-finished ingredients for the bakery, pastry, and gelato markets. They cater to independent producers as well as large food manufacturers, including consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. The company's core product offerings consist of chocolate, chocolate decorations, creams, pastry mixes, gelato ingredients, and various other bakery and pastry ingredients. Headquartered in Italy, IRCA was acquired by Advent International, a global private equity firm, in July 2022. The company has demonstrated a strong history of growth over the past decade. As part of its growth strategy, IRCA made two bolt-on acquisitions in 2022. They acquired Cesarin, a provider of candied fruits, and Anastasi, a supplier of pistachio ingredients. These acquisitions expanded IRCA's product portfolio and market reach. More recently, IRCA acquired the leading manufacturer of sweet and cereal products in Europe and the US. The target company focuses on high-value specialty ingredients for the Food Manufacturers segment. Their product range includes sweet particulates, chocolate confections, baked inclusions, variegates, and fruit purées. This deal, successfully completed in March of 2023, is a transformative move for IRCA, establishing them as a global leader in the semi-finished ingredients industry. With this acquisition, IRCA has a combined revenue of €1 billion in 2023 and a presence in 22 manufacturing facilities across Europe, the US, and Vietnam. This expanded manufacturing footprint and diversified product portfolio positions IRCA as a key player in the market, serving a wide range of customers in the bakery, pastry, and gelato sectors, as well as food manufacturers. This is an onsite role, for our office located in Suwanee, GA. onsite daily, general hours are 8AM to 5PM A Customer Service Specialist (CSS) acts as the primary internal contact for customers. As a Customer Service Specialist, you will be responsible for delivering exceptional support by actively listening and promptly responding to customer inquiries and concerns. Your role includes ensuring customer satisfaction, building strong relationships, resolving issues, and providing accurate information about our products and services. You will assist customers by addressing complaints, answering questions, and processing orders and returns efficiently and courteously. The Customer Service Specialist will be responsible for collecting information on how to best serve clients. ### Responsibilities - Serve as the initial point of contact for customer inquiries and issues, responding promptly, professionally and empathetically. - Identify and resolve customer concerns, ensuring their satisfaction and exceeding expectations while partnering with Sales Reps on pertinent customer communications. - Assist customers with order processing, shipment tracking, and returns or exchanges. - Follow customer orders through the full process from the time of receipt via phone, email or electronic data transfer to order entry in Erp system and through shipping and invoicing - Maintain accurate records of customer interactions and inquiries. - Collaborate with other departmental teams (Sales Reps, Plant personnel, Sales Support, QA, - Regulatory, Logistics and Warehouse) to resolve customer issues. Escalate complex problems as needed to ensure a positive customer experience. - Maintain high customer satisfaction by building rapport and establishing strong relationships with customers and sales representatives to anticipate and collaborate on customer future needs. - Assist with preparing multiple report metrics to analyze various departmental KPIs. - Follow communication procedures, guidelines, and policies while maintaining a positive brand image for the company. ### Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree or anticipated completion date. - Proficiency in using relevant computer systems and software. Strong Excel skills required. - Ability to multi-task and handle high-pressure situations. - Attention to detail and accuracy. - Empathy, patience, and a positive attitude. - Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities. - Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to resolve customer issues. - Exceptional customer service skills with a strong focus on customer satisfaction. This role reports to the Customer Service Supervisor.