Job Description:

The Director of Customer Contact is responsible for creating and leading a Customer Service Center that provides Exceptional Service to our customers. This person is responsible for developing the culture, processes and procedures that appropriately support our company’s business goals while maintaining and upholding our strategic positioning. This position acts as the primary “Customer Advocate” for the company and is a liaison to Marketing, Merchants, and fulfillment in the development and implementation of business plans. This leader must have experience at developing the necessary balance of metrics and service, providing fiscal responsibility, and facilitating the creation of information management tools/ business systems to be successful in this position.

Job Duties:

1. Assumes responsibility for the strategic planning and overall direction of a “start-up” Customer Service and Sales Contact Center including:

• Contact Center performance and measurement
• Internet order processing
• Workforce management (scheduling and forecasting)
• Reporting and trending
• Quality initiatives
• Training and staff development
• Recruiting and hiring processes
• Mentoring and career path development
• Incentive and motivational programs
• Employee and customer satisfaction
• Technology and process improvements
• Development of policies, procedures and process flows

2. Has direct financial responsibility, including:

• Preparation of Annual Budgets
• Hourly Staffing / Labor Requirements – Using contacts by month to determine full-time staff and part-time staffing requirements
• Salary Requirements – Determining salary staffing requirements based on proper salary-to-hourly ratios for supporting the business goals
• Expense Requirements – Using monthly staff / volumes to determine (1Space, Utilities, Telecom, etc.)
• Cost Control and Tracking against Budget goals (e.g. coast/contact and cost/order)
• Revenue Generation

3. Sets clear, explicit, and measurable goals for both Contact Center and individual performance. Has worked with and can help structure an effective QualityAssurance / Pay for performance plan.

4. Possess the ability to interpret key productivity and Quality Assurance metrics

• Creates metrics that correctly reflect process results
• Recognizes areas for improvement based on results
• Deploys resources, determines information system requirements, and process changes based on results
• Monitors daily for immediate recognition / quick response to potential process problems

5. Provides strategic leadership to Sales to achieve outstanding service to customers, to facilitate and positively lead change, and to meet and exceed performance goals. Creates an open environment that correctly reflects the company Brand and Image and can create / maintain a successful organizational structure within that environment.

6. Maintains a continuous learning environment for employee skill development and career path through Quality measures. Ensures the service goals pertaining to Exceptional Customer Service are met. Completes goal setting and performance reviews for Management / Supervisory Staff.

7. Provides leadership in creation of proper processes and procedures to identify and escalate customer issues to the net level with the ability to resolve issues as required. Ensures these policies and procedures are followed and consistently applied to issue resolution. Responds quickly to new issues and problems with proactive, customer-focused solutions.

8. Interfaces with other Directors, leaders, and departments to address company needs and perpetuate desired branded experience; coordinates with various groups to maintain high levels of communication and operational coordination.

9. Integrates well with Marketing Team and serves as a liaison to ensure little or no confusion to the customer for the following:

• Customer communication
• Company parameters that can / cannot be bent for the customer
• Proper disclaimers (e.g. no price adjustments, can not combine offers) on new communications

10. Communicates regularly through meetings, feedback sessions, and written communications to ensure two-way flow of information regarding company and departmental news, policies and procedures, employee feedback, and ideas/ recommendations.

11. Perpetuates an energy-packed work environment that fosters teamwork and professionalism, recognizes excellence and high performance, drives idea generation, and promotes company values.

12. Leads special projects as requested by COO

Qualifications:

1. 10+ years demonstrated experience directing / managing within an Incoming Contact Center / Customer Service environment ; proven experience in a fast-paced, revenue generating Contact Center is a plus.

2. Proven ability to develop, manage, and adhere to budgets

3. 2+ years experience within a Sales environment

4. Demonstrated experience in the business processes and procedures associated with e-commerce and multi-customer access channels

5. Understanding of the Luxury, Fashion, and Apparel industry (preferred)

6. Proven success in staff and program management within a changing environment; demonstrated ability to facilitate change and creatively overcome “growing pains” issues.

7. Executive-level written and verbal communication skills’ must be able to write and deliver compelling presentations to the leadership team

8. The ability to lead / build teams, and to motivate staff; must have a sense of humor.

9. Conversant and knowledgeable in newest Contact Center technologies and trends; able to make intelligent business decisions around optimization of technology investment. Has the ability to work with Information Technology staff to provide feedback on system modifications and user requirements as well as the ability to scope and direct system design requirements for the business processes being supported.

• Experience and knowledge of internet retailing and customer interactions with Web Store environment.
• Knowledge / experience with Order Management systems
• Experience working with Customer Contact Management systems
• Understands and has a working knowledge of workforce management tools such as Blue Pumpkin and can determine a reasonableness for its outputs.
• Understands and has a working knowledge of Telephone hardware and Automatic Call Director (ACD) software.
• Understands and has a working knowledge of Computer Telephony Integration and can help determine the appropriate level of data integration with the contact management system

10. Able to think and plan strategically while acting tactically to meet goals.

11. A motivated, decisive, self-starting leader and problem solver, with excellent time management and organizational skills

12. Passion for providing great service to customers.

13. Proven project management skills. Abilty to scope / create business processes to support business changes to include required resources, new business support tools (Information Systems and Process Systems), and reports.

If interested, please email careers@gilt.com.