Customer Service Careers In The Printing Industry

You might think that a customer service representative’s job, dealing directly with customers, is easy.  But in a service-oriented industry, like printing, delivery of service and satisfaction is a company’s competitive advantage. 

In a competitive environment such as printing, a company needs more than just someone to run the press.  They need someone to work with customers in a friendly and proactive manner.  The customer service person also needs to be a team player having to work to meet the needs of the clients with sales, production workers and other staff within the company.  If you like people, working with them and helping them with their problems, this is a good career path for you to follow - and there’s lots of opportunity in the printing industry.

Learning Position

Summary

Responsible for customer order entry at retail quick print sales counter.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Offer outstanding customer service, consulting with clients regarding their printing needs
• Operate high speed duplicators, color copier, and fax machine
• Prepare computerized invoices and job orders
• Assist customers with self-serve copy machines and supplies
• Answers phones and assist customers as needed
• Perform other duties as needed
• Monitor and ensure project deadlines are met
• Ensure quality control standards

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Self-motivated; team player with solid customer service skills
• Able to identify customer concerns and exceed expectations
• Able to provide customers with accurate and current information
• Able to meet deadlines and work under pressure
• Able to perform multiple tasks at once
• Able to work accurately and rapidly with strong attention to detail
• Above average organizational skills
• Basic computer skills
• Above average written and verbal communication skills
• Able to lift 50 pounds

Customer Service Representative

Summary

Acts as the contact point between the company and the client.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Keep commitments to customers
• Maintain professional and friendly relationships with customers
• Offer service which provides customers with a favorable view of the organization
• Maintain a positive attitude when dealing with a difficult situation or an unhappy customer
• Demonstrate empathy for customers
• Identify customer expectations and what it takes to meet them
• Anticipate customer needs and respond to them
• Tracks status of all work in progress
• Anticipates problems and answers any questions promptly to assist in the expedience of production.
• Monitors the quality and schedule performance of the customer's job to further customer satisfaction.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent people skills
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to deal with difficult customer situations and complaints successfully
• Good listening and facilitating skills
• Ability to work as a team member
• Problem solving techniques
• Detail-oriented with a proactive approach to customer service
• Must be highly organized and work independently
• Computer knowledge including Microsoft Word, Excel, Internet, e-mail, etc.
• Willingness to learn
• College degree in printing recomended

Project Leader

Duties and Responsibilities

• Offer alternative solutions to customer concerns
• Apply organization policies and procedures that guide customer service
• Act as a liaison between the customer and the organization
• Establish self with customers as a trustworthy, dependable, and informed individual upon whom the customer depends for accurate and current information
• Identify areas in which customer service can be improved and seek corresponding action
• Solicit ongoing feedback from both internal and external customers

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent people skills
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to deal with difficult customer situations and complaints successfully
• Good listening and facilitating skills
• Ability to work as a team member
• Problem solving techniques
• Detail-oriented with a proactive approach to customer service
• Must be highly organized and work independently
• Computer knowledge including Microsoft Word, Excel, Internet, e-mail, etc.
• Willingness to learn
• College degree recommended

Estimator

Summary

Provides the information that will help the salesperson bid competitively on a project.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Links between sales and manufacturing
• Creates the most economical way to produce the highest quality product to the satisfaction of the customer

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Prior experience in production or administrative aspects of graphic communications
• Good understanding of materials and production processes
• Familiarity and comfort with computers
• Good with numbers
• Strong communication skills, written and verbal
• Ability to work well under pressure
• College degree in printing recommended

Customer Service Manager

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop programs to strengthen customer relations
• Establish organization standards for customer service
• Provide employees with tools and empowerment to provide customer service
• Seek to reward innovative responses to customer complaints
• Develop service standards and strategies
• Ensure attitudes, systems and structures make it easy and fun to do business and serve customers with excellence
• Ensure a structure and vehicle that allow for communication of customer service ideas and needs upwards through the organization
• Determine current and future expectations of customers and use that information to ensure improvements in quality
• Provide a vision and a model for satisfying customers

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent people skills
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to deal with difficult customer situations and complaints successfully
• Good listening and facilitating skills
• Ability to work as a team member
• Problem solving techniques
• Detail-oriented with a proactive approach to customer service
• Must be highly organized and work independently
• Computer knowledge including Microsoft Word, Excel, Internet, e-mail, etc.
• Willingness to learn
• College degree in printing recommended