Customer Service Manager

About hand2mind: 

For more than 60 years, hand2mind has inspired learning through play by creating hands‑on, classroom‑tested materials that help children learn by doing. We’re a growing, family-owned company recognized as a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace and trusted by teachers and families alike. We create a wide range of educational products—classroom tools like Hands-on Standards®, consumer products for NumberBlocks®, and innovative items like our new BubblePlush™ Yoga Balls. If you’re curious, collaborative, and a kid at heart, you’ll feel right at home here. Join us in shaping the future of learning with our award-winning team!

Team & Position Description:

We are currently seeking a Customer Service Manager to lead our Customer Service team within our industry-leading Publisher Services Group in the servicing of hand2mind’s largest B2B clients serving the U.S. school market. 

This role will manage a team of order management and customer care specialist and drive continuous process improvement to ensure best-in-class order fulfillment and post-delivery case management services in a growing, fast-paced environment. This role will lead a client-first team culture in close collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders within our Operations, Sales, Planning, and Accounting to exceed our customers’ expectations and ensure client long-term client retention.

What you’ll do day to day: 

• Manage the daily operations of our Publisher Services Customer Service team in processing complex, time-sensitive B2B orders and timely resolution of customer post-delivery cases.
• Partner with Sales Management, Warehouse Operations, and IT to design and execute client-specific order fulfillment and client communication processes tailored to meet the needs of their business operations.
• Use data-driven metrics to drive continuous process improvements, standardization, and automation using technology and software to meet our Publisher Services strategic initiatives and scale operations
• Serve as the team’s escalation point to timely solve complex internal and external issues.
• Create and maintain knowledge database containing detailed process instructions and answers to FAQs to increase efficiency of resolving customer cases, reduce dependency on tribal knowledge, increase efficacy and speed of training new team members, and ensure consistent and successful performance of the team.
• Cultivate and build strong relationships with the Operations management team to ensure alignment with our committed customer Service Level Agreement (SLA) metrics and accountability across the Customer Service and Warehouse Operations teams.

What we’re looking for (Key Performance Objectives): 

• In collaboration with our IT Team, redesign our current case management platform (Microsoft CE) configuration to better function within our B2B business unit to increase efficiency of customer case resolution and improve visibility for Publisher Sales Management with the development of a reliable performance metrics dashboard within the first year.
• Design and implement a documented and efficient onboarding and continuous training program for each Customer Service role to produce consistent and reliable results for our customers. Have core responsibilities documented and maintained in a knowledge database within 6 months.
• Create and implement Knowledge Database containing answers to FAQ’s and instructions for an escalation process to resolve critical, time-sensitive customer issues within 6 months.
• Create an internal management PBI dashboard for real-time monitoring of critical order management, on-time delivery, and case resolution metrics- i.e. replacements, issues, complaints, etc., within 9 months.
• Lead the planning for the creation of a Publisher Service specific external dashboard that would allow our top customers to self-serve and obtain key order and shipment metrics within the first year.

Requirements/Ideal Attributes:

• 5+ years in customer service, operations, or order management
• 2+ years leadership experience
• Strong computer skills including experience using Microsoft Office, including the ability to create basic reports, documents, presentations, and spreadsheets using MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint and ability to learn internal systems
• ERP and CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365, CE, and Sales Hub experience preferred
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to work under pressure and adapt 
• Must be self-directed with the ability and desire to work in/with cross functional teams and be willing to “go the extra mile”
• Continuous improvement and growth mindset 

We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.

Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.

Compensation Range: $100,000 – $115,000 annual salary – Actual compensation may vary due to other factors such as: years of experience, skill set and location. Total compensation includes profit sharing bonus potential, 401k matching, and a variety of other benefits (details can be found here). 

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