UTILITY ACCOUNT RELATIONS SPECIALIST I

Tucson Water Customer Service Solution Center

Recruitment #2302-4000-001

Introduction


WE ARE HIRING! 

Join us at a One Day Hiring Event on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Applicants may apply in advance or on site on March 4, 2023. Applicants who meet minimum qualifications will test and interview at the one-day event. Successful applicants who pass all components of the testing process will walk away with a written contingent job offer the same day!  

Saturday March 4, 2023

310 W. Alameda

9:00 am to 3:00 pm

          * * * This selection process will staff a training class to begin April 13, 2023 and May 4, 2023 * * *


Tucson Water is the second largest water utility in Arizona, serving over 730,000 customers over a 390 square mile service area. Tucson Water is recognized internationally as a leader in water conservation, sustainability, and service. Our employees are proud stewards of our community’s most precious natural resource, working to embody the utility’s motto of “Pride in Service.”  

The Utility Services Solution Center is a medium sized fast-paced call center environment. Our Solution Center handles approximately 270,000 accounts and receives approximately 42,000 calls per month - with specialists averaging 80 to 100 calls per day. Aside from Water and City Environmental Services refuse accounts, they also handle the billing for Pima County Wastewater.

The majority of calls will require evaluation and action by the specialist, and will include initiating and/or discontinuing water, trash, or sewer services, assisting customers with sewer billing questions, initiating refuse service for a residential customer, delinquent customers and assisting customers with bill inquiries. To maintain quality assurance, all incoming and outgoing calls are recorded. Utility Account Relations Specialists are evaluated and monitored monthly for quality assurance and provided feedback.

The Solution Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturday 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. Specialists must be available to work any hours between this time.  Hours and days are subject to change based on business need. In the first year, Specialists will receive, approximately twelve weeks of in-person classroom training. During this period, Specialists are expected to be present every day between 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Training will include complete billing system and procedural training, time listening and taking inbound customer calls.  

Currently, this is a hybrid/telecommuting position where a portion of the work may be completed virtually, based on specific work tasks. This model may change based on future business needs.

The successful candidates will enjoy the opportunity to work from home while abiding by the Department's specific policies and the terms and guidelines set forth in the City of Tucson’s Telecommuting Administrative Directive 2.01-19 to include: 

      • Must have a minimum of 50 Mbps to connect to the Internet
      • Shall designate and maintain a dedicated workspace that is quiet, clean, and safe, with adequate lighting and ventilation
      Qualified Spanish speaking candidates are eligible to receive an additional $30.00 for 2nd Language pay per pay period or $100.00 for Certified Bilingual pay per pay period, after successful completion of required examinations.

      CITY WIDE BENEFITS

      The City of Tucson offers a wide range of generous benefits for eligible employees. Some of those benefits include:

      • Medical: Choice between a high deductible plan (HSA or HRA), or Network plan
      • Dental: Choice between a national dental PPO and a local dental HMO
      • Vision: Coverage for annual eye exam and glasses or contacts, plus LASIK
      • Life: City-paid coverage for you & dependents, plus option to buy more
      • Long-Term Disability: Income replacement of up to 60% of your base salary in the event of a qualifying disability
      • Employee Assistance Program: Enhance your wellbeing when life doesn’t go as planned
      • Flexible Spending: Pay for qualified health and dependent care expenses using pretax dollars
      • Colonial Voluntary Benefits: Financial help in the event of cancer, hospitalization, accident and more

       

      Your Security and Future

      • Pension: Generous pension plans that help both civilian and public safety employees retire more comfortably
      • Deferred Compensation: Save more toward a comfortable retirement with a 457(b) plan
      • Training & Tuition Assistance: Pursue your dream through internal training or financial help toward a degree
      • Back-Up Care: Care for your loved ones when your regular care is unavailable

       

      Your Peace of Mind

      • Paid Parental Leave: Six (6) weeks paid leave when you welcome a child, plus other generous leave policies for FML, Medical and USERRA
      • Paid Time Away: New hires enjoy 37 days of paid time off in the first year, with time increasing steadily thereafter (In year one: 13 accrued days of vacation, 13 accrued days of sick leave, and 11 paid holidays)
      • Employee Discounts: Generous discounts, ranging from car rentals to computers, gifts to groceries, electronics to entertainment
      • Social Connectedness: Forge connections with the community we serve through paid volunteerism and payroll-deducted charitable giving

      For a full description of benefits offered to eligible employees, or to inquire further about the City of Tucson's benefit options please visit: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/hr/employee-benefit-snapshot

      General Description

      Provides public assistance and processes monetary transactions for utility customers in person, over the phone and through e-mail.

      Essential Functions

      • Provides seamless customer service demonstrating tact and persuasion when dealing with customers who may be or become irate or distraught.
      • Provides customer service in a high-volume environment to utility customers by answering a variety of customer questions to help resolve complaints and problems related to the utility billing process, researching inquiries and discrepancies, following up on complaints and concerns and coordinating and communicating with field personnel.
      • Processes activations, terminations, and transfers of utility service; checks for completeness and accuracy of transaction. Assists customers with high bill inquiries and generates service requests for field personnel.
      • Receives and documents payments, reviews customer billing accounts to ensure accuracy of applications of payments, assists customers with payment adjustment eligibility, and calculates figures and amounts.
      • Processes payment plans and payment extensions for past due and delinquent customer accounts. Assists customers in paying over the phone or online; assists customers with water outages and water quality concerns. Orally explains information to the public, including requirements of City policies.
      • Performs routine clerical duties such as preparing and maintaining files and records, distributing mail, entering data into a computerized system, maintaining customer accounts, and writing routine correspondence.

