Booking and Customer Service Specialist

The TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico Booking & Customer Service Specialist is responsible for overseeing the entire booking process, ensuring accurate and timely coordination of shipments while effectively communicating shipment details to customers.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Performs all aspects of the cargo booking process and customer service functions including creating bookings, coordinating equipment and dispatch functions, facilitating paperwork for documentation, responding to customer emails and answering phone calls.

• Provides account coordination with customers and logistics companies to schedule pick up and/or delivery arrangements for cargo moves.

• Track and communicate shipment data details to internal teams and customers.
• Coordinate transfer loads and appointments when necessary.
• Generate specific individualized reports, as required by customers via SQL and CargoWise.
• Effectively communicate and provide support to other teams including but not limited to Shipment Services, Inland, Terminal & Commercial teams.
• Manage the team mailbox, EDI & web bookings and provide timely & accurate responses.
• Respond to all customers with courtesy and professionalism.
• Build and enhance customer relationships at every touch point with customers.
• Research, follow-up and work with other teams as needed to resolve customer issues in a timely fashion.
• Promotes electronic ways of doing business with TOTE and effectively answer customer inquiries regarding our products and services.
• Create and maintain updated customer accounts information in Back Office & other related systems.
• Resolves product or service problems by clarifying the customer's complaint; determining the root cause of the problem; selecting and explaining the best solution to solve the problem; expediting correction or adjustment; following up to ensure resolution.
• Prioritize multiple tasks to ensure urgent problems are resolved quickly.
• Minimize service failures and costs by delivering accurate and timely information.
• Provide information to customers related to sailing schedules, equipment availability, container status, routing, rates etc.
• Inform customers of the applicable policies, regulations and rules that affect shipment transportation.
• Identify innovative ways to improve our department business model and carry out Continuous Improvement practices whenever possible.
• Build positive and collaborative relationships with internal employees and internal departments on a continuous basis.
• Participate in and promote company and department initiatives.
• Pursue continual learning pertaining to industry standards, regulatory requirements and general industry training.
• Identify personal mistakes or errors in booking and customer service processes and proactively work to avoid re-occurring errors by yourself and your department.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Assists the Company in any necessary duties to achieve Company goals.
2. Performs other related duties as assigned.
3. Adherence to the Integrated Management System that covers Quality, Environmental, and Safety ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certifications

Authority/Judgment/Disclosure/Financial Responsibility

Authority Selections:

Close supervision; work is regulated or supervised thoroughly, but not continuously; follows established methods and procedures, refers exceptions to supervisory personnel.

Judgment Decisions:

Mistakes and errors in judgment are moderate in nature and expensive to correct, usually limited to one department or phase of work.

Disclosure of Information Selections:

This position involves regular work with some information of major importance, which if disclosed may be detrimental to the company's interests.

Financial Responsibility Selections:

No authority to commit funds for the organization

Skills:

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is preferred.
• A general understanding of Logistics Industry, Transportation Industry, Shipping Industry or equivalent knowledge is preferred.
• Superior interpersonal & communication skills.
• Strong computer skills, knowledge of Microsoft Office and ability to adapt to new systems and technologies quickly.
• Problem solving ability to resolve customer issues efficiently and professionally.
• Customer focused mindset to foster strong relationships and customer loyalty.
• Ability to effectively prioritize tasks and multitask customer inquiries to meet deadlines and service expectations.
• Ability to work collaboratively and professionally with colleagues.
• Assess and analyze customer feedback to provide solutions to improve processes or services.

Education:

• High school diploma required
• Associates Degree or Bachelor's Degree preferred
• Three years in customer service or transportation preferred

Physical Requirements of the Position:

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.

Visual Requirements of the Position:

Visual requirement equal to that for clerical administrative whose work deals largely with preparing and analyzing data and figures, accounting, transcription, computer terminal, extensive reading, etc.