Assistant, Customer Services

ASR Group is the world’s largest refiner and marketer of cane sugar, with an annual production capacity of more than 6 million tons of sugar. The company produces a full line of grocery, industrial, food service and specialty sweetener products. Across North America, ASR Group owns and operates six sugar refineries, located in Louisiana, New York, California, Maryland, Canada and Mexico. In the European Union, the company owns and operates sugar refineries in England, Portugal and Italy.  ASR Group also owns and operates mills in Mexico and Belize.  The company’s brand portfolio includes the leading brands Domino®, C&H®, Redpath®, Tate & Lyle®, Lyle’s® and Sidul®.

POSITION SCOPE

Be the first point of contact for customers and Sales Managers to resolve problems and maintain an ongoing professional relationship with both parts

Provides a timely and robust information service to routine questions/ queries from customers to include logging and reporting of performance

Operates to clearly defined rules of engagement and procedures with sales, finance and supply chain departments to facilitate efficient and cost-effective order capture and information to customers in a spirit of excellent customer service and external customer satisfaction

Support of commercial and supply chain colleagues and making us supplier of choice for customers from providing customer solutions

Control stock in Spanish Warehouses as well as the needs of Copackers

POSITION STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND KEY DELIVERABLES

• Provides basic information to customer needs, questions / queries and provides pragmatic solutions
• Educates customers on rules of supply such as lead times, MOQs, product information, delivery dates, etc.
• Communicates constraints and revised delivery dates in the event of supply failures
• Builds rapport and cooperative relationships with customers, Sales Manager, and the rest of the Supply Chain department
• Takes action to meet customer needs and concerns with integrity and honesty
• Supports commercial efforts to sell more value-added profitable products and help lock in existing and new customers

Key deliverables

• Robust information service to external and internal customers
• Continuous Improvement of processes around the customer service department and development of CI initiatives
• Create data base about customers which can be used from the Supply Chain
• Development of Customer Relationships to make us supplier of choice
• Support of the Demand Planning and GSC area

DETAILED ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Effectively manage of incoming service requests in line with an agreed Customer Service Policy via email, phone and in person (including copackers)
• Support the creation of relevant KPI’s and ensuring the cost effectiveness of customer service order capture
• Establish strong communication with internal and external customers, order management area, Finance, and colleagues from other parts of the business on a daily basis in person, via phone and email to ensure customers’ expectations are met
• Educate customers and order management team on rules of supply such as lead times, MOQs, product information, delivery dates, etc.
• Education of sales colleagues
• Identify opportunities and solutions to improve Supply Chain performance to deliver better OTIF targets
• Analyze data and responding to customer questions in a timely manner, with urgency
• Provide pro –active support in ensuring customer deadlines/expectations is met
• Escalate challenges or concerns from customers to the CS Manager when needed for immediate customer service resolution
• Following up on requests, tracking and routing shipments and orders, preparing reports
• Own the short loading communication to the customers
• Order to cash understanding and role of delighting the customer in it
• Resolution of Customer queries and enquires to help payment
• Update orders if required by the customer or the business
• Route new customer requests to the appropriate sales representative
• Analyze stock in Spanish warehouses and provide Stock Transfer Orders to guarantee target-stock
• Additional responsibilities to support other activities
• Guarantee the production of products with Quality, Food Safety and Authenticity.
• Promoting the Culture of Quality, Food Safety, Occupational Safety, Environment and Sustainability, ensuring compliance with product and process requirements.

ESSENTIAL CAPABILITIES (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES)

• Excellence in accurate administration activities
• Demonstrates a commitment to improving customer service and experience of overcoming obstacles to meet customer demands
• Good team player and remains calm under pressure, supporting the company mission
• Understands problems and logical actions, sequence, and timings to resolve the problem
• Spanish, English language and good verbal and written communication skills
• SAP mandatory and computer literacy (ideally good Excel skills) 
• Knowledge about company products and internal processes (preferred)
• FMCG commercial understanding and customer-oriented attitude / approach
• Effective proactive task management and team player
• An ability to learn quickly and work effectively with people at all levels of the organisation

ESSENTIAL WORK EXPERIENCES

• Customer service / sales experience in a demanding environment
• Experience in an environment that requires high levels of accuracy and flexibility
• Experience of working with internal and external customers
• Able to work with tight deadlines and under pressure

ESSENTIAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

High school level educational qualification or equivalent

For more than 100 years, our employees have taken pride in “Making Life a Little Sweeter” by providing our customers and consumers with quality service and sugar products. Our commitment to that principle drives us in all that we do and encourages us to uphold our company’s high ethical standards of business conduct to ensure our continued success.