Customer Collections Specialist - Tampa, United States - Hillsborough County, FL

Description

Job Overview

This position is responsible for performing investigative, enforcement and collection duties pertaining to delinquent utility accounts for residential and commercial.

Salary

$39,353 - $70,428

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for this role will be a dynamic and customer-focused professional with a proven track record of success in the collections and account management field.

They will possess exceptional verbal and written communication skills, allowing them to engage effectively with customers, colleagues, and stakeholders.

With a positive attitude and excellent people skills, the ideal candidate will be a true team player, adept at building rapport and finding mutually beneficial solutions to help customers recover from delinquencies.

They will demonstrate the ability to negotiate payment extensions or arrangements, skillfully investigating and collecting payments for delinquent utility accounts.

The ideal candidate will also have a strong understanding of account receivables, payment schedules, and the preparation of detailed reports on past-due accounts.

Proficient in public record searches and internal system skip tracing, they will be able to solve even the most challenging customer inquiries and issues, exercising conscious control over time-sensitive information, activities, and job duties.

Furthermore, the ideal candidate will have the capacity to coordinate and perform internal inquiries into past-due and final accounts, initiate revenue recovery efforts, and monitor customer accounts that may be in a severance status.

With the ability to train new personnel, develop and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and assume a leadership role when needed, the ideal candidate will be a valuable asset to the team.

While bilingual capabilities in Spanish are preferred, they are not a strict requirement for this position.

Core Competencies

• Customer Commitment - Proactively seeks to understand the needs of the customers and provide the highest standards of service.
• Dedication to Professionalism and Integrity - Demonstrates and promotes fair, honest, professional and ethical behaviors that establishes trust throughout the organization and with the public we serve.
• Organizational Excellence - Takes ownership for excellence through one's personal effectiveness and dedication to the continuous improvement of our operations.
• Success through Teamwork - Collaborates and builds partnerships through trust and the open exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives to achieve organizational goals.

Tier 1Tier 2

Duties and Responsibilities

Note:
The following duties are illustrative and not exhaustive.

The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Depending on assigned area of responsibility, incumbents in the position may perform one or more of the activities described below.

• Investigates and collects monies for delinquent single family residential utility accounts. Reviews accounts receivables, payment schedules and prepares reports of past due accounts.
• Conducts follow-up actions on delinquent accounts.
• Process Notice of Liens/Release and provide formal written pay offs & balances quotes for pending real estate transactions.
• Initiates revenue recovery efforts on past due accounts, track time sensitive collection letters and monitor assigned customer accounts with a status in severance.
• Establish appropriate short term payment plans and negotiate credit extensions on long term pay arrangements for delinquent accounts including Affidavit of Encumbrances.
• Maintains utility account receivables collection reports to ensure that all customer deposit expectations are within compliance with rate resolution standards and meet Utility Bond Covenants.
• Provides technical support to customers for online web access, auto bill pay options, and administers password re-sets.
• Coordinates and performs internal investigations into past due final accounts, insufficient funds checks, or other information for possible legal action such as notice of lien or report to National Credit Bureau.
• Process credit card payments and issues receipts. Updates all revenue recovery reports that affect reporting requirements mandated by the Federal Credit and Collection Act to ensure customer's FICO credit rating information is properly processed and up to date.
• Investigates changes in property ownership, deaths, insolvencies and other factors causing delinquencies and recommends final disposition of cases.
• Process foreclosure and bankruptcy filings and proceedings to aid in revenue recovery efforts to ensure proper compliance with Federal Bankruptcy Code and Court proceedings.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Duties and Responsibilities

Note:
The following duties are illustrative and not exhaustive.

The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Depending on assigned area of responsibility, incumbents in the position may perform one or more of the activities described below.

