Recruiting & Customer Care Associate (Flexible Schedule | Part-Time | MN Local-Remote)

SAM is a fast-growing and global sensory and consumer research consultancy. Our mission is to allow consumers a voice in the development of outstanding food, beverage, pet, and health & beauty products so as to create high quality and memorable experiences. We help our clients:

• Develop new product ideas
• Re-energize a well-established product
• Assess product-concept fit or packaging effectiveness
• Understand the product, brand and category competitive landscapes
• Protect product quality from inception to the end of shelf life

SAM The National Food Lab is the division of SAM that provides these services for all USA-based clients. Our sensory science program resides in our USA headquarters in Minneapolis, MN.

As the Recruiting & Customer Care Associate, they would act as the first point of contact for Tasteocracy Respondents. They will assist customers and their needs by working to resolve and questions or issues that may arise when calling into our Customer Care Line. They will call out on lists to assist in filling our taste tests and ensure that all requirements needed, are met prior to contact.

Listed below are responsibilities included, but not limited to:

Customer Care Phone Handling:

• Be knowledgeable about the active research projects – the screening requirements, the applicable quotas, the logistical information – know where to find the information and pro-actively as for information that is not available.
• Field inbound respondent communication to the main Eurofins phone line and online chat, with an eye to the studies that need to be filled.  Steer respondents towards the highest priority tests.
• Create a welcoming and courteous atmosphere for respondents by maintaining a professional demeanor while determining respondents’ needs.
• Strive for first-call resolution by clarifying respondent complaint or questions, determining cause of problem, finding an explaining the best solution, expediting correction or adjustments, following up to ensure resolution.
• Answer incoming queries and resolve incoming issues from respondents within the parameters set by the recruiting management team.
• Ensure that respondents meet all qualification requirements for the specific tests before scheduling.
• Ability to read respondents behavior over the phone to determine good fit for different panels.
• by reading respondents behavior over the phone, this will allow us to score respondents based on key factors that are needed to be included in certain panels or tests
• Cold call pre-existing contacts, internal respondents and external potential respondents
• Assist with host contact when a lead might not be available.

Customer Care Digital Channel & Database Handling:

• Strive for resolutions upon first interaction.  If needs exceed what you can do on digital channels, ensure comfortability in calling the respondent to ensure their needs are met.
• Answer incoming questions within a proper amount of time when notified
• Meet daily goals for assigned recurring database cleaning projects.
• Proactively update respondent information using departmental database cleaning processes when providing customer service.
• Responsible for hard-copy communications to and from respondents in support of database cleaning processes and project related communications.
• Complete special administrative projects as needed for the recruiting department.

Training and Metrics will include:

• Meet monthly phone metrics (Average Handle Time, Average Talk Time, Utilization) when applicable
• Meet monthly digital channel metrics (average wait time, average handle time, utilization)
• Meet Monthly billability
• Attend quarterly training and pass any quizzes given within a certain timeframe. 

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skill or ability required.

• High School diploma or GED equivalent certificate required
• Comfortability with all digital channels (Live Chat, SMS, Emailing, Social Media Messenger)
• Some exposure to SalesForce or other CRM Systems *not required, nice to have
• Confident with phone handling; *phone software experience not required but nice to have
• Proactive, knowledgeable, reliable, sustainable, collaborative.
• Problem Solving skills
• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills

The hourly compensation for this position is $16.00 an hour.

Part-Time Employees are eligible for our 401 (k) Savings Incentive Plans, accruing prorated PTO, Holiday, paid time off. Employees scheduled to work 30-34 hours a week are eligible for Medical Insurance.

Schedule

This is a Part-Time position with hours up to 25 hours a week. We are looking for availability for 3-4 days a week, Monday-Sunday, within the hours of 9:00 am-9:00 pm; flexibility includes setting preferred shift schedule (Mon.- Fri., Thurs.- Sun., Weds.-Sat., etc.). This could include morning shifts, mid-day/day time shifts, or evening shifts. We are willing to accommodate what would work best for the right individual to grow this already fantastic team!

• If scheduled a Saturday outside of normal schedule, you will take a day off during the week (Tuesday – Friday)
  • There will be a set Saturday rotation where you will work every 3 weeks. 
  • If there is no test, but associates are working no lead needs to be on for the full shift, just start the day to ensure assignments are up to date and their ready to go.

This position is (mostly) fully remote. This individual must reside in the Twin Cities/Neighboring to the Twin Cities, Minnesota. This is due to coming onsite for in-person meetings as/if needed, equipment pick-up, IT support as/if needed, etc. 

Required Licenses or Certificates:

• Valid Driver’s License and Proof of Insurance
• All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:                

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds (50 lbs. with assistance).
• The employee must have the ability to stand for long periods of time.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
• Lab regularly processes known food allergens including egg, soy, wheat, milk, fish,  and shellfish, treenuts, peanuts, sulfites, gluten, chocolate, fruit, natural or artificial sweeteners (like aspartame or Phenylalanine), natural or artificial colors.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Candidates currently living in a commutable distance to Plymouth, MN are encouraged to apply.

Eurofins USA Food Testing is a M/F, Disabled, and Veteran Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.