      Minimum Qualifications

      Minimum Education Level & Type: High School Diploma or G.E.D.

      Minimum Experience Qualifications: At least 1 year experience answering a multi-line telephone involving heavy telephone contact, billing, complaint resolution, and customer service in a high call volume environment

      Special Job Requirements

      Selection Plan

      * * You are encouraged to print this bulletin because it contains important dates and information that will not be available online once this position closes.* * 

      Applicants are highly encouraged to apply and test online prior to the One Day Hiring Event on March 4, 2023. This testing process will consist of two components: Part I is a practical assessment and Part II is an in person oral board interview. 

      Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be evaluated on the education and work experience in their employment profile and the responses to their supplemental questions. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will then be invited to participate in a Practical Assessment.    

      Qualified applicants who apply on or before February 21, 2023, will receive a link to take the online CritiCall Practical Assessment (Part I) February 23 through February 26, 2023.  


      Part I: 
      Practical Assessment : is an online assessment that utilizes computer software to simulate a call center environment to assess the following skills: reading comprehension, cross referencing, keyboarding and data entry, mathematics, map reading, and proofreading. 

      Applicants must successfully pass Part I in order to continue to Part II. Applicants who apply online on or before February 21, 2023, will have a 4-day window to complete Part I of the exam. Part I  can take up to 65 minutes and will expire at midnight on February 26, 2023 (Arizona time). Please be sure to allow ample time to complete the exam within the allotted time frame and prior to the exam expiration time. Applicants who do not complete the test on time will not be considered.


      NOTE: Qualified applicants who apply on or before February 21, 2023, will receive the test link from onlinetesting@invitations.testgenius.com by 5:00pm (Arizona time) on February 22, 2023.  The link will be activated at 12:00am (Arizona time) on February 23, 2023, and will expire at midnight (Arizona time) on February 26, 2023.  

      Please ensure your browser accepts emails from onlinetesting@invitations.testgenius.com and check your email account regularly; this may include your junk box/spam filter. The test is fully compatible with the latest version of Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Safari users will have to follow the onscreen instructions after clicking the test link for enabling the auto-play function within the Safari browser. Please note, Microsoft is no longer supporting Internet Explorer thus the test may not be compatible with the Internet Explorer browser.


      Part II: In Person Oral Board Interview: applicants who take the online practical exam February 23 through February 26, 2023, and pass will be invited to an in person oral board interview. Applicants who pass Part I will receive an email invite by 7:00 pm on February 28, 2023, to schedule an in person oral board interview on Saturday, March 4, 2023

      REMINDER: Please check your email account regularly; this may include your junk box/spam filter. The window to schedule an oral board interview will only be available for a short period of time.


      ONE DAY HIRING EVENT: Qualified applicants who apply on or after February 22, 2023, may take the practical assessment in person on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Those who pass the in person practical assessment will proceed to an in person oral board interview the same day.


      Applicants who pass the practical assessment and the oral board interview will receive a written contingent job offer on March 4, 2023, with a start date of April 13, 2023.


      Upon completion of all examination processes, the highest scoring applicants will be placed on the Civil Service Employment List.  An applicant's ranking on the Civil Service list will be based on their final score which will be calculated as:    

      • 40% of your rating for CritiCall Practical Assessment
      • 50% of your rating for Oral Board Interview
      • 10% of your Education and Work Experience

      Veterans, Native American, or Disability preference points will be added to the final score for those that are placed on the Civil Service Employment List.  If you qualify for preference points as outlined in the Employment Profile, you must upload your documentation as part of the application process. You may also email it to Roxie.Escarcega@tucsonaz.gov. The DD 214 must be a copy that indicates characterization of service.  

      If you are in need of Americans with Disabilities Act-related accommodation during the testing process, please contact Roxie Escarcega at (520) 837-2138 or Roxie.Escarcega@tucsonaz.gov at least 48 hours prior to the evaluation.

      Conclusion

      Communication during this process will be sent via email to the email address on file, so please ensure your browser accepts emails from jobs@tucsonaz.gov and check your email account regularly; this may include your junk box/spam filter. Failure to respond or follow instructions may result in disqualification.

      Pre-employment Medical Testing Requirements

      None

      Bulletin Footer

      To ensure accurate payroll information for tax purposes, the successful candidate will need to provide their original Social Security Card or original letter from the Social Security Administration with their social security number prior to beginning work with the City of Tucson.

      The City of Tucson hires lawful workers only - US citizens or nationals and non-citizens with valid work authorization - without discrimination. Federal immigration laws require all employers to verify both the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. In its efforts to meet the law's requirements, the City of Tucson participates in the E-Verify program established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to aid employers in verifying the eligibility of workers.

      Retired City of Tucson employees receiving benefits from the Tucson Supplemental Retirement System who are considering reemployment with the City should be aware that pursuant to Section 22-37(g) of the Tucson City Code, retirement benefits shall be suspended during the period of reemployment with the City of Tucson unless you have been separated at least twelve consecutive months before returning to work AND you return to a non-permanent employment classification. Creditable service does not accrue during any reemployment period.