• Investigates and collects monies for delinquent commercial and complexed or Multi-Family utility accounts. Reviews accounts receivables, payment schedules and prepares reports of past due accounts.
• Process paperwork for liens/release and pay offs & balances.
• Reviews and investigates nonpayment of utility bills to determine if required criteria for establishing payment agreements have been satisfied.
• Reviews utility accounts receivables to determine if deposits expectations are in compliance with rate resolution. Utilizes various skip tracing techniques and collection strategies.
• Coordinates and performs internal investigations into past due or final accounts, insufficient funds checks, or other information for possible legal action.
• Resolves high level disputes with major out of state property management companies with multiple premise accounts including large Accounts Payable firms.
• Schedules and oversees the work of subordinates engaged in monitoring and enforcing compliance with utility collection laws, ordinances, and regulations.
• Invoke Surety bonds and manage all Irrevocable Letters of Credit.
• Trains new personnel. Develop and/or update standards of operation procedures. Recommends policies changes and enhancements.
• Collects or assists subordinate staff with the collection of delinquent accounts.
• Recommends and coordinates legal action with the County Attorney's office prior to the sale of property for delinquent accounts.
• Maintains mandated records and prepares revenue recovery reports of all collection activities.
• Review and draft formal responses on foreclosure proceedings, probate hearings and Federal Bankruptcy filings that aid in debt collection to ensure proper legal compliance.
• Lead subordinates, make high level decisions assume acting leadership role in absence of supervisor.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Job Specifications

• Knowledge of Federal Collection laws, Ordinances, Regulations and rules affecting delinquent account investigations and collections.
• Knowledge of delinquent account investigation practices and collection techniques.
• Knowledge of geographical locations in Hillsborough County.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to work effectively with others.
• Ability to understand and apply the provisions of ordinances and regulations.
• Ability to prioritize work.
• Ability to follow established procedures.
• Ability to use a computer and related software.
• Ability to work with antagonistic persons or the public under adverse conditions.
• Ability to keep accurate records and complete reports.

Job Specifications

• Knowledge of Federal Collection laws, Ordinances, Regulations and rules affecting delinquent account investigations and collections.
• Knowledge of delinquent account investigation practices and collection techniques.
• Knowledge of geographical locations in Hillsborough County.
• Ability to understand and apply the provisions of ordinances and regulations
• Ability to use a computer terminal and related software.
• Ability to prioritize work
• Ability to follow established procedures.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to work effectively with others.
• Ability to plan, organize and oversee the work of others.
• Ability to work with antagonistic persons or the public under adverse conditions.
• Ability to keep accurate records and prepare reports.

Physical Requirements

• Sitting for long periods of time in an office environment. Extensive use of computer. Regularly repeat the same movements when entering data. Some filing is required. Answering high volume of calls. Face to face customer conversation requiring clear speech and good listening abilities.

Work Category

• Sedentary work - Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Physical Requirements

• Sitting for long periods of time in an office environment. Extensive use of computer. Regularly repeat the same movements when entering data. Some filing is required. Answering high volume of calls. Face to face customer conversation requiring clear speech and good listening abilities.

Work Category

• Sedentary work - Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Minimum Qualifications Required

• Graduation from high school or possession of a GED certificate; AND
• Two years of experience in the credit and collections industry;

OR

• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that would reasonably be expected to provide the job-related competencies noted above.

Minimum Qualifications Required

• Graduation from high school or possession of a GED certificate; AND
• Four years of experience in the credit and collections industry;

OR

• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that would reasonably be expected to provide the job-related competencies noted above.

Emergency Management Responsibilities

In the event of an emergency or disaster, an employee may be required to respond promptly to duties and responsibilities as assigned by the employee's department, the County's Office of Emergency Management, or County Administration.

Such assignments may be for before, during or after the emergency/disaster.

Career Progression

Employees in this classification that acquire the competencies and minimum qualifications for the next tier will be able to apply for promotional opportunities through a competitive selection process.

Employees will not automatically be upgraded to the next tier.

Reclassifying a position is based on business need and financial impact and is not based solely on the job competencies or qualifications of the incumbent.