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Customer Contact Specialist - Annuity

Sammons Financial Group

West Des Moines, Iowa

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JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$39,470–$65,785 Per Year
SKILLS
Accounting, Annuities, Billing, Business Services, Call Centers, Call Volume, Coaching, Communication Skills, Consulting, Corporate Policies, Customer Experience, Customer Relations, Customer Support/Service, Exceeded Sales Goal, Fax Machines, Finance, Health Plan, Homeland Security, Interest Rates, Leadership, Life Insurance, Loan Policy, Marketing, Mentoring, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Organizational Skills, Performance Metrics, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Problem Solving Skills, Procedure Development, Process Improvement, Recruiting/Staffing Agency, Regulations, Sales, Service Level Agreement (SLA), Social Security Administration, Team Player, Telephone Skills, Time Management, Writing Skills
LOCATION
West Des Moines, Iowa
POSTED
7 days ago
Overview:

Communicate verbally with annuity policyowners, agents, third parties and internal support departments in matters relating to customer needs. Approach all interactions with the customer at the forefront, using the corporate shared values as the guide for all interactions.

Responsibilities: • Responsible for front line/customer facing in responding to inbound calls by providing support to agents, policy owners, third parties or others in verbal and written communication using a professional and friendly approach. Calls must be handled according to company policy and procedure, Service Level and Quality Standard Agreements.
• Answer calls regarding, but not limited to: policy values, various features and rider benefits, coverage options, indexed and variable policy performance, products, interest rates, address changes and allocation changes, withdrawals, surrenders, transfers and exchanges, beneficiary changes, ownership changes, guideline and regulations, annual and quarterly statements, completing forms and provide standard established turnaround times, as applicable.
• Acquire and maintain working knowledge of company products. This includes staying familiar with the most up-to-date changes to procedures as well as completing any required training courses.
• Field questions regarding policy loans, billing and accounting processing, grace processing and lapse notification.
• Display a working knowledge of premium and contribution regulations.
• Correctly identify appropriate regulations to ensure proper handling of requests. Verify and provide explanation for tax documents.
• Consult and coordinate with all other applicable departments including New Business, Agency Services, Sales and Marketing, Customer Correspondence and the Annuity/Life Division.
• Submit accurate and timely requests via workflow system to ensure work item is handled in accordance with varying departmental procedures. Have working knowledge of each department’s job function and all designated service level agreements to manage end user expectations.
• Meet departmental expectations for phone and written quality, average handle time, held and consulted calls and availability checks.
• Navigate and provide direction to agents and policy owners to access policy information via external websites. Troubleshoot website display errors, assist with setting up notification preferences, requesting illustrations and reviewing policy correspondence.
• Identify, communicate and proactively work to solve problems or issues before a service breakdown or complaint occurs.
• Maintain multiple job functions such as incoming calls, e-mails, noting files, faxing, while being flexible between high and low call volumes while displaying exemplary customer service skills.
• Efficiently navigate multiple systems as well as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Provide trends and feedback to department leadership to be shared with division and senior leadership, as received through communications with customers or agents. Openly discuss concerns within the area and/or team and provide ideas for improvement. Look for ways to improve a process and/or procedure and openly discuss your thoughts.
• Promote teamwork by supporting team members and sharing knowledge; provide feedback and coaching ideas for peer mentoring and personal development.
• Participate and apply continued training on additional job functions for department advancement. Participate in developmental workforce courses and apply learning.
• Assist management with determining and implementing efficient workflow methods.
• Drive to meet/exceed all performance goals including KPIs (key performance indicators), SLAs (service level agreements) and other communicated standards.
• Proactively participate in daily huddle board discussions offering ideas, insights and support.
• Actively participate in problem solving sessions (standard work, root cause problem solving, etc.) as requested by your manager.
• Take ownership of implementing standard work and other changes into your daily work processes.
• Continuously strive to create a positive customer experience throughout all customer interactions, request processing/handling, and problem-solving efforts.
• Commitment to embrace Sammons Financial Group Companies shared values (Accountability, Connection, Openness, Respect and Integrity).
• As stated within the Company Attendance and Punctuality policy, regular attendance is required and expected in order to meet the business service levels and workflow demands.
• Other duties as assigned. Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree Preferred
  • Previous customer service/call center experience Preferred
  • Must have the ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with agents and policyowners
  • Must have knowledge of and ability to maneuver through multiple information screens
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Must have strong organizational skills
  • Strong problem solving skills
  • Ability to work efficiently and independently or in a team environment
  • Able to adapt to frequent change
Suitability Requirements:

• Criminal background check required.

Pay Range: USD $39,470.00 - USD $65,785.00 /Yr. Pay Transparency Verbiage: Range includes data points from multiple labor markets. Specific range is dependent on the labor market where the incumbent will be hired to perform the position. Starting salary is dependent on candidate qualifications and experience. For a narrower salary range specific to your labor market, please inquire. Company Information: •Comprehensive health coverage for you and your family, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA & FSA options, and term life insurance.
•Competitive compensation with a performance-based incentive program tied to clear goals and individual and/or company success.
•Invest in your future with our 100% company-funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), plus automatic enrollment in our 401(k).
•Work–life balance that means something. Friday afternoons off year-round, generous paid time off, and paid holidays.
•Commit to your growth with paid development time, tuition reimbursement, and professional development opportunities across industry, individual, and leadership programs.
•Make an impact beyond the workplace through volunteer time off, and our company nonprofit matching gift program, supporting the causes that matter most to you.
•An ownership culture that inspires; join a connected, values-driven workplace where employees take accountability, support one another, and are empowered to do their best work—together shaping our future shared success.
Work Authorization/Sponsorship: At this time, we’re not considering candidates that need any type of immigration sponsorship now or in the future or those needing work authorization for this role (This includes, but is not limited to students on F1-OPT, F1-CPT, J-1, etc.) Additional Information:

Sammons Financial Group Is An Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

ADA
Sammons Financial Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application or hiring process, including navigating our website or applying for a position, please contact HR@sfgmembers.com or call 800-728-2987.

E-Verify
Sammons Financial Group participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

Policy for External Search Firms and Agencies
Sammons Financial Group maintains an internal Talent Acquisition function and does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from search firms, staffing agencies, or other third-party recruiting vendors. Please review our Recruitment Agency Policy for additional information here.

About the Company

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Sammons Financial Group