Client Service Associate Jobs in Cincinnati, OH

Overview: Directly supervises and directs associates, maintaining effective staffing levels through appropriate selection, training, coaching and development activities. Proactively develops and implements strategies to increase productivity, and provides a high level of technical and product support. Focuses on increasing level of service and lead generation. Provides support to upper management on some strategic initiatives and projects impacting the team. Works with minimal supervision and is responsible for making an established range of decisions, escalating to manager when necessary and updating manager on a regular basis. Responsibilities: What you will do:

• Drives productivity of team through direct feedback and coaching on proven skills and methodologies. Addresses areas of skill/competence, customer experience and technical knowledge (product and process) with each team member.
• Plans, organizes and directs work within the team by monitoring and analyzing statistical reports on department performance.
• Evaluates productivity and quality of performance in relation to SLAs, managing work activities, collaborating with workforce management team to balance department resources. Ensures goals and expectations are met or exceeded.
• Accurately anticipates resource adjustments required to support changes in workload. Plans ahead to accommodate such changes with minimal impact to service levels or company goals and objectives.
• Evaluates team members' potential and productivity, and supports associates in developing skills and competencies. Identifies and addresses performance issues and monitors ongoing performance to ensure consistent performance is achieved.
• Monitors quality to assess customer experience and provides timely feedback to ensure minimum interruption in customer experience. Mitigates company risk by ensuring correct policies, procedures and compliance standards are consistently met and immediately addressed.
• Educates consultants in conservation techniques to minimize policy surrenders and cancellations and provides timely coaching to mitigate risk to the company.
• Implements the Company's performance management model, effectively communicating department goals and initiatives and providing regular feedback and coaching concerning job performance. Adequately documents coaching and collaborates closely with Human Resources management.
• Develops Team Leads with a focus on business maturity, interpersonal communication skills and coaching for future management opportunities.
• Manages employee attrition through effective coaching, cross-training and development.
• Supervises the resolution process involving policyholder requests for service and escalated issues.
• Fosters a culture in the department that promotes open communication, integrity, professionalism, teamwork and a sense of urgency. Uses both written and oral communication (including team and department meetings) to keep associates informed of company initiatives and projects, internal procedures, goals, priorities and department philosophy.
• Oversees the education/training for new products, and company policies, procedures and workflows. Conducts successful onboarding and ongoing cross-training of new associates and coordination of new hire training with CRC trainer.
• Stays current on new insurance products and company procedures.
• Leads continual change within Western & Southern Life to realize process, production and cost improvements that directly impact customer experience. Drives timely implementation and results for any assigned projects practicing lean methodology tools.
• Drives employee engagement through ongoing development activities and active participation in promoting the Customer First Platform.
• Employs sound judgment when making decisions involving potential financial loss.
• Participates in developing department goals with direct managers.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Qualifications:

• College degree or equivalent work experience - Required
• Proven experience leading and mentoring individuals. Must cite examples of providing direction, coaching and giving effective feedback to team members. - Required
• Proven work experience directing others to increase efficiency. - Required
• Demonstrated experience leading and motivating teams in situations associated with high volumes of work and/or customer demands. Must possess strong coaching and effective feedback skills. - Required
• Demonstrated experience working effectively within a team. - Required
• Proven experience handling and effectively resolving customer problems. Must provide examples of strong customer service skills. - Required
• Demonstrated experience setting professional goals and successfully implementing and achieving those goals. - Required
• Demonstrated examples of handling difficult situations effectively while maintaining high volumes of work. -
• Proven excellent verbal and written communication skills with proven ability to convey information to internal and external customers in a clear, focused and concise manner while following proper rules of punctuation, diction and style. Ability to prepare correspondence, reports and forms using a prescribed format. -
• Proven strong attention to detail with excellent organizational skills. Expected to cite examples of organization and time management methods used to manage or prioritize workload demands. -
• Proven knowledge or demonstrated knowledge of insurance products, Company operations and business tools. -
• Demonstrated examples of self-motivation and experience working under limited supervision. -
• Proven examples of good decision-making skills when dealing with multiple alternatives. -
• Working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet and database applications. -
• Must successfully pass the Life (and Health, as appropriate) licensing exam in your home state within 2 attempts, not to exceed 45 days after final approval from the State Commissioner's office to take said exam. Upon Hire - Required

Work Setting/Position Demands:

• Works in an office setting and remains in a stationary position for long periods of time while working at a desk, on a computer or with other standard office equipment, or while in meetings.
• Requires the ability to verbally communicate and exchange accurate information to customers and associates on a regular basis.
• Requires visual acuity to read and interpret a variety of correspondence, procedures, reports and forms via paper and electronic documents, visual inspection involving small defects; small parts, and/or operation of machinery (including inspection); using measurement devices continuously. Visual acuity is required to determine accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work assigned.
• Requires the ability to prepare written correspondence, reports and forms using prescribed formats and conforming to rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style on a regular basis.
• Requires the ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Performs substantial movement of wrists, hands, and fingers for continuous computer work.
• Extended hours required during peak workloads or special projects/events.

Travel Requirements:

• None