Customer Service Representative

Element Chicago is seeking an *on-site* Customer Service Representative to join our team in Glendale Heights, Illinois. This role is critical in delivering outstanding customer service, maximizing sales opportunities, and creating a positive first impression for clients. Acting as the voice of the customer, the Customer Service Representative ensures a consistent and high-quality customer experience through phone, email, and other communication channels. This position involves pre-qualifying customer inquiries, quote creation, gathering and organizing technical details, coordinating communication between departments and ensuring accuracy to drive business development activities.

The Pay range for this role is set between $20-$24 per hour, and will depend on the level of experience per the individual candidate.

Collaborate closely with sales teams, business leaders, and other departments to assess client needs, gather technical information, and prepare accurate and timely quotes. Serve as a critical link between the client and internal teams to streamline the quote creation process and maximize sales potential.
• Address inquiries, service requests, and concerns with professionalism. Direct requests to the appropriate staff and follow up to ensure high customer satisfaction. Document customer concerns and collaborate with internal teams to resolve issues effectively.
• Collect technical details and assign leads to relevant business units or teams using tools such as Dynamics CRM, AX, ECC LIMS, or customer portals. Maintain accurate and up-to-date records to facilitate seamless communication and efficient quote creation.
• Assist with order creation, sample receipt, and the testing of rush samples in collaboration with operations and business development teams. Monitor project progress and ensure clients receive timely updates, emphasizing on-time delivery and accurate lead times.
• Support finance and accounting departments with invoicing processes and addressing overdue accounts, maintaining financial accuracy and integrity collaborating with business development teams and customers.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of Element's services and capabilities to address client inquiries confidently and identify opportunities for additional sales or cross-selling.
• Respond to client communications promptly via email and phone, ensuring customer expectations are consistently met and fostering a positive customer experience.

• 1-3 years of experience in sales, customer service, sales support, or a general business role, or a combination of education and experience. Experience supporting business development is a plus.
• An associate's degree in business, communications, engineering or a technical field is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact respectfully with both customers and colleagues.
• Familiarity with sales and quoting terminology, contracts, marketing materials, and specifications for materials testing. Ability to communicate effectively with clients and internal teams.
• Proficiency in verbal and written communication. Experience handling customer issues and interpreting diverse instructions.
• Ability to calculate figures such as discounts, interest, and commissions, with basic algebra and geometry skills.
• Strong analytical skills to address customer issues, interpret instructions, and develop solutions quickly.
• Experience understanding and interpreting testing procedures and client requirements. Familiarity with materials testing or the metals industry is an advantage.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and other software. Familiarity with CRM systems is preferred.

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Element is one of the fastest growing testing, inspection and certification businesses in the world. Globally we have more than 9,000 brilliant minds operating from 270 sites across 30 countries. Together we share an ambitious purpose to 'Make tomorrow safer than today'.

When failure in use is not an option, we help customers make certain that their products, materials, processes and services are safe, compliant and fit for purpose. From early R&D, through complex regulatory approvals and into production, our global laboratory network of scientists, engineers, and technologists support customers to achieve assurance over product quality, sustainable outcomes, and market access.

While we are proud of our global reach, working at Element feels like being part of a smaller company. We empower you to take charge of your career, and reward excellence and integrity with growth and development.

Industries across the world depend on our care, attention to detail and the absolute accuracy of our work. The role we have to play in creating a safer world is much bigger than our organization.

At Element, we always take pride in putting our people first. We are an equal opportunity employer that recognizes diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our Vision of becoming "the world's most trusted testing partner".

All suitably qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective work related criteria and without regard for the following: age, disability, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, race, religion, responsibility of dependents, sexual orientation, or gender identity or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws.