The Research Department Specialist serves as an extension of our sales team and customers, providing a high-touch, project-scheming, and product research assistance service. This role transforms product research into a competitive advantage, ensuring that customers receive expert, showroom-quality service for all products. This role is focused on sales-driving research, complex product configuration, and design solutions.
Key Responsibilities
Immersive Remote Consultations: Replicate the high-touch in-person showroom experience by providing expert guidance via chat, email, virtual conference calls, and phone.
Design Schemes & Product Configuration: Provide technical assistance in creating design schemes, developing furniture configurations, and executing substitutions to drive sales and meet product and project requirements.
Sales Enablement: Act as an extension of the sales team, offloading complex research and product configuration to allow sellers to focus on customer relationship-building and core business activities.
Proactive Sales Support: Act as a critical differentiator by proactively identifying viable, in-stock alternatives, answering product questions regarding fabric specifications, furniture dimensions, and carpet applications, ensuring customer retention and continuous revenue support.
Collaborative Accountability: Work involves collaborating with sales teams, other Research Specialists, and additional product specialist teams in the company. Accountability for shared project work and quality of results is essential.
Note: To maintain focus on revenue-driving research and high-touch service, this role does not handle order fulfillment/processing.
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Qualifications and Required Skills
Client-Facing Experience: 3+ years in a high-end customer service, showroom support, or sales role within the interior design industry.
Expert-Level Competency: Deep subject matter expertise in fabrics, furniture, and carpet, including the ability to consult on substitutions, configurations, and project design.
Digital Fluency: Proficiency with virtual meeting tools, digital communication channels, and willingness to learn AI-enabled visualization tools.
Strategic Communication: Superior verbal and written communication skills suitable for high-touch, consultative projects.
Service Mindset: Exceptional patience, empathy, and problem-solving skills tailored to our customer base.
Agility: Ability to pivot between complex tasks and maintain high service levels in a fast-paced "Digital Showroom" environment.
Performance Metrics
The success of this role is measured through:
Substitution Success Rate: Effectively providing viable in-stock alternatives for out-of-stock inquiries.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Maintaining responsiveness and timely solution delivery to mimic in-person showroom standards.
Internal CSAT: Feedback from sales representatives regarding the accuracy and helpfulness of the support provided.
/n The Research Department Specialist serves as an extension of our sales team and customers, providing a high-touch, project-scheming, and product research assistance service. This role transforms produ