Senior Customer Service Associate

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.

• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.

• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.

• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.

• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.

• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

This position works out of our St. Paul, MN location in the Heart Failure Division. In Abbott’s Heart Failure (HF) business, we’re developing solutions to diagnose, monitor and manage heart failure, allowing people to restore their health and get on with their lives.

What You'll Work On

Working under close and continuous supervision, provides sales order and/or inventory management support to the sales force, hospitals, clinics and physicians.  Fills customer orders and/or provides inventory support for products and services accurately, expeditiously, and under special circumstances.

• Receives and processes customer rental and purchase orders according to established procedures.  Interprets and clarifies customer orders for the shipping department, creates relevant shipping paperwork, communicates waybill information, and traces lost shipments.  Maintains customer contact until shipment is received at point of destination.

• Follows up and resolves order discrepancies, credit holds, training requirements or product availability issues when appropriate with the guidance of team lead/Supervisor.  Communicates to customers on order status, expected release dates or requirements needed to fulfill order.

• Provides and communicates inventory status updates and support.  Researches and prepares billing correction requests to ensure proper billing and corrects commission payments on all devices.

• Responsible for obtaining approvals, issuing and tracking returns and ensuring the issuance of credits based on procedures.  Works with customers to expedite the return through to resolution.

• Responds quickly to customer inquiries and requests, including medium difficulty technical questions escalating when appropriate.

• Effectively communicates and interacts with internal and external customers to ensure priorities and exceptions are clearly understood.  Maintains positive and cooperative communications and collaboration with all levels of employees, customers, contractors, and vendors.

• Performs consignment inventory initial set-up, audits and troubleshoots discrepancies through to resolution with external customers.  May generate reports on inventory and consignment products for field or management distribution.

• Maintains Accounts and Contacts in ERP and CRM Databases including maintenance and updates.  Consults and strategizes with management regarding identifying key hospital personnel regarding future product opportunities and customer needs.

• Provides timely feedback to Information Systems on any systems issues.  Escalates issues as appropriate.

• Receives and responds to routine customer product complaints, determines validity of warranty period, processes credits, works with internal personnel to schedule installs, ship replacements or loaned equipment to address immediate customer needs.  Receives and responds to routine customer service complaints under the supervision of a Lead/Supervisor or Manager.

• Handles issues and resolves including identifying causes to prevent re-occurrence with guidance of Team Lead/Supervisor/Manager.

• Support a continuous improvement environment for department processes including order processing and invoicing transactions, returns processing, backorder processing, credit requests, and new product launches.

• Requires developing rapport with customers and field sales/clinical personnel via verbal and written communication.

• May be assigned to assist on projects within the Customer Service department.

• Keeps current on all products offered by company. Understands and implements changes in regulatory requirements with guidance of Team Lead/Supervisor/Manager

• Establishes and maintains a business climate that fosters positive and cooperative working relationships with all levels of employees, customers, contractors and vendors.

• Support all Company initiatives as identified by management and in support of Quality Management Systems (QMS), Environmental Management Systems (EMS), and other regulatory requirements.

• Complies with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, other regulatory requirements, Company policies, operating procedures, processes, and task assignments.  Maintains positive and cooperative communications and collaboration with all levels of employees, customers, contractors, and vendors.

• Performs other related duties and responsibilities, on occasion, as assigned.

• Support on call afterhours by providing support to urgent request outside regular working hours; associated required to carry cell phone when assigned.  

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years

• Demonstrated experience in a customer service or closely related environment.

• Demonstrated competence in English spelling, grammar and punctuation, including the ability to successfully pass a reading comprehension pre-employment examination. 

• Demonstrated organizational skills, attentiveness to detail, and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to listen, resolve problems, deal with unresolved issues, delays and unexpected events, and the ability to effectively communicate and maintain rapport with sales representatives and customers.

• Demonstrated keyboard and personal computer skills, including the ability to pass a 10 key assessment examination.

• Experience with Microsoft Office including Excel, Word or equivalent applications.

• Experience working in a broader enterprise/cross-division business unit model preferred. SJM experience preferred.

•  Ability to work in a highly matrixed and geographically diverse business environment.

• Ability to work within a team and as an individual contributor in a fast-paced, changing environment.

• Ability to leverage and/or engage others to accomplish projects.

• Strong verbal and written communications with ability to effectively communicate at multiple levels in the organization.

• Multitasks, prioritizes and meets deadlines in timely manner.

• Strong organizational and follow-up skills, as well as attention to detail.

• Ability to travel approximately 10%, including internationally.

• Ability to maintain regular and predictable attendance.

• Regularly scheduled overtime is a requirement of this position.

Apply Now

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives:  www.abbottbenefits.com

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott, and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

The base pay for this position is

$17.85 – $35.75/hour

In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

JOB FAMILY:

Customer Service

DIVISION:

HF Heart Failure

LOCATION:

United States > Minnesota > St. Paul > Lillehei : One Lillehei Plaza

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS:

WORK SHIFT:

Standard

TRAVEL:

Not specified

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE:

Not Applicable

SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES:

Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous standing for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous walking for prolonged periods (more than 2 hours at a time in an 8 hour day)

Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.

EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdf

EEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf