A company in Ottery, Cape Town is seeking a Customer Service Agent to join their team.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Receive and process customer orders, consignment stock orders, and manufacturing stock orders in line with standard operating procedures.
• Participate in production planning meetings and track order progress to provide feedback to customers (internal and external) on loading dates.
• Request quotations from 3x FF service providers for review where necessary.
• Make shipment bookings with the nominated freight forwarder with consideration to customer request dates and arrange any pre-export inspections where required.
• Ensure up-to-date, accurate completion of relevant export documentation (annexure A) required to execute the successful shipping and delivery of customer orders.
• Track shipments, liaise with freight forwarders, and update customers weekly on order progress.
• Ensure that confirmation of stock receipt at destination 3PL is received by the company together with all relevant supporting documentation (Annexure B) – consignment warehouses.
• Process inter-company stock transfers – Consignment warehouses.
• Process customer orders for delivery at destination and arrange delivery with 3 PL service providers in the destination country – consignment warehouses.
• Ensure deliveries are completed at customer request and regularly follow up till receipt of consigned customer POD – all customers.
• Coordinate the customer sample process including tracking progress, arranging courier, and providing feedback to the customer.
• Request quotation from 3 FF service providers for new or project cargo.
• Select a cost-effective service provider (with consideration to global reach, ease of doing business, and customer excellence).
• Maintain an updated shipping costs schedule and obtain additional quotations as requested.
• Update and maintain customer profiles and price lists on the system in line with standard operating procedures.
• Correspond with forwarders and others concerning shipping and transportation of cargo, referring and or escalating unusual matters.
• Verify the accuracy of forwarder invoices compared to estimates provided before obtaining authorization.
• Ensure FF service providers send status updates on in-transit shipments (Monday/Thursday) as agreed.
• Provide updates to internal stakeholders on incoming shipments on Monday/Friday with daily updates on critical cargo as requested.
• File electronic sales documents related to each shipment on the shared drive for easy access.
• Compile monthly KPI reports for management.
• Manage backorders.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Desired Experience & Qualification

• In possession of an appropriate tertiary qualification backed by hands-on experience in customer-facing roles.
• Customs knowledge
• Inco terms knowledge
• Export Experience
• Shipping experience.
• Strong problem-solving and solution-generation skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Tenacious in the execution of company vision, values, and strategy.
• Good oral & written communication skills.
• High levels of self-motivation and drive to get things done.
• Experience working with customer-related systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Analytical skills, integrity, and self-discipline.
• Is an independent self-starter who uses their initiative.
• Is patient and thorough in tracking the progress of orders in the system.
• Has excellent interpersonal skills that enable them to communicate well at all levels.
• Has strong planning and organising skills including the ability to multitask. and work well under pressure.
• Supported by their friendly manner and ability to think on their feet.
• Demonstrates strong organisational skills and accountability.
• Is relationship-oriented and works well as part of a